La Gomera

From a distance La Gomera appears as an impenetrable fortress ringed with soaring rock walls. Noodle-thin roads wiggle along cliff faces and up ravines, and the white specks that turn out to be houses seem impossibly placed on inaccessible crags. Up-close, however, that rough landscape translates into lush valleys, awe-inspiring cliffs, glittering black-pebble beaches and bold rock formations sculpted by volcanic activity and erosion.

Without the standard tourist-resort trappings of golden sands and animated nightlife, La Gomera has a tangible bohemian air; many foreign residents arrived here in the 1960s flower-power days. Pastel-painted capital San Sebastián is the low-key hub, while the laid-back southern beach towns draw sunseekers. The island is relatively laborious to reach, and, apart from those day-tripping from Tenerife, most visitors tend to be walkers heading for the hiking trails that weave across this spectacular land, which unravels around the ancient laurisilva (laurel) forests of Garajonay.

Explore La Gomera

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Parque Nacional de Garajonay
La Gomera's prime attraction, the magical, often-misty Parque Nacional de Garajonay extends across 40 sq km of dense, primeval laurisilva forest at the…
T
Torre del Conde
Set in a grassy subtropical park, the distinctive, 1477 stone-and-whitewash Torre del Conde is considered the Canary Islands’ most important example of…
I
Iglesia de la Virgen de la Asunción
Columbus and his men supposedly prayed at this ancient church before setting off for the New World. The original chapel was begun in 1450 but destroyed by…
L
Los Órganos
Something like a great sculpted basalt church organ rising from the ocean's depths, the utterly extraordinary cliffscape of Los Órganos clings to La…
C
Casa de Colón
In the style of its 17th-century predecessor, this simple cream-coloured house with handsome wooden galleries and floors is built on the site where…
E
Ermita de Guará
Dedicated to the island's patron saint, the Virgen de Guadalupe, this tiny white 1960s chapel perches on a spectacularly scenic crag 6km southwest of El…
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Museo Arqueológico de La Gomera
Occupying part of the mid-18th-century Casa de los Echeverría (you'll spot the noble/military family's crest on the facade), this worthwhile museum…
C
Centro de Interpretación Las Loceras
El Cercado's small but fascinating earthenware museum explores the history of the island's pottery tradition through multilingual panels and collections…
M
Mirador Roque de Agando
Views sprawl across to Tenerife and the 1250m-high volcanic rock 'needle' Roque de Agando (the most impressive in the Canaries) from this sensational…

P
Parque Nacional de Garajonay
La Gomera's prime attraction, the magical, often-misty Parque Nacional de Garajonay extends across 40 sq km of dense, primeval laurisilva forest at the…
T
Torre del Conde
Set in a grassy subtropical park, the distinctive, 1477 stone-and-whitewash Torre del Conde is considered the Canary Islands’ most important example of…
I
Iglesia de la Virgen de la Asunción
Columbus and his men supposedly prayed at this ancient church before setting off for the New World. The original chapel was begun in 1450 but destroyed by…
L
Los Órganos
Something like a great sculpted basalt church organ rising from the ocean's depths, the utterly extraordinary cliffscape of Los Órganos clings to La…
C
Casa de Colón
In the style of its 17th-century predecessor, this simple cream-coloured house with handsome wooden galleries and floors is built on the site where…
E
Ermita de Guará
Dedicated to the island's patron saint, the Virgen de Guadalupe, this tiny white 1960s chapel perches on a spectacularly scenic crag 6km southwest of El…
M
Museo Arqueológico de La Gomera
Occupying part of the mid-18th-century Casa de los Echeverría (you'll spot the noble/military family's crest on the facade), this worthwhile museum…
C
Centro de Interpretación Las Loceras
El Cercado's small but fascinating earthenware museum explores the history of the island's pottery tradition through multilingual panels and collections…
M
Mirador Roque de Agando
Views sprawl across to Tenerife and the 1250m-high volcanic rock 'needle' Roque de Agando (the most impressive in the Canaries) from this sensational…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout La Gomera.

See
Parque Nacional de Garajonay
La Gomera's prime attraction, the magical, often-misty Parque Nacional de Garajonay extends across 40 sq km of dense, primeval laurisilva forest at the…
See
Torre del Conde
Set in a grassy subtropical park, the distinctive, 1477 stone-and-whitewash Torre del Conde is considered the Canary Islands’ most important example of…
See
Iglesia de la Virgen de la Asunción
Columbus and his men supposedly prayed at this ancient church before setting off for the New World. The original chapel was begun in 1450 but destroyed by…
See
Los Órganos
Something like a great sculpted basalt church organ rising from the ocean's depths, the utterly extraordinary cliffscape of Los Órganos clings to La…
See
Casa de Colón
In the style of its 17th-century predecessor, this simple cream-coloured house with handsome wooden galleries and floors is built on the site where…
See
Ermita de Guará
Dedicated to the island's patron saint, the Virgen de Guadalupe, this tiny white 1960s chapel perches on a spectacularly scenic crag 6km southwest of El…
See
Museo Arqueológico de La Gomera
Occupying part of the mid-18th-century Casa de los Echeverría (you'll spot the noble/military family's crest on the facade), this worthwhile museum…
See
Centro de Interpretación Las Loceras
El Cercado's small but fascinating earthenware museum explores the history of the island's pottery tradition through multilingual panels and collections…
See
Mirador Roque de Agando
Views sprawl across to Tenerife and the 1250m-high volcanic rock 'needle' Roque de Agando (the most impressive in the Canaries) from this sensational…

Guidebooks

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