La Gomera

La Gomera is the second smallest island of the Canary Islands. It is an undeveloped, unspoilt, beautiful island 40 minutes by fast ferry from Tenerife that is ideal for walkers.

Cities






Understand
There is a contrast between lush forests around the summit and in the national park with dry vegetation on the flanks of the island. It is of real interest to botanists for its variety of plant life and number of endemic species. It has a good climate all year round, especially in the south. La Gomera is one of two Canary Islands without direct tourist flights from mainland Europe, the other being El Hierro.

Talk
Spanish is the main language. English is widely understood in Valle Gran Rey, where German is easily the second language after Spanish. Most menus are printed in three languages.

It is famous for El Silbo - whistling language which was used to communicate across the deep valleys. The local council are trying to revive El Silbo; it is now a compulsory (and popular) subject in schools on the island.

By plane


Most people fly to Tenerife South (, Reina Sofia), then get a ferry from nearby Los Cristianos. Buses 451, 111 and 343 drive from Tenerife South Airport to. The ride costs €3.70 (April 2018). The buses stop by the roundabout close to the Los Cristianos bus station. From there you need to walk about down to the port where the ferries leave from.

By boat
By ferry from Los Cristianos in Tenerife to (or if operated, directly to Playa Santiago or Valle Gran Rey).

An advance day return costs around €80 for the 50- to 60-minute crossing.

Two ferry companies are providing service:

La Gomera is in the Atlantic. This means that even in moderate windy weather the waves may become pretty big. In that case the catamarans may not sail.

If the Benchi Express is operated, it is particularly vulnerable. In the event the Benchi Express cannot sail (though scheduled), Fred Olsen will drive you to or from Valle Gran Rey by bus. But, you need to be at the harbour 30 min earlier, and you sail on Olsen's big catamaran to or from San Sebastian.

By bus
There are regular bus services (4 or 5 per day, M–Sa; fewer on Su) to the main centres (Valle Gran Rey, Vallehermoso, Santiago) from the capital San Sebastian. Departures don't usually coincide with the ferry arrival times.

Journey time to Valle Gran Rey is around 1 hr 45 min. These buses are popular and it isn't always possible to get on especially at the port when boats come in. Buses returning to the tourist centres late in the afternoon tend to get full of walkers and likewise the ones heading into the mountains early in the mornings. Fares vary by distance, but are very reasonable. Drivers do not like to pick up or set down between stops for tourists even though you may see them do it for elderly locals. The public buses are a blue/turquoise colour and are run by Servicio Regular Gomera S.L. Tickets are purchased from the driver. There are many other private coaches darting about the island which will not stop for you. The timetables do change and tourist offices will have up-to-date versions. A reliable source should be the official website.

By car
Reputable car hire companies include CICAR or gomerarentacar.com. One of the companies that accept debit cards is Pluscar. Most companies have their office right next to the San Sebastian ferry terminal. Since the number of cars at the pier is limited (compared to, e.g., TFS airport), it's probably best to book upfront.

Petrol is relatively cheap - about 1/10 less than in mainland Spain. However, bear in mind that the roads are very winding indeed, so driving is slow - don't expect to go faster than 50 km/h most of the time. For example, air distance is only about 22 km across the island from San Sebastian to Valle Gran Rey, but the distance by road is over twice that, and it will take you an hour and a half to drive it. Many people combine walking with hitchhiking. Taxis are not prohibitively expensive especially if there are several of you sharing.

On foot
The preferred method for a lot of people coming here—see below.

Do




Hiking
Most visitors come for the top class hiking. There are many paths all over the island, from gentle strolls through the rain forest to all-day treks. Good signage makes self-guided walks simple.

Normal pre-cautions regarding walking on your own apply on La Gomera, too. Always make sure that somebody knows where you are heading and when you can be expected to return. Pack rain and windproof and warm clothing in your day-pack, even it is nice and sunny when you leave. Also, don't forget to take a phone and a flashlight with you, drinking water and something to eat. However, there are also many shorter walks (such as up one side of Valle Gran Rey and down the other) that need no more than sandals.

Hiking in heavy rain can be dangerous (as well as unpleasant) due to rock falls and landslides.

Organized
Several companies offer guided walks, which can be useful if you don't have transport or want to do a point to point walk. One of these companies is Timah. They offer guided walks at around €30 each (including the transportation to the starting point of the walk as well as the trip back) with English and German speaking guides.

Another company offering walks is Viajes Temocoda. Temocoda's walks are a little bit more expensive but lunch is included in the price.

Visit the tourist office in Valle Gran Rey (Calle Lepanto, s/n. La Playa) or the various travel agencies in Valle Gran Rey for information about other providers of walks. Agencies can usually make the booking for you, but at least Timah has an office in Valle Gran Rey (La Puntilla) and you can book your walk there as well.

Guided walks can be recommended not only because they include transportation and free you from the infrequent bus service, but the guides will tell you all sorts of interesting tidbits about the island.

Self-guided
A good map for trails (and even GPS navigation) is central:

Digital:
 * OpenStreetMap, which many mobile apps like OsmAnd or Mapy.cz use, provides highly detailed and complete maps of the island, including hiking trails.
 * Wikiloc, in addition, provides hundreds of possible downloadable trails by other hikers

Analog:
 * DWG
 * Kompass
 * Freydag & Berndt

Books:
 * The Landscapes of Southern Tenerife and La Gomera by Sunflower Books
 * Walk! La Gomera by DWG

Maps and guidebooks are readily available in San Sebastian and Valle Gran Rey.

