La Gomera

The Parque Nacional de Garajonay is the heart of La Gomera and has been a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site since 1986. Covering around 3,986 hectares (11% of the island's area), it features a laurisilva — a laurel forest, as it covered large parts of the Mediterranean and North Africa 2–20 million years ago. The ice ages wiped out these forests on the mainland, but on the Canary Islands — protected by the mild, humid climate — they survived. Garajonay is the largest and best-preserved remnant of this primeval forest type.

Hiking through Garajonay is an experience like being in another earth epoch. Meter-thick, moss-covered tree trunks, giant ferns, mist swirling through the treetops, and a silence broken only by the call of the Canary Island chaffinch. The trees — especially Canary laurel (Laurus novocanariensis), tree heath (Erica arborea), and wax myrtle (Myrica faya) — reach heights of 15–20 m and form a closed canopy.

The highest point of the park is the Alto de Garajonay (1,487 m), also the highest peak of La Gomera. On a clear day, the view from the summit extends to Tenerife, La Palma, El Hierro, and even Gran Canaria — all four neighboring islands at once.

Main Hiking Trails in the Park

Ruta 18: El Cedro — Ermita de Lourdes (circuit, 5 km, 2 hrs): The classic laurel forest trail. Leads through the densest part of the forest, along mossy paths by a stream. Easy to moderate. Starting point: El Cedro parking lot.

Ruta 2: Contadero — Alto de Garajonay (round trip, 6 km, 2.5 hrs): Ascent to the summit through tree heath scrubland. At the top, a 360° panorama. Starting point: Pajarito/Contadero parking lot on the TF-713.

Ruta 5: Las Creces — Risquillos de Corgo (circuit, 3 km, 1.5 hrs): Short, family-friendly trail through particularly beautiful sections of laurel forest. Hardly any incline.

San Sebastián (approx. 9,000 inhabitants) is the island's capital, ferry port, and gateway to La Gomera. This is where the ferry from Tenerife arrives (Fred Olsen Express, 50 min., from €39 one way; Naviera Armas, 60 min., from €29), and where every visit to the island begins.

The city has a special historical claim: Christopher Columbus made San Sebastián his last stop before his first Atlantic crossing in 1492. He loaded water and provisions, attended mass at the Iglesia de la Asunción, and sailed west on September 6. The city maintains this heritage with dedication — sometimes exaggerated, but charming.

Sights

Torre del Conde — the only preserved medieval defense tower in the Canary Islands (built in 1447). Today a small museum on colonial history. Admission: €3, Mon–Sat 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

Casa de la Aguada (Columbus House) — where Columbus is said to have refilled his drinking water. Small museum with maps, ship models, and documents on the voyage of discovery. Admission: €2.

Iglesia de la Asunción — the church where Columbus prayed. Simple Gothic-Canarian architecture from the 15th century, with wall paintings. Free, daily 9 a.m.–1 p.m. & 4 p.m.–7 p.m.

Playa de San Sebastián — black volcanic sand beach right in the city, about 300 m long. Calm water, ideal for swimming. Little visited outside the high season.

The Valle Gran Rey ("Valley of the Great King") on the west coast is the most tourist-developed place on La Gomera — which on this island means that there are a few guesthouses, a handful of restaurants, and a relaxed hippie atmosphere reminiscent of the 1970s. German dropouts discovered the valley in the seventies, and even today you hear more German than Spanish in the bars.

The valley is spectacular: a deep gorge that stretches from the high plateau (1,000 m) down to the sea, with terraced slopes full of palms and banana plants. The road (GM-1) winds down in countless hairpin bends — breathtaking and nerve-wracking at the same time.

At the sea, the districts of La Playa (main beach, black sand, restaurants, apartment rentals), La Puntilla (harbor, quieter), and Vueltas (fishing harbor with the best fish restaurants) are spread out. The beach of La Playa is about 400 m long, the water calm and suitable for swimming.

Valle Gran Rey is the perfect place to unwind: go to the beach in the morning, hike in the afternoon, eat fish at the harbor at sunset in the evening. Whale watching tours start from Vueltas (approx. €35/person, 2–3 hours) — pilot whales and dolphins are spotted on almost every trip.

The Silbo Gomero is unique in the world: a complete, articulated language communicated solely through whistling — and since 2009, part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO. It is not a secret language or a signaling system but a phonetic transposition of Spanish: each Spanish vowel and consonant is replaced by a specific whistle tone or combination of tones.

The Silbo arose from practical necessity: La Gomera's deep ravines (barrancos) made communication between villages extremely difficult. A foot journey from ridge to ridge could take hours, while the distance as the crow flies was only a few hundred meters. The whistle signals carry up to 5 km under good conditions — far enough to transmit complex messages across an entire ravine.

The indigenous people (Guanches) probably brought the Silbo with them from North Africa and adapted it to Castilian after the Spanish conquest. In the 20th century, the tradition was in danger of dying out as telephones and roads made the whistles unnecessary. Since 1999, however, the Silbo has been a compulsory subject in all primary schools on La Gomera — every child learns to whistle.

Tourists best experience the Silbo at a demonstration: at the restaurant La Montaña (Chipude) and in several hotels, there are regular demonstrations where silbadores (whistlers) show how entire conversations are whistled — including jokes and orders. Admission is usually free (a meal is expected). Inquire about dates at the San Sebastián tourism office or at lagomera.travel.

