Your walks take you anti clockwise around the island. From sea level with its exotic banana plantations, you walk up through the dry, rocky landscape to reach the unique 'Laurisilva' cloud forest which covers the top of the island and provides it with year round water which collects in artesian wells. Then down through magnificent ravines to the warm, sunny coast and its beaches; then climbing again through tiny settlements hidden in their valleys and cultivated terraces to reach the awe-inspiring volcanic chimney stacks of basalt, to return through Laurisilva, pine, euphorbia and fruit plantations to the port of San Sebastian.

If you want the feeling of being alone with nature, then this is the place to be. Due to its volcanic origins, the island's scenery is dramatic, mountainous and different from anywhere in mainland Europe. The highest peak is the Alto de Garajonay at 1,450 metres. From there you can see 4 other islands on a clear day. There is very little flat land at all due to the deep ravines (barrancos) that cut into the island from the central highlands down to the coast all around its perimeter. Average temperatures vary by just 6 degrees between summer and winter. The average January temperature is 19 degrees C and July is 25, allowing the cultivation of an impressive range of tropical and citrus fruit. However higher in the mountain villages it can be considerably cooler and on the coast a lot warmer than the average. Many of the crops are grown on the ingeniously built terraces on the steep valley sides making the landscape comparable to parts of Southeast Asia and Hawaii.

La Gomera is a relaxed, unsophisticated island with a population of just 20,000 people living mostly in the capital, San Sebastian or the villages of the north. It has a good infrastructure of roads, amenities and services, including some good restaurants and small family run hotels.

John and Liz, who have been our representatives on this tour since its conception, came to the island fourteen years ago and their expert local knowledge has been a great help to Sherpa in designing this tour. Their enthusiasm for Gomera, its walks, scenery and people must be catching if Sherpa feedback on this tour is anything to go by!

Travel Information

Season: Any month except August.

Access: Charter Flight to Tenerife South Airport to arrive no later than 5pm; taxi to port of Los Cristianos (approx. 18 to 20 Euros) for onward ferry to La Gomera, 40 or 90 minutes depending on the type of craft. Only buy a single ticket (20-25 Euros), as it may be more convenient to use another operator on your return.  Charter flights now seem to be operating on various days of the week, depending on where and who you are flying with. Charter flights from Glasgow, Manchester, Luton, Stansted and other UK airports are also available usually at a supplement.

Please note that if you are buying your own flight, Iberia operate some flights to Tenerife North Airport, a long way from the ferry port. These should be avoided, as the taxi fare to the south of the island is about £50.

Also note that swimming opportunities on this tour are very limited, swell and off shore currents being an issue. 

End of Tour: After breakfast on Day 11. Order taxi to the port or walk it if you don’t have too much luggage for ferry to Tenerife. Ferry to leave no later than 3.5 hours before flight departure.

Level of Difficulty

Fitness: We grade the tour as 'Moderate' (with some ‘challenging’ parts). However the walk should present no difficulties for anyone in reasonable condition and accustomed to walking in hilly areas. Short sections of some walks may be vertiginous but if you are worried, consult our local reps for advice. It may be possible to get a lift part of the way.

Day Stages: 10 - 20 km per day, with ascents and descents of up to 1200 metres. 5 - 8 hours walking per day. On most walks there is the option of a lift part of the way for those feeling less energetic as your luggage will be transferred for you when moving to a new hotel.

Waymarks: Waymarking is very patchy but you will be armed with our walking notes (showing village plans) and a contoured map of the island showing paths and tracks.

New signposting has been installed since writing our route notes but are not accurate so the route notes must be used.

General Information

Baths: it is not normal for your room to have a bath, the main reason being that it takes up a lot of space, some hotels/guesthouses may have a separate room in the house where a bath is available to guests, but in the main it is showers.

Breakfast: in countries such as France/Italy/Spain/Greece etc are usually coffee and toast/croissant, if you want more for breakfast then we would suggest you purchase some food the night before. It is important for you to tell us if you have any dietary requirements when you book your holiday so that we can inform everyone that you are staying with.

Single Supplements: are payable on most of our tours. 1) The single supplement guarantees the privacy of your own room, however, rooms can at times be small and in some places may not enjoy the same facilities as double/twin rooms. 2) You are not just paying a supplement on the room but the luggage transfer costs you are paying in full. The cost of moving 1 bag or 2 bags etc remains the same. On some of our trips it is possible to reduce the cost of the single supplement if you happen to be a 3rd  person travelling, or have chosen a date when other clients are booked.

Language: When travelling in less frequented areas such as the beautiful island of La Gomera in the Canary islands you will not necessarily come across people speaking English. Remember you have left home to find things different…try to learn some Spanish!

Luggage: When staying in hotels, sometimes your luggage will have been taken to you room awaiting your arrival. However don’t be surprised if your luggage is waiting for you to take it up to your room.

Accommodation & Meals

Two out of ten nights are on a half-board basis (evening meal and breakfast). For the remaining evenings we thought it is more fun to choose where to eat from the selection of restaurants in the neighbourhood (approx. £18 for a meal for two including wine or beer). One packed lunch is included for the day when it may be difficult to buy your own. On the other days you will be able to go shopping and buy what you want to eat. It is always wise to carry a bottle of water and some fruit and bread/biscuits to eat on the way.

q       Night 1 & 10: San Sebastian. We use a 3* hotel situated in the centre of San Sebastian on a bed & breakfast basis. Dinner can be taken in one of the many restaurants in town. There are two beaches within easy reach on foot. The ferry port is a fifteen-minute walk away. Or upgrade and stay in the Parador Hotel.

