La Gomera Travel Guide

A short distance from the far more popular Tenerife, La Gomera is the exact opposite: small, with a population of about twenty thousand, it’s largely unspoiled and offers a unique opportunity to anyone who wants to immerse themselves in nature and in particular in the fascinating laurisilva forest that characterizes the Garajonay National Park located in the center of the island.

I visited La Gomera during a two-month trip during which I explored all the major islands of the archipelago except El Hierro. Whether it’s a backpacking adventure, a road trip or an all-inclusive vacation, in this guide you’ll find plenty of useful tips and ideas to help you plan your trip as best you can.

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Laurisilva Forest.

When to visit La Gomera

La Gomera, like the rest of the Canary Islands, enjoys a good climate throughout the year and can therefore be appreciated in all seasons. This is especially true when it comes to La Gomera, where hiking is undoubtedly one of the main activities on the island, and consequently the water temperature in the winter months takes a back seat.

La Gomera in spring

During the spring months, temperatures can reach 22-23 degrees and even a few degrees more toward the end of May, a month during which the rainfall that can occasionally occur in March and April is practically absent. This makes May particularly ideal for those who want to avoid the crowds and prices that characterize the peak summer season.

However, it’s worth remembering that in the mountains of the national park, especially on days when the sun isn’t shining, it can definitely get cold.

La Gomera in summer

June, July and August are considered high season in La Gomera and the Canary Islands in general. The weather is great and there’s no rain. Toward the end of July the ocean water also starts to warm up. Of course, this is also the busiest and most expensive time of the year.

Terraces on the island’s north coast.

La Gomera in autumn

September is a great month to visit the island: the weather is good and, especially in the second half of the month, you avoid the summer crowds. With October and especially November, the probability of rain increases and temperatures start to drop, but all in all it’s still a pleasant time to visit the island.

La Gomera in winter

Even in the middle of winter, in December, January and February, La Gomera can definitely be an interesting destination. However, it’s worth remembering that December is when rainfall peaks, and it then gradually decreases until May.

That said, rainfall is still relatively low, and unless you’re particularly unlucky you should be able to fully enjoy your stay. In short, let’s say that winter isn’t exactly the ideal time to visit La Gomera, but if you’re willing to risk some rain I doubt you’ll be disappointed, also because, given the very nature of the island, especially inside the national park you’re often surrounded by clouds during the rest of the year too.

Documents and vaccinations for going to La Gomera

The Canary Islands are, for all intents and purposes, part of Spain, and therefore, as with any other country within the European Union, if you’re an EU citizen you don’t need a visa or a passport: a valid national ID card is all you need to visit the island. For everyone else, Schengen Area visa policy applies.

What to do and see in La Gomera

The island is really compact and, if it weren’t for its mountainous terrain, getting from one place to another would be extremely quick. That said, below I list the places to visit counterclockwise, as a kind of road trip, which is how I decided to visit the island. Of course, nothing stops you from using a few destinations as a base and taking day trips; you’ll just have to drive a bit more, but it’s absolutely doable.

The island has a dense network of well-marked, numbered trails. To see the complete list, I recommend downloading the official app (android, iOS). This is the official website. The app also works offline using only GPS. In any case, I’ll provide links for the GPS coordinates, but I think it’s always best to refer to the official sources, and when you hear me talk about trail number “X” you’ll know what I’m talking about. If you’re interested, here you’ll find the video of my trip (in Italian, but you can turn on the subtitles).

N.b. Several times throughout the guide you’ll find links to https://www.alltrails.com/. If you want to use offline navigation directly from the AllTrails app you need to upgrade to the pro version. However, you can get around this by downloading the coordinates from the desktop version of the site in “Google Earth KML” format and then uploading them to Organic Maps, which is by far one of my favorite travel apps.

San Sebastián de La Gomera

The capital and main port of the island, San Sebastián has great historical significance, as it’s the place from which Christopher Columbus set off in 1492 on the voyage that led him to discover the American continent. The historic center, while not as pretty as the one in Santa Cruz in La Palma, still has some noteworthy historic buildings such as the Torre del Conde and the Church of the Assumption. In any case, you can walk around the small center in no more than a couple of hours.

