LAND RELIEF

From a geomorphological point of view, the relief of the municipality of Santa María de Guía is characterised by the presence of extensive hills crossed by a whole network of drainage channels. Over millions of years, volcanic activity has contributed materials, while erosion has sculpted a relief that is now typical of the entire northern band of Gran Canaria. The average gradient is over 15%, and the ravines are V-shaped, narrower in the middle sections and slightly widened at the headwaters.

As far as the coastline is concerned, and continuing with the forms of relief, the eastern part of the coastline has a platform of marine abrasion in San Felipe, and cliffs that extend towards the west, with the cliffs in the area of El Mármol being particularly striking, an area of great interest not only from a geomorphological point of view, but also for its flora and fauna.

VEGETATION

With regard to the vegetation landscape, between 0 and 200 metres above sea level, and characterised by an average rainfall that rarely exceeds 250 mm and an average annual temperature of 20ºC, there is a vegetation level formed at the lower levels by a halophyte community (adapted to high salinity), which as it moves away from the coast is replaced by a xerophyte community (typical of dry environments), represented mainly by the cardonal-tabaibal. The magnificent tabaibal groves of the Hoya del Puerto and the El Río ravine stand out.

As we ascend, we first come across the thermophilic floor, which in this band is symbolised to a greater extent by the presence of palm groves, both Canary Island palm and African palm. Representative examples of this ecosystem are the palm groves of the Valerón ravine and El Hormiguero.

Above approximately 450 metres is the potential area of the monteverde, a mainly arboreal community represented by the laurel forest and the fayal-brezal, which is currently represented on this island by few relictos due to the massive felling that took place in the 19th century for the extraction of timber and the use of the land for cultivation. Nowadays, there are only occasional small relictos where peasant activity was not possible, such as at the bottom of ravines such as Calabozo, Cardoso or El Pinar ravine.

A shrub community now invades many of the abandoned agricultural and livestock areas, where we can distinguish granadillos, big broom, bramble and, due to the forestry policy initiated in the middle of the last century, small monospecific pine forests (pine forest of Cortijo de La Solapilla, pine forest of Pavón or pine forest of Llano del Veneno) and eucalyptus trees are distributed in the area.

Finally, in the highest areas of the municipality we find the so-called "prados de diente", grass pastures that occupy areas linked - especially in the past - to a productive pastoral use.