Night 2: Hermigua. Your accommodation tonight is a converted tradtional Canarian style manor house just above Hermigua.

q       Night 3 & 4: Vallehermoso. Your accommodation for two nights is in a restored manor house built in 1896.

q       Nights 5 & 6: Chipude. You will be staying at Bar/Pension Sonia. Chipude is the highest village on the island at over 1100 metres and can be cold. This is a family run business, Sonia is the daughter and Angela is the mother and cook. Dinner, bed and breakfast are included on both evenings. 

q       Nights 7, 8 & 9: Playa de Santiago. You will be staying in Apartamentos Bellavista situated on a pedestrian lane in Laguna de Santiago. It is a short walk through a banana plantation to the beach, restaurants and shops in the main part of the village. Here you will have your own apartment equipped with food and drink essentials to greet you on arrival. Breakfast is taken in your apartment, ingredients supplied. Dinner is not included. Choose one of the many local fish restaurants at the beach. Don't forget to check out the restaurante La Cuevita towards the harbour. It is built into a cave. We have chosen to have 3 nights here as this is where your reps Liz & John are based they are then in a better position to advise you on what to do locally. This is also the sunniest and warmest part of the island.

Outline Itinerary

q       Day 1: Arrival.  Arrive by ferry at the port of San Sebastian by ferry from Los Cristianos. Your hotel is located 15 minutes by foot or a short taxi journey (approx Euros 5).

q       Day 2: A first glimpse of the National Park. You will be collected at 9am and taken to the start point of the walk. This is an exceptionally beautiful but strenuous walk through lush sub-tropical vegetation with spectacular views over the Hermigua valley. On the way up the ascents are steep in places but the path is well defined but the beauty of the area rewards the hard work. In roughly 3 hours you reach El Cedro (1000m) and the Bar La Vista for a well-deserved break. In unsettled weather we do not recommend the return route, as there is a very steep and slippery downhill stretch. Instead either return by the route you came up or spend some time exploring the forest and order a taxi from Bar La Vista to take you back down to the hotel. 

q       Day 3: Across the north. After breakfast you will be taken to the exquisitely situated village of Agulo (250m), which looks out to sea cut off from the rest of the island by the shear basalt cliffs rising behind. The walk begins with a steep ascent to bring you after 2 hours to the Visitor’s Centre of Garajonay National Park, (800m) where you can learn about the park and the island in general. Then down to the lunchtime stop at Bar Amalahuigue in Las Rosas or at Roque Blanco (a further hour); then continue on to Vallehermoso, for the last two hours down hill (in one place steeply) with expansive and stunning views over the north west of the island. (6 hours from Agulo).

Day 4: Panoramic views of the north coast and the cruel sea. A four and a half hour fairly strenuous circular walk, with a fairly steep, gravelly descent for which you need to be surefooted and have a head for heights. The alternative is to turn round at roughly the half way point at the Ermita de Santa Clara viewpoint and retrace your steps back. This is one of the wildest parts of La Gomera where the sea is usually quite rough and there are some dramatic views of waves, rocks and windblown terrain as well as picturesque villages nestled in sheltered valleys below. A different and interesting corner of La Gomera. Recommend taking food and drink with you as there is nowhere to buy anything en route.

q       Day 5: Into the cloud forest. With plenty of water to drink and in winter long trousers and waterproof jackets (if necessary), you head south from Vallehermoso (300m) up hill towards the centre of the island through lush, terraced farming country, past reservoirs, ever upwards until you enter the forest and the National Park. After lunch an easy walk with occasional glimpses down to the magnificent Valle Gran Rey. From here you can take the path to El Cercado, home to Gomera’s tiny potteries and on to Chipude and Hotel Sonia at 1100m.

q       Day 6: Rest day; Relax on the west coast. Optional walk with some steep downhill parts to see the biggest and often considered the most beautiful valley in Gomera, Valle Gran Rey, via Gerian (4 hours); swimming, sunbathing etc. Try lunch in a fish restaurant at the port of Vueltas. Bus or taxi back to Chipude. The super energetic can of course walk back!

q       Day 7: To the summit and down to the warm south. The fairly gentle uphill walk to the summit of the island, El Alto de Garajonay (1486 m) is completed in 2 hours. Beautiful views on a clear day down into the cloud forest and across to see the islands of Tenerife, E1 Hierro and La Palma and occasionally Gran Canaria; then steeply down into the hidden valley of Imada (800m.) where there is a shop/bar normally open. Then it is down into a garden of Eden of palms and canes until you reach Santiago and the south coast (3 hours from Imada).

q       Day 8 & 9:  Lounge around Santiago and the beach or explore the hidden beaches to the east of the village. For the restless, take the bus past Alajero and walk to the only dragon tree on the island. Then back down to Santiago via the villages of Alajero and Targa. There is plenty to do and see and John and Liz are on hand with suggestions to suit you. This is the warmest & sunniest part of the island.

q       Day 10: Back to San Sebastian. After breakfast at your apartment, you will be taken to the start of this final days walk at Pastrana. Another wonderful day with a gentle start but becoming steep uphill until you reach the amazing Roque de Agando (1250m) - Gomera’s biggest basalt volcanic chimney; 3 hours. You arrive at the main road with wonderful panoramic views. Crossing over the road, the walk descends through pinewoods to La Laja (1.5 hours) and then on asphalt to San Sebastion. (1 hour to the Bar El Atajo from where you are then driven into San Sabastian).

q       Day 11: End of tour.

What's Included

For UK based full package customers: charter flights from Gatwick (or, on payment of the supplement, from Manchester, Glasgow, Luton or other UK airports) to Tenerife (4 hours from Gatwick). 10 nights bed & breakfast, two evening meals and one picnic. Written descriptions of each day walking itinerary and 1:40,000 scale maps. Not included are taxi fares or ferry fares.