The town’s main beach (Playa San Sebastián) isn’t exactly the best the Canary Islands have to offer, but it’s a good place to swim or just sunbathe. Finally, there are a couple of viewpoints where I recommend going up at sunset or, even better, at sunrise: Mirador de la Hilla and Mirador del Parador. Two other viewpoints outside town where I recommend stopping when you leave or come back to San Sebastián are the Mirador del Sombrero and Mirador Lomada del Camello; the latter, with Mount Teide in the background, is particularly fascinating.

Church of the Assumption.

Where to sleep in San Sebastián de La Gomera?

Hostal Colón, an excellent budget option a short walk from the center. The owners are really nice and helpful.

How to reach San Sebastián de La Gomera?

From the port there are daily ferry connections to Los Cristianos in Tenerife and Santa Cruz de La Palma in La Palma. The island’s airport, on the other hand, is near Playa Santiago, about 30 km further south, and offers connections to all the other islands in the archipelago.

San Sebastian seen from above.

Hermigua

Following the itinerary north, the first stop after leaving San Sebastian is the beautiful valley of Hermigua and the town of the same name, which stretches lengthwise all the way to the sea, where unfortunately swimming isn’t recommended because the currents are too strong. On the other hand, there’s a beautiful natural pool that you can reach at the end of a very short walk from the parking lot at this spot. Also, if you’re interested in the history of the island, including the aboriginal culture before the arrival of the Spanish, you can visit the ethnographic park (official website) and the ethnographic museum (official website).

Finally, I recommend doing a shortened version of Circular 33, following this route: it’s about 9km, 2:30 – 3:30 hours. Great views of the coast and Teide in the distance; while it’s certainly not unmissable, all in all it’s an enjoyable hike.

Along Circular 33.

You’ll notice that the route I described doesn’t go all the way down to Playa de la Caleta, but if you feel like walking a few more kilometers, nothing stops you from doing so; in fact, even if you really don’t feel like walking, I think it’s still worth driving there. Unfortunately, swimming isn’t recommended here either, but the beach is really nice and is equipped with lots of tables, barbecue areas and bathrooms. The road to get there is narrow in places, so drive carefully.

Hermigua natural pool.

Where to sleep in Hermigua?

Casa Creativa and La Cuadra are both excellent budget options to use as a base for exploring Hermigua and potentially Garajonay National Park too.

Hermigua Valley.

Agulo

A small town a short distance from Hermigua. It’s literally surrounded by mountains and therefore offers striking views both toward the mountains and toward the sea, where you can see the island of Tenerife. Apparently, in winter, when most of the rain falls, real waterfalls form along the sides of the mountains that surround it.

In any case, as charming as the town’s setting is, and as pretty as its small old town is, don’t expect to spend more than a couple of hours in Agulo.

Agulo seen from above.

Garajonay National Park

The island’s morphology means that the moisture brought by the ocean winds gets trapped by the mountainous area in the center of the island, home to one of the best-preserved laurisilva forests in all of Europe. A tangle of plants, lianas, ferns and trees entirely covered in moss that create a surreal, fairy-tale place.

If you’re coming from Agulo, before you even reach the park I recommend stopping at the visitor center, where interesting films are shown and there are also some permanent exhibitions that tell the story of the island not only from a natural point of view but also from a cultural one, highlighting rather unusual ways of life and traditions such as the whistled language, used mainly by shepherds to communicate over long distances.

Of course, you can also get all the relevant information for visiting and enjoying the park and its many trails.

In any case, as I mentioned at the beginning of this section, you can see the complete list of trails by downloading the official app (android, iOS), and below I list some of the trails I completed that, based on my research, are considered the best. The app also works offline using only GPS. For convenience, I’ve linked the location where you can park your car, and then basically you just follow the signs/app.

Laurisilva Forest.

Recommended trails in Garajonay Park

The trails are listed in order of difficulty. Of course, these are just a few of the dozens of possibilities that the trail network inside the national park has to offer.

