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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.

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 heart of the island, where warm breezes collide with Atlantic trade winds. A national park since 1981 and a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1986, this mountainscape carpeted much of the Mediterranean millions of years ago (surviving here because the last Ice Age didn't reach the Canary Islands), and provides outstanding hiking opportunities.

  • See

    Drago de Agalán

    The island’s oldest drago (dragon tree) rests in a palm-sprinkled valley, 2km north of Alajeró. Take the signposted road 300m west (downhill) from the Imada junction on the CV13, which leads to an old farmhouse; from here, a signed trail drops steeply for around 10 minutes to reach a lookout point with views down to the drago, a further five- to 10-minute walk below. For hikers, from the Imada junction, a signposted stone path leads 0.9km directly to the drago.

  • 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 military architecture. It was here that Beatriz de Bobadilla, the wife of the cruel and ill-fated Hernán Peraza, had to barricade herself in 1488 until help arrived.

  • See

    Museo Etnográfico de La Gomera

    Housed in a handsome 20th-century building with maroon trim, this two-storey ethnographic museum explores the island's natural resources and ecosystems through topics such as fishing, forestry, agriculture, farming and architecture, with info in English and Spanish. Sections on crafts include pottery, weaving and basketry, and there are displays on wine-making, Silbo and the extraction of guarapo (palm honey), which is unique to the island.

  • See

    Parque Etnográfico Los Telares

    A reconstructed 19th-century gofio (roasted Canarian grain) mill sits at the heart of this multifaceted private ethnographic centre, which also takes in a traditional, self-sufficient organic orchard and a gallery showcasing the local rural lifestyle, typical crafts, Silbo Gomero and the island's history. Visits are with multilingual audioguides. There's also a good gift shop and a cosy cafe.

  • 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 a fire; original-period features include the pointed arch between the altar and the nave, while the facade is a prime example of Gothic Atlantic architecture (influenced by Portuguese Manueline). The 18th-century triple-nave church here today mixes Mudéjar, Gothic and baroque architectural styles. The floral-carved wooden entrance lobby is stunning.

  • 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 Gomera's northernmost coastline and has been battered into its present shape by the Atlantic. Though it's just a few kilometres north of Vallehermoso, to visit, you’ll need to head out to sea with a boat-tour company, such as Tina, from Valle Gran Rey or Playa Santiago in the island's south.

  • 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 Columbus supposedly stayed while on the island. Today it hosts a small museum; the highlight is the gallery of stunning pottery crafted by the South American Chimú tribes, who lived in the region between Ecuador and Lima during the 11th to 15th centuries.

  • 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 Cercado, engulfed in sweeping panoramas across the Barranco de Argaga to the ocean and, beyond, the distant island of El Hierro. A gentle walking trail leads here from El Cercado (around 1½ hours).

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