La Gomera: Why the small Canary Island is the perfect vacation paradise

A small point in the Atlantic, 1,300 kilometers south of the Spanish and 300 kilometers west of the African mainland, on which not even 25,000 people live: the island of La Gomera. It is one of the seven Canary Islands and can proudly claim: small but nice – and still a real insider tip.

Not only the year-round mild climate with pleasant Temperatures temperatures of more than 20 degrees Celsius make the Spanish island so desirable. We’ll show you six more reasons why you should have been there by now.

1. Fairytale forests and pure nature on La Gomera

Gorges that plunge down into the sea, wide valleys with palm trees, bubbling springs and lush greenery everywhere: nature with its wild and romantic landscapes and the volcanic origins make up the charm that most people find so appealing about La Gomera. Unesco also succumbed to this magic, which in 2011 named the island as a biosphere reserve due to its well-preserved ecosystems. Because plant species that have long since disappeared in the rest of the world still grow and thrive here.

In Garajonay National Park, for example, which is named after the highest island mountain (1487 meters), there is a laurel forest that is more than 1000 years old. This prehistoric type of forest is so special because it takes up a good ten percent of the entire island and, as an evergreen cloud forest with its up to two meter high ferns, beard lichens hanging from the trees, moss-covered gnarled branches and streams, looks like a primeval forest from a fairy tale book . It is considered to be the most beautiful laurel forest of all the Canary Islands. It’s always humid and foggy here, and water drips onto the forest floor even in midsummer.

2. Hiking like in paradise

In addition to the wet forests, there are several other landscape zones on La Gomera, which make the island a varied hiking area.

650 kilometers of hiking trails hold something for every taste: it is a network of winding and mysterious paths through steep gorges like at Alajero, past bubbling springs with healing water like at Chorros de Epina and leads through valleys that are over and over with green Palm trees are overgrown like the Valle Gran Rey in the west of the island.

3. Among whales and dolphins

Seeing a whale with your bare eyes is an exciting adventure and only possible in a few places in the world. The sea water around La Gomera is particularly clear, which is ideal for whale watching. In spring in particular, around 20 species of whale are said to be staying here – from pilot whales up to eight meters long to beaked whales with their elongated snouts and rough-toothed dolphins weighing up to 150 kilograms. The probability of being able to observe one of the marine mammals on a whale tour is said to be 80 to 90 percent – and is therefore very high.

4. Aboriginal people with crazy language

There is something here that you are guaranteed to have never seen or heard of anywhere: Guanches are the name of the island’s indigenous people, who can talk to each other in their very own way. El Silbo is the name of the whistling language that people have been using for centuries to communicate across deep gorges and long distances.

This form of language has often proven to be extremely helpful in the past because other people did not understand it. In the 15th century, the Guanches managed to protect themselves both from the Spanish conquerors and from pirate attacks. During the Spanish Civil War, the men who ruled Silbo were used by both parties to carry communications on the front lines.

Silbo is still taught in school today. It is made up of certain pitches, tone lengths, volume levels as well as two vowels and four consonants – with which the Guanches can describe everything over distances of up to ten kilometers. That is why the whistling language is recognized by Unesco as a world cultural asset worthy of protection.

5. Bathing with lava sand

98 kilometers of coastline, 83 kilometers of cliffs, 15 kilometers of beaches, of which only 500 meters are sandy: the beach balance for La Gomera looks a little more modest than for the neighboring islands, because most beaches are made of coarse gravel and stones. The good thing about it: The bays are often deserted.

Even better: there are extraordinary beaches – with black sand. The black sand not only makes for a great look, it heats up wonderfully in the winter months. Among the most beautiful black beaches are those in San Sebastian de la Gomera, Alojera, Valle Gran Rey and east of Hermigua.

Conclusion: The island cannot be called a pure bathing destination, but if you are on holiday here, you can spend a few relaxing days on the beach between all the exciting activities.

6. Original villages with a hammer view

Old colonial buildings and winding streets: the most beautiful village on the island is called Agulo and is located in the north – on a platform above the sea in front of an imposing, red steep wall, in the middle of terraced fields. Agulo is considered to be the most pristine village, because not only the old buildings are well preserved here, life also goes on like in the old days.

The Gomeros earn their livelihood by growing bananas and wine and fishing. Another plus point: the fantastic view. From Agulo you can see the highest mountain in Spain, the Teide volcano on the neighboring island of Tenerife.