Linear 12 (Raso de la Bruma) 2.6km 40 minutes

If you’re not a keen walker at all, are short on time, are traveling with small children or simply want to see the laurisilva forest with minimal effort, this is the trail for you. At this point there’s parking on both sides of the road, right where the trail starts.

Circular 10 (Cañada de Jorge) 3.4km 1:20 hours

The trail starts exactly on the opposite side of the road from Raso de la Bruma. Not as pretty, but definitely another good alternative if you want to do a short trail. The forest is less dense and “fairy-tale,” but it’s still a nice walk.

Circular 6 (La Laguna Grande II) 4.2km 1:30 hours

Although slightly longer than the previous two, it’s still largely flat and not too challenging; you cross part of the area damaged by a fire in 2012, which, although sad, can be interesting. There’s a large parking lot here that also gives access to the La Laguna Grande recreation area, where there are benches and barbecue areas as well as a small information center and a restaurant. In short, lots of amenities, perfect for relaxing between walks.

Circular 5 (Las Creces) 4.5 km 1:30 hours

Another pleasant option that isn’t too strenuous. You can park here along the road exactly where the trail begins.

Las Creces Trail.

Circular 37 (Hermigua) 14.3km 4-6 hours

Circular 37, compared to all the trails listed so far, is undoubtedly a more challenging trail, with almost 900 meters of elevation gain. The trail crosses the national park and its iconic forest only for a short stretch, so if that’s what you’re looking for, it’s definitely better to consider other options. In any case, it’s a really interesting route that basically takes you from the edge of the forest down to the center of Hermigua before climbing back up toward the park. There are some beautiful views of the Hermigua Valley and Teide in the distance.

Note that this trail literally runs through the campground area (see below in the where to sleep section), so if you’re camping there you don’t even have to move your car; otherwise there’s a large parking lot where you can leave your car and start walking.

Along Circular 37.

Circular 18 (Alto de Garajonay) 16.1 km 4-6 hours

This is recognized by many as the best trail to complete in a day: it crosses the forest far and wide, passing through both the north side, which is much mossier, and the slightly drier south side, all the way up to the highest point on the island (Alto de Garajonay at 1484m), from which, if the day is clear, you can see La Palma, Tenerife and El Hierro.

According to the app, the walking time is over nine hours, but personally, at a relatively brisk pace, I completed it in 4 hours. Even going slowly, I doubt it takes that long. If for any reason 16km is too much but you still want to go up to Alto de Garajonay, I recommend circulars 7, 14 or 17. They all go up to Alto de Garajonay but save quite a bit of elevation gain and kilometers, especially in the case of ruta 7 and 17.

Since it’s a loop, you could start walking at many different points, but personally I recommend parking here, especially if you’re staying at the campground, which isn’t far away.

Along Circular 18.

Finally, there are two viewpoints I recommend visiting. First of all, the Mirador de los Roques, which is perhaps the most iconic on the whole island, and I can’t recommend it enough, especially when the Roque de Agando is surrounded by clouds, creating a Jurassic Park-like atmosphere. The second is the Mirador de Igualero, from which you get excellent views of another rock formation, the Fortaleza.

Mirador de los Roques.

Where to sleep in Garajonay National Park?

The only type of accommodation inside the park is the La Vista campground. It’s a rather spartan campground, but it has the bare essentials (bathrooms, outdoor showers and even wifi). Besides being strategically located, it’s also extremely cheap, since it costs only 3€ per night per person. I spent four nights there and, if you’re willing to sleep in a tent, I can’t recommend it enough.

La Fortaleza.

Vallehermoso

This small town in the northwest of the island, whose name literally means “beautiful valley,” is, a bit like Hermigua, not surprisingly set in a beautiful valley leading to the sea. The road down to the town offers some pretty nice views, and in the surrounding area there are at least a couple of viewpoints worth visiting, such as the Mirador de la Pilarica and the Mirador de Vallehermoso.

The town’s old center is pretty but certainly not unmissable, and above all it has a big parking problem.

