La Gomera is one of the most beautiful Canary Islands and the perfect place for an active trip. What are the best things to do in La Gomera? Read all about it now.
About La Gomera
La Gomera is one of the seven large Canary Islands (Spain) and a paradise for nature lovers! It has a varied landscape full of deep ravines, green valleys full of palm trees, and picturesque villages. There are many well-marked hiking trails, which makes La Gomera is the perfect place for an active holiday.
La Gomera Weather
What’s the weather like on La Gomera? La Gomera has a mild climate with good temperatures all year round. The maximum temperature is between 19 (in winter) and 27 (in summer) degrees Celcius. It is mostly dry, although there can be some rain during the winter months.
Please note: it can be a lot colder in the higher elevations than on the beaches. Therefore, always take a sweater with you when you go out.
The best things to do in La Gomera
What to do in La Gomera? These are the best things to do in La Gomera.
San Sebastián de La Gomera
San Sebastián de La Gomera is the capital of the island. It has a beautiful historic center which you definitely need to explore. This is, among other things, a place to learn more about Columbus’ stay in the Canary Islands, who also visited La Gomera before departing on his voyages of discovery to America.
La Valle Gran Rey
In the southeast of the island, you will find one of the most touristic places on the island: La Valle Gran Rey. Here is a town in a green valley full of palm trees, cacti, and orchards (including banana trees and avocado trees).
La Valle Gran Rey is known as a place for hippies and you will indeed encounter a lot of colorful people. It is highly recommended to discover the part “El Gruto”, here you will find narrow streets with interesting houses with colorful statues and flowers.
Hike to Cascada de Arure
From La Valle Gran Rey you can hike to a waterfall, the Cascada de Arure. It is not a long trail, but it is a very adventurous one (which will take you a long time to complete). You’ll hike between bamboo, palm trees, and cacti, and every now and then you have to cross a small river. So wear good hiking shoes that can dry quickly!
In addition, you also occasionally have to climb the rocks using a rope. At the end of the trail, you will be rewarded with a beautiful waterfall.
Los Órganos
In the far north of La Gomera is the special rock formation Los Órganos. You can see this 80-meter cliff if you take a boat out on the water. Why is it so special? The black rocks look like gigantic organ pipes.
Hike the GR131
The GR131 is a long-distance trail of 560 kilometers that crosses the seven major Canary Islands, including La Gomera. The route on La Gomera starts in the capital San Sebastián de La Gomera and ends in Playa de Vallehermoso. It consists of two stages and is about 41 kilometers long.
Tip: La Gomera is a paradise for hikers. Find the best hiking trails in this guide: Walking on La Gomera and El Hierro: 45-day walks and treks for all abilities.
Visit the most beautiful viewpoints
La Gomera is very mountainous and therefore you have beautiful viewpoints in many places. Visiting the viewpoints will make your La Gomera vacation even better. Here are a few recommendations:
- Mirador de Abrante: a great viewpoint if you’re looking for some excitement, as it is a 7-meter long glass corridor at a height of 620 meters. From here you have a beautiful view of the island of Tenerife and the sea.
- Mirador Ermita del Santo: beautiful view of Valle Gran Rey and the sea.
- Mirador Degollada de Peraza: located at 900 meters and a nice view of Barranco de la Villa.
Parque Nacional de Garajonay
Parque Nacional de Garajonay covers no less than eleven percent of the island. It is centrally located in La Gomera and you will find many mysterious (prehistoric) forests and cool viewpoints here. Be sure to go for a hike in the Las Creces area. Here you’ll walk through the cloud forest full of moss, and check out the amazing Mirador Risquillos de Corgo.
Tip: it’s even more fun (and educational) to discover Parque Nacional de Garajonay with a guide.
Learn more about the whistle language
La Gomera consists of many valleys and not all of them are connected by well-maintained roads. They invented a whistle language a long time ago to communicate with each other. In memory of this language, there is a special statue at Mirador de Igualero.
In addition, in PEG Los Telares (the Ethnographic Park in La Gomera) you can learn more about this special custom and the history of the island.
Parque Natural Majona
In the northwest of the island is Parque Natural Majona, a beautiful landscape. Here you will find deep ravines and special animal species. It is, therefore, a perfect place to go hiking.
Playa Santiago
Playa Santiago is a fishing village in the south (near the airport) and is best known for its black sand beach. It’s a nice place to walk around and relax. Take a walk on the boulevard, eat fish in one of the many restaurants or take a dip in the sea.
Alto de Garajonay
Alto de Garajonay is the highest point of the island (1487 meters) and you can only get here on foot. From the top, you have a great view of the island and you can see no less than 4 other Canary Islands; Tenerife, Gran Canaria, La Palma, and El Hierro.
Tip: bring some food with you, this is a great place to stop for lunch. You will not get bored of the view, it is so beautiful!
Dolphin & Whale Watching
Did you know that you can see dolphins and whales around La Gomera? With this fun tour, you’ll board a traditional Canarian fishing boat and be sure to see some dolphins and maybe even whales in their natural habitat.
Roque de Agando
One of the most beautiful places in La Gomera is the Roque de Agando. A rock formation that you can see well from Mirador del Morro de Agando. It looks like a place from a fairytale (especially when the underlying valley is covered with clouds) and there are several fun hiking trails in the area. You’re not allowed to climb the rock.
The best places to stay in La Gomera
Did you feel like going on a La Gomera vacation after reading this article? There are several great places to stay on the island. How about for example:
- Hostal Casa Amaya – cozy pension in Vallehermoso.
- Hotel Gran Rey – lovely 3* hotel with swimming pool in Valle Gran Rey.
- Casa Rural Llano Campo – fancy a little more luxury and privacy? Stay in this beautiful country house in Hermigua.
Check Booking.com for other options.
Book a La Gomera vacation
Feel like traveling to the island of La Gomera? These websites are useful for booking your trip:
- There are not a lot of flights to La Gomera. When you fly to La Gomera from mainland Europe, you have at least 1 or 2 stops. It is most convenient to fly to Tenerife or La Palma and from there take the ferry to La Gomera. Check Skyscanner for the cheapest flights and Direct Ferries for ferry tickets.
- There are buses on La Gomera, but they don’t go very often. It is therefore very convenient to have a rental car. Find the best deals on rental cars through Discover Cars or Rental Cars.
- Would you like to do an excursion or rent a boat? Check Viator for all the options.
- It’s always smart to have good travel insurance. Check Insubuy for possibilities and prices.
Read more about Spain and the Canary Islands
Would you like to learn more about the best places to visit on the Canary Islands? Here are some great travel guides full of tips:
Pocket Rough Guide Tenerife & La Gomera
You can also read more about a trip to Spain on this website. You may also like to read these articles:
- 17 fun things to do in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
- 12 fun things to do in Santa Cruz de la Palma
- What are the best things to do in Seville?
In addition, I regularly share fun travel stories and tips for the most beautiful destinations in my monthly newsletter. Subscribe here.
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