La Gomera

The green little island of the Canaries, where Garajonay National Park's laurel cloud forest is a World Heritage Site, and the Silbo whistled language and terraced ravines are unique.

La Gomera is the second-smallest inhabited island in Spain's Canary Islands, about 30 km west of Tenerife. Roughly round and covering about 370 km², it has a central highland cut by deep ravines radiating outward. The island's biggest draw is Garajonay National Park, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site whose central mountains preserve ancient laurel cloud forest; Silbo Gomero, the island's whistled language, is on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list and is still taught in schools. The island divides roughly into four areas: in the east, the capital San Sebastián is the ferry port, with the Torre del Conde, the Church of the Assumption and other Columbus-related sights; the centre has the national park, Alto de Garajonay and Roque de Agando; the north has Agulo, the glass-floored Mirador de Abrante, the Hermigua Valley and Vallehermoso, with boat trips to see the basalt columns of Los Órganos; and in the west, Valle Gran Rey is the main resort area, with whale- and dolphin-watching trips. The climate is mild year-round, with spring and autumn best for hiking; the mountains are often in cloud and much cooler than the coast. Getting there: ferries from Los Cristianos in southern Tenerife take about 50 minutes to San Sebastián, so a day trip is possible, but 2–4 nights is recommended. The mountain roads are full of hairpin bends, and driving yourself is the best way to get around.

Top sights

• Garajonay National Park – A World Natural Heritage Site covering the island’s central highlands, home to a Tertiary-era laurel cloud forest. Tree trunks are draped i…
• Roque de Agando – A towering volcanic rock pillar that is the island’s signature landscape. A viewpoint by the road, Los Roques, offers close-up photos.
• Valle Gran Rey – A deep terraced valley on the island’s west coast, running down to the sea with black-sand beaches and fishing harbors. It is Gomera’s most…
• Alto de Garajonay – The highest point on La Gomera (1,487 m). From the summit viewing platform you can see Tenerife's Teide, as well as La Palma and El Hierro.
• El Cedro Forest & Waterfall – The most pristine laurel forest area in Garajonay National Park, where streams flow year-round. A trail leads to El Cedro Waterfall, the la…
• Mirador César Manrique (Mirador de El Palmarejo) – A viewpoint restaurant designed by Lanzarote artist César Manrique, perched above the Valle Gran Rey and overlooking the terraced canyon al…
• Charco del Conde – A natural seawater pool enclosed by reefs on the coast of Valle Gran Rey. Its calm waters suit swimming and snorkeling with children.
• Torre del Conde – A 15th-century Gothic defensive tower, one of the oldest military buildings in the Canary Islands, closely tied to the story of Columbus's…
• Iglesia de la Asunción – A 15th–16th century church on the old street of the capital, where Columbus is said to have prayed before his first voyage to the Americas…
• Casa de Colón – A traditional Canarian house on Calle Real that displays materials on Columbus's voyages and pre-Hispanic pottery. Admission is free.
• Agulo – A small town on a cliff-top terrace on the north coast. Its red-tiled roofs, white walls and stone lanes have earned it a reputation as the…
• Mirador de Abrante – A glass-floored viewpoint jutting out from the cliff above Agulo, with hundreds of meters of drop and the town below, and Tenerife's Teide…
• Hermigua Valley – The most humid and lush valley on the island, with banana plantations and terraces covering the valley floor. By the sea are a natural seaw…
• Los Órganos – Hundreds of hexagonal basalt columns on a sea cliff on the north coast, resembling a pipe organ. They can only be seen from the sea, by boa…
• Roque Cano – A huge volcanic plug rising behind the town of Vallehermoso like a canine tooth, and a landmark of the north.
• La Fortaleza de Chipude – A flat-topped mesa that was a sacred site and final stronghold of the island's indigenous people. From the summit you can enjoy panoramic v…
• Playa Santiago – A fishing village on the south coast with the most sunshine on the island. Its pebble beach, seafood restaurants and golf resort make it id…

Where to eat

• Tasca Enyesque – A small restaurant run by a local chef on San Sebastián beach. A local food guide rated it the island's best, and it is…
• Casa Efigenia – A legendary vegetarian restaurant in the village of Las Hayas. Its €12 watercress soup set menu is recommended by the R…
• Los Telares – A terrace restaurant beside the Hermigua folk park, cooking largely with produce from its own organic farm and offering…
• Charco del Conde (Casa Ciro) – A family-run seaside restaurant in Valle Gran Rey with more than thirty years of history, a terrace overlooking the nat…

Itineraries

• Western Three Islands: Volcanoes and Cloud Forests – An island-hopping journey across Tenerife, La Gomera, and La Palma, focusing on hiking to see volcanoes, laurel forests…