Playa de Vallehermoso, the town’s beach, isn’t suitable for swimming, but on the other hand there’s an artificial saltwater pool, which was closed during my visit, though. To wrap up, there are quite a few trails you can do starting directly from Vallehermoso and the surrounding area, such as circulars 4, 5, 6 and 39.

Vallehermoso.

Where to sleep in Vallehermoso?

I visited Vallehermoso on a day trip without spending the night, but if you decide to stay or maybe use the town as a base to explore the island, then I recommend checking out Telegraph Hostel. Especially if you’re traveling solo and looking for something cheap, this is probably one of the best options the island has to offer. The reviews are great.

Planning your trip? If you still need travel insurance, you can find my guide to the best travel insurance here. Purchasing through the links in the guide supports this site at no additional cost to you.

Valle Gran Rey

Valle Gran Rey is without a doubt the island’s main tourist destination. Once popular with the hippie community looking for somewhere alternative, it has seen a lot of development over the years but still remains a relatively quiet town and an excellent base, especially for those who want to combine hikes in Garajonay National Park with a few days at the beach. In fact, the natural pool of Playa Charco del Conde and Playa De Vueltas are perfect for swimming. I also recommend Playa del Inglés just outside town; it’s a beach frequented by nudists, not suitable for swimming but perfect for watching the sunset with the island of La Palma in the distance.

Playa de Vueltas

Finally, there are some really nice viewpoints along the road down to Valle Gran Rey, in particular the Mirador de la Curva del Queso and the Mirador César Manrique. If you want, there are also a number of trails that run up and down the valley: starting from the center, for example, you can go up to the Ermita de los Santos Reyes chapel or take linear trails 9 and 14.

Valle Gran Rey.

Playa Santiago

For years a small fishing village, thanks in part to the proximity of the airport and the construction of a large four-star hotel (Hotel Tecina), over the years it has become the second most popular beach destination on the island after Valle Gran Rey. La Gomera’s only golf course is also here. I spent only one afternoon at the town’s main beach (Playa Santiago), where, especially on the sheltered side near the port, you can swim safely. The promenade isn’t bad and there are plenty of bars and restaurants.

Other than that, nothing exceptional. In my opinion, especially if you’re short on time, it’s better to spend your time elsewhere, but if you happen to make it down to Playa Santiago and feel like walking, I recommend hiking Circular 24. I walked a section of it following the route described here, which avoids going up to Imada and comes down to Playa Santiago, saving some kilometers and elevation gain; even so, it’s still about 11 km with 700 m of elevation gain, 3-4 hours. In any case, it’s a really nice route and completely different from what the trails inside the national park have to offer. If you have the time and feel like it, it’s definitely worth it.

Along Circular 24.

Los Organos

This surreal landscape in the northwest of the island, formed by basalt columns about two hundred meters high and eighty meters wide, is unfortunately only visible from the sea. I don’t have precise information about it since I didn’t do the excursion, but apparently, especially in high season, there should be daily tours departing from Playa Santiago and especially Valle Gran Rey.

Suggested itineraries in La Gomera

The itineraries that follow are designed for a multi-stop “road trip” style trip, but given the island’s compact size, you’re generally never more than an hour’s drive from the island’s main places of interest. Where you sleep is entirely up to you: personally, I’d go straight to Camping La Vista, but I realize that the idea of camping doesn’t appeal to many people. Nothing stops you from taking a room in San Sebastián de La Gomera, Vallehermoso or Valle Gran Rey to use as a fixed base for your stay on the island, or maybe Playa Santiago if you arrive by plane.

Hermigua Valley with Tenerife in the background.

3-day itinerary in La Gomera

In case you were wondering how many days you need to visit La Gomera, in my opinion three days is the minimum, but of course, especially if you’re coming from nearby Tenerife, you could also do a two-day “trip” and still enjoy the beauty the island has to offer.

Day 1:

Explore the Hermigua Valley, where you can complete Circular 33, check out Playa de la Caleta and the natural pool.

Day 2:

Personally, I’d go for Circular 18, but if it’s too challenging, consider the other easier options among those recommended in the what to do and see section. Either way, I’d spend the whole day in the national park. Go back to Hermigua for the night.