Mountain biking
La Gomera is a good biking destination as it offers mountainous paved roads as well as single trails and dirt roads for the mountain bikers. In Valle Gran Rey there are three mountain bike tour operators and bike rentals available in the villages of La Playa, La Puntilla and Vueltas.

Be careful when riding down as the roads are steep and have tight bends. There are also two tunnels when coming down to Valle Gran Rey. The second and longer one can be circumvented by using the old road instead which goes by the mountainside. It starts on the right hand side of the tunnel entrance. However, extreme care is required as the railings on the old road are not in good condition (or missing altogether in places) and there are also big rocks and other debris on the road. When you drive in the tunnels make sure you have a headlight and a backlight (or at least a red reflector) so that cars can see you well ahead. Never ride without a well-fitting helmet.

Relaxing
The slow pace of life is contagious, the perfect antidote to stress. If you lack transport to Garojonay, walking in Valle Gran Rey (playa Del Ingles to beyond Vueltas) is easy and relaxing.

Beaches
There are beaches at the end of most valleys, of varying quality.


 * Valle Gran Rey has safe sandy beaches at Vueltas and El Charco (literally 'The Puddle'). There is a semi-nude beach (clothing is optional) called Playa del Ingles further down the road that goes along La Playa in Valle Gran Rey. However, it's rocky and very dangerous for swimming especially when the sea is rough.


 * San Sebastian has two good beaches.
 * Playa Santiago (as the name suggests) also has a beach.


 * There is a public pool at Playa de Vallehermoso (under renovation as of July 2021),


 * There is a sea swimming pool by the remains of the Embarcadero in Hermigua, and Playa la Caleta, near Hermigua, has a bar/restaurant on the beach (not operating as of July 2021).


 * If you don't mind the long, steep, winding drive, there is a lovely little beach at Alojera.

Flora
Fascinating sub-tropical vegetation abounds with the unique Laurisilva rainforest in the national park, Garajonay, which is situated on the highest part of La Gomera. Laurisilva has a very special property in that it makes clouds into rain: Due to the pressing upwards of the trade winds, there are often clouds on the top of La Gomera; but the leaves of the trees of Laurisilva have pores that catch the small drops from the clouds. The surplus water absorbed is secreted so that the trees are raining, which increases precipitation from 50-100%. Of the remaining Laurisilva is 50% growing on La Gomera, which makes Garajonay unique from a nature conservation point of view. Laurisilva has in earlier periods covered large areas surrounding the Middle Sea, but disappeared due to climate changes. The National Visitor Centre at Juego de Bolas, above Las Rosas, has a selection of native and endemic plants, as well as various artesanal artifacts. There are plenty fine walking paths in Garajonay and the surrounding landscape.

There is also a botanic garden of sorts near Vallehermoso. This could be excellent if better maintained, but has the air of somewhere abandoned.

Photography
La Gomera is so beautiful that photo opportunities are everywhere. Most main roads have clearly signed viewpoints, including parking for a short stop.

Diving
La Gomera is perfect for diving, and there are many people pursuing this passion. But there are no commercial diving schools. There is a dive club in San Sebastian (El Sebadal), and there is privately led dive base in the harbour of Valle Gran Rey.

Whale watching
Whale watching boat trips run from Valle Gran Rey with Excursiones Tina, Excursiones Yani or Oceano Gomera.

Eat
Restaurants:
 * Watercress soup with gofio (maize flour)
 * Palm honey (Miel de Palma), palm tree syrup is boiled up to produce this delicious liquid that features in many Gomeran dishes, especially desserts.
 * Mojo sauce comes in red or green - red is for meat and can be quite spicy, green for fish, based on garlic and coriander. Mojo in restaurants is usually home-made and quite variable, but always interesting. No burger chain uniformity here and all the better for it!
 * Papas arrugadas (literally wrinkly potatoes). Exquisite if done well with small, black potatoes, but price rises often mean that now cheaper potatoes are used. Eat with red or green mojo.

Drink
Excellent freshly prepared fruit juices and milkshakes are widely available. If you are feeling brave, try parra, the local firewater (similar to Italian grappa) or a Gomeron, which is parra mixed with palm honey.

Local wine was awarded DOC status in 2009. Try Garajonay white wine (Bodega Insular de La Gomera) or Rajadero (Bodega Altos de Chipude).

Great coffee, but remember that many locals take it with condensed milk (leche condensada). Try a leche y leche - an espresso with a squirt of condensed milk and a splash of hot milk — much better than it sounds!

Sleep
Most tourists head for Valle Gran Rey, with its stunning terraces and selection of bars and restaurants. These give a good balance between facilities and getting away from the stresses of western life. But the upper parts of this valley and all the beautiful rest of La Gomera remain unspoilt. There is also a push for more rural tourism, if you want to get completely away from things. However, it's worth remembering that the higher villages can be much cooler than the coast.

Accommodation in San Sebastian includes Villa Gomera (rooms and apartments available), Quintera apartments close to the seafront and the upmarket La Gomera Parador perched on the cliff-edge overlooking the harbour.

Playa Santiago has the Jardin Tecina complex, run by Fred Olsen, expensive, but worth a visit to see the impressive flora and the "James Bond" lift down to the beach. While Valle Gran Rey has the Hotel Gran Rey on the seafront and the Hotel Playa Calera in La Playa. The three villages, of which Valle Gran Rey is comprised, offer many private rooms. Walk around !


 * The official web of the Canary Islands: La Gomera Island has a nice system for locating hotels and offers in La Gomera.
 * Airbnb and similar
 * The official web of the Canary Islands: La Gomera Island has a nice system for locating hotels and offers in La Gomera.
 * Airbnb and similar