La Gomera is — alongside La Palma — the best hiking island in the Canary Islands. The trail network covers around 650 km of marked paths, and the diversity of landscapes in such a small area is astonishing: laurel forest, pine grove, palm gorge, volcanic plateau, steep coast, and subtropical terraces within a few kilometers.

Top 5 Day Hikes

1. Vallehermoso — Chorros de Epina — Arure
The most beautiful ridge hike on La Gomera. From Vallehermoso (northwest) over the ridge to Arure with constant panoramic views of both coasts. Along the way, the sacred spring Chorros de Epina (5 pipes — according to legend, you drink from each for a specific fortune). 14 km, 6 hrs, moderate, return by bus (Línea 1).
Starting point: Vallehermoso bus station [28.1760, -17.2630]

2. Hermigua — El Cedro — Garajonay Summit
Ascent from the fertile Hermigua valley through banana plantations into the laurel forest El Cedro and further to the summit of Garajonay. Dramatic landscape change: subtropical → cloud forest → alpine heath. 12 km, 5 hrs, challenging (900 meters of ascent).
Starting point: Hermigua bus station [28.1660, -17.1920]

3. Roque de Agando Circuit
Short but impressive hike around La Gomera's most famous rock monolith — the Roque de Agando (1,250 m), a volcanic plug that juts out of the forest like a finger. Together with the neighboring Roques (Ojila, Carmona, Las Lajas), it forms La Gomera's most iconic landscape. 4 km, 1.5 hrs, easy.
Starting point: Parking lot on the TF-713 [28.1050, -17.2000]

4. Valle Gran Rey — La Mérica — Arure
Ascent from the Valley of the Great King via the old mule path (Camino de la Mérica) to the high plateau. Steep switchbacks with deep views into the valley, above Canarian pines and views of Teide. 8 km, 4 hrs, challenging (800 meters of ascent).
Starting point: La Calera, Valle Gran Rey [28.0970, -17.3290]

5. Fortaleza de Chipude — Circuit
The table mountain Fortaleza (1,243 m) was a sacred site of the Guanches. Short ascent to the flat summit plateau with archaeological remains and spectacular panoramic views. The rock itself is an imposing basalt block. 5 km, 2.5 hrs, moderate (one section slightly exposed).
Starting point: Chipude village square [28.1030, -17.2810]

La Gomera's cuisine is the most original of the Canary Islands — little influenced by international trends, deeply rooted in the rural tradition, and shaped by the scarcity that defined life on this barren island for centuries. Here you eat what the island provides: goat meat, fish, potatoes, watercress, palm syrup, and the famous Almogrote.

Almogrote — La Gomera's National Dish

Almogrote is a spicy cheese spread made exclusively on La Gomera and found nowhere else in the Canary Islands. The base: aged, hard goat cheese (Queso duro gomero), olive oil, garlic, hot red pepper (Pimentón picante), tomato, and a pinch of pepper. Everything is processed into a dense, rust-red paste in a mortar.

Almogrote tastes intense — spicy, savory, cheesy — and is served on toasted bread, as a starter or tapa. Every grandmother on La Gomera has her own recipe (and each claims hers is the only true one). In the supermarket, a jar costs from €3, in a restaurant Almogrote con pan (with bread) is the cheapest and tastiest starter for €4–6.

Miel de Palma (Palm Syrup)

Another specialty that exists only on La Gomera: Guarapo, the sap of the Canary Island date palm, is obtained by incising the crown (a technique dating back to the Guanches) and boiled down into a dark brown, viscous syrup — the Miel de Palma. It tastes like a mix of maple syrup and molasses with a caramel note. It is eaten with gofio, drizzled over queso fresco, or in desserts. A traditional guarapero (palm sap tapper) climbs 15–20 palms daily — a dying art. Price: from €8 for a bottle (300 ml).

Other Specialties

Potaje de berros — watercress soup with potatoes, beans, and corn on the cob: the quintessential Canarian comfort food. Carne de cabra — goat meat, stewed or grilled, the basis of Gomera's meat cuisine. Gofio amasado — roasted flour with Miel de Palma, almonds, and raisins formed into balls: the traditional dessert.

Restaurant Recommendations

€ Bar Restaurante Las Chacaras · Vallehermoso
Simple village bar with the best Almogrote you can find on the island. Also, grilled goat meat and papas arrugadas. The owner prepares everything herself.
Tapas €3–5, main courses €7–12 · Mon–Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m.

€ Tasca El Roque · Vueltas, Valle Gran Rey
Tiny tasca at the fishing harbor, right on the quay wall. Fresh fish, depending on the day's catch — vieja (parrotfish), cherne (wreckfish), sama. Plus a jar of wine. Unpretentious and perfect.
Fish dishes €8–15 · Tue–Sun 12 p.m.–10 p.m.

€€ Restaurante La Montaña — Casa Efigenia · Chipude
Legendary restaurant, run for over 50 years by the now over 90-year-old Doña Efigenia. No menu — you get what was cooked today: potaje, gofio, almogrote, goat cheese, fruit. All homegrown, all vegetarian (except when a goat was slaughtered). A piece of living history. Often with Silbo demonstration.
Fixed menu approx. €15 · Lunch only, reservation recommended: Tel. +34 922 880 002

€€ Mirador César Manrique · Arure
Viewpoint designed by the famous Lanzarote artist with an attached restaurant. Spectacular view over Valle Gran Rey from above. The cuisine is solid Canarian, but you come mainly for the view at sunset.
Main courses €12–20 · Daily 10 a.m.–10 p.m.