Day 3:

If time allows, you could go back into the national park to do a few more trails; otherwise head to San Sebastián, which you can explore briefly before taking the ferry, or maybe spend the day at the beach in Playa Santiago before catching your flight.

San Sebastian de La Gomera.

5-day itinerary in La Gomera

As with the three-day itinerary, personally I’d spend all four nights camping, but basically you can decide to use any point on the island as your base or maybe change location every night.

Day 1:

Explore the Hermigua Valley, where you can complete Circular 33, check out Playa de la Caleta and the natural pool.

Day 2:

A short stop in Agulo before continuing to the visitor center and finally entering the national park, where I’d stick to some of the shorter trails.

Day 3:

Day 4:

If you like walking, I recommend Circular 24 near Playa Santiago and then maybe spending the rest of the day at the beach; otherwise go down to Valle Gran Rey, where you can spend a relaxing day.

Day 5:

Head to San Sebastián, which you can explore briefly before taking the ferry, or maybe spend the morning on the beach in Playa Santiago before catching your flight.

Playa del Inglés.

7-day itinerary in La Gomera

With a week or more available, if you feel like walking, compared to the five-day itinerary just described, definitely include Circular 37 and maybe one of the trails starting from Vallehermoso. A boat trip that includes a visit to Los Organos is definitely another interesting option, or you could simply spend a few days at the beach between Playa Santiago and Valle Gran Rey.

How to get around La Gomera

Before even discussing how to get around La Gomera, it’s worth understanding how to get to La Gomera, since, along with El Hierro, it’s the only island in the archipelago that currently has no direct flights from Europe. To reach the island you therefore have two options: take the ferry from Tenerife or La Palma, or take a domestic flight from any of the other islands.

That said, once you arrive, although public transportation isn’t that bad, I think renting a car is by far the best way to explore the island.

North coast with Teide in the background.

Renting a car in La Gomera

Throughout my trip to the Canary Islands I almost always rented my car with Cicar: the prices are competitive, you can easily pay without a credit card, no deposit is required, insurance is included and there’s no deductible, but above all they have offices in all the ports and airports on the islands, which is really practical for anyone planning a multi-stop trip.

Many other companies, on the other hand, only have offices at the airport, which is really inconvenient if, instead of getting on a plane, you want to drop the car off at the port and take a ferry to another island.

In short, if you have an inter-island road trip in mind or for whatever reason you don’t want to return the car at the airport, Cicar is probably the best option. In all other cases, it’s definitely worth considering other car rental companies too by checking out sites like Discover Cars.

In any case, whether it’s Cicar or any other company, if you have specific dates, I recommend booking the car a few weeks in advance; doing so can really save you a lot compared to a last-minute rental.

Also, it’s worth noting that practically all companies technically don’t allow driving on dirt roads; we did it several times during our trip to the Canary Islands, but not in La Gomera, where the roads, although sometimes winding, are in good condition.

Finally, there are companies that technically allow you to take the car to another island by ferry, as long as you return it on the island where you rented it. Many, on paper, don’t allow you to leave the island at all; obviously there’s nobody checking at the port, but if you ever need assistance, that’s when the problems could start.

My advice, if you need to, is to rent a different car for each island you visit, or at least find out exactly what you’re allowed to do and what you aren’t.

The rental car.

Buses in La Gomera

If you’re traveling solo and want to save compared to the cost of renting a car, only have a few excursions in mind that you can arrange with some organized tours, don’t feel like driving or for any other reason don’t want to rent a car, public transportation isn’t bad at all and you can reach practically any destination on the island with a little planning. On this page you’ll find the various routes and schedules.

Domestic flights

The only two airlines operating domestic flights between the islands are CanaryFly and BinterCanarias. Prices tend to be very similar, but generally Binter seems to be slightly cheaper and even has special fares for under-29s. In any case, I recommend checking both and, if possible, booking at least a few weeks in advance for the best deals.

Ferries to La Gomera

The cheapest alternative to flights and, above all, the most practical way to move between neighboring islands is the ferry. As a general rule, as long as it’s the nearest island or at most the next one (so in the case of La Gomera, trips to La Palma and Tenerife), not only do you save money by taking the ferry, but it’s also much more convenient, as you don’t have to show up at the airport two hours early: you can simply go to the port an hour before or even less, buy your ticket and board without necessarily booking in advance.

Basically, if you don’t have a fixed itinerary, getting around by ferry gives you much more flexibility. However, if for example you want to get to Lanzarote from La Gomera, it’s clear that flying is not only much faster but also cheaper. In any case, there are several ferry companies operating between the islands; Direct Ferries is a site that aggregates all of them, and you can use it to book your tickets if you like.

Specifically, La Gomera has daily departures from San Sebastián to Los Cristianos in Tenerife and Santa Cruz de La Palma with Fred Olsen and Naviera Armas.

Backpacking La Gomera: costs

How much does a trip to La Gomera cost? Obviously it depends on a lot of factors. Those who regularly read my blog know that I travel frugally, and my trip to the Canary Islands was no exception: I managed to stick to a budget of 1000€ a month, that is, just over 30€ a day, all inclusive. If you’re looking for some ideas on how to save money, check out this article.

That said, I fully realize that not everyone is willing or interested in living the backpacker life, but the good news is that the Canary Islands are still a relatively cheap destination by European standards. Prices are generally lower than in mainland Spain itself, since the islands are a sort of special region where VAT is only 7%, and on many consumer goods you don’t pay it at all. To give you a couple of examples, gas costs around 1€ per liter, and dinner at a restaurant, if you’re not too demanding, costs about 10€ or a little more. In short, they may not be Latin American prices, but by European standards you certainly can’t complain.

Since we’re talking about costs, I think it’s worth saying a few words about what’s definitely a great way to keep them down: camping. Wild camping in La Gomera, as on the other islands, is technically illegal, but in reality it’s widely tolerated. If you pitch your tent away from prying eyes you shouldn’t have any kind of problem; even better if, given the very low rainfall in the summer months, you don’t pitch a tent at all.

Night spent at Playa Avalo.

During my stay in La Gomera, I spent more than a few nights “camping” on the beach, just inflating my camping mat when it was time for bed. Specifically, I slept at Playa de Ávalo, Playa de la Caleta and Playa del Inglés. But again, it’s technically illegal, so the choice is yours.

What’s absolutely legal, on the other hand, and what I strongly recommend to anyone who wants to spend little and sleep a stone’s throw from the edge of Garajonay National Park, is staying at Camping La Vista; as I mentioned earlier, it’s a really spartan campground, but for 3€ a night I don’t think you can ask for much more.

Finally, to find places to camp in the Canary Islands, I recommend the park4night app; designed mainly for people who want to spend the night in an RV, minivan or car, it’s also a fantastic resource for anyone who simply wants to find a secluded spot to pitch a tent or just put down a mat, as we often did.

San Sebastian with Teide in the background.

To reduce exchange and withdrawal fees, see my guide to the best travel cards.

Backpacking La Gomera: safety

La Gomera and the Canary Islands in general are an absolutely safe destination with really low crime rates, and it’s also recommended for families with children. That said, as with any other destination, you should use common sense, and following the classic safety tips never hurts.

The only two notes I’d make are, first, to be extremely careful where you swim: since this is the ocean, the currents can be extremely dangerous, especially rip currents, which can quickly carry you out to sea with potentially fatal consequences. I got to meet a gentleman who was swept out to sea with his children, and he told me he had already seen the end coming; not exactly a good experience.

Also, a lot of the more isolated beaches don’t have lifeguards, and especially in the low season you could easily be the only person there. In short, especially if you’re not an experienced swimmer, be careful.

Finally, if you decide to rent a car, make sure you don’t leave any valuables inside when it’s unattended. Unfortunately, broken glass in parking lots and signs urging people not to leave anything in the car are all too common.

Are you planning a trip to La Gomera? Check out these posts:

Which travel backpack to choose

What to bring on your trip

Do you have any questions? Updated information? Feel free to leave a comment or message me on Instagram!

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