La Gomera Geography and Interesting Places to Visit
A beautiful home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of La Garanjonay and National Park, La Gomera is a natural jewel of the Canary Islands. Here tourists have a chance to see species that are otherwise extinct in most destinations, as well as deep ravines, dense forests, and a prehistoric landscape that has been sculpted over many years. Being a walkers’ paradise, this island is the second smallest and one of the most unspoiled parts of the Canary Islands. The landscape of La Gomera is characterized by earth’s valleys, rugged mountains, and tropical misty forests.
On the east of the island, there is the main town of St Sebastian. Located on rugged mountain slopes, surrounded by stunning beaches, lush valleys, and picturesque villages, the town is a laid-back and charming place to visit. There are many cultural attractions and a wonderful yacht and ferry harbor.
On the west part of the island, there is an area of traditional villages, such as Valle Gran Rey with its palm trees and wild mountain landscapes defining the scenery of the region. A spectacular valley with a view of the sea, Valle Gran Rey, has become an extremely popular destination with many tourists from all over the world. The sub-tropical climate of La Gomera contributes to the abundance of banana plantations and tropical fruit trees.
Situated on a black sand beach, La Playa is the main tourist destination with its many beautiful places to stay and a small promenade. At the foot of a steep cliff, there is a protected fishing harbor called Vueltas. With its charming, old bars, a pleasant, upbeat atmosphere, and many shops, it is a perfect destination to have an active leisure.
The Upper Valley with its small villages, steep cliffs, luscious palm groves, and colorful gardens is, however, not widely visited. The north part of the island is known for its steep rock faces covered in greenery and lush green valleys. The area is a perfect destination for hiking and walking holidays. The traditional villages and towns of the region, including the traditional village of Hermigua, are particularly charming.
Vallehermoso which means a Beautiful Valley is shaded by a four hundred meter volcanic crater, Roque Cano, with its banana plantations, valleys, and vineyards. The charming town of Agulo with its colonial-style buildings and narrow, winding lands is worth a visit, and Los Organos, situated to the north, is one of the best examples of the basalt formation in the Canary Islands. On the south part of the island, the sun always shines. There are wild ravines, idyllic hamlets, and a wonderful coastline. Located 800 meters above sea level, the town of Alajero is very beautiful during the winter time with fog sweeping off the sea and covering both the town and surrounding landscape.
Playa Santiago is a small fishing village located in the delta of a series of ravines, which is known for its picturesque surround and relaxing atmosphere. The Garajonay National Park is a breathtaking scenery of nondeciduous mist-covered forests, located in the central highland of the island. Old mountain villages cling to the green slopes and white houses are dotted throughout the terraced fields.
The park features a unique eco-system and is of great ecological importance for the Canaries. The highest point of the island is found in the national park. On a clear day, the islands of La Palma, El Hierro, Gran Canaria, and Tenerife are seen from this point.
La Gomera Outdoor Pursuits and Traditional Food
On the island, there are lots of activities, which definitely suit the outdoor pursuits lovers and eco-tourists. Here tourists can enjoy a range of leisure pursuits, such as cycling, walking holidays, golf, boat tours, sailing, and diving. Throughout the entire year, La Gomera offers perfect conditions for enjoying a relaxing boat trip or staying physically active. A varied range of activities available on the island enriches any holiday in the Canaries.
La Gomera is world-wide known for its amazing hiking opportunities. Other popular activities on La Gomera are boat tours, whale watching, diving, cycling, and golfing. Anyone willing to spend an active time on the island, can choose from everything: challenging tours and enjoyable excursions. It is very easy to create your own mix in combination with a relaxing day out on the sea or at the sandy beach. Depending on their mood, visitor can cycle along attractive routes, dive or snorkel in beautiful spots, or enjoy a peaceful round of golf.
At the end of the day, it is always good to eat well. The main feature of the La Gomera cuisine is the prevalence of classic Spanish food. Tourists can try popular national food in the Mango restaurant, which is considered to be one of the best gastronomic places. More than a hundred of guests can accommodate in the restaurant. Those willing to taste exquisite local specialties, should visit the La Tasca restaurant. In the evening, there is a pleasant romantic atmosphere, which makes the restaurant a perfect place for a romantic dinner in a relaxing and intimate ambience.
Vegetarian food lovers will like the La Montaña restaurant with its most original vegetable dishes on the menu. Everybody will be surprised at how chefs can prepare true pieces of art from ordinary vegetables and fruits. For gourmets, there is a huge selection of sweet desserts. The Habibi restaurant serves international cuisine dishes, such as juicy steaks and flavorous oriental barbecue, soups, salads, vegetables, desserts, and various fish dishes. A wide selection of the finest wines is an excellent complement to the delicious food.
Like home-cooked meal? No problem! Visit the restaurant La Molina, which is known for its tasty food and reasonable prices. La Molina is a choice of budget travelers who like hearty and simple food. Among budget places, there is also the La Chalana restaurant, where local chefs cook fish with an addition of special spices and herbs, so its taste turns out to be amazing.
La Gomera Climate Conditions
Situated in the very south of Spain, the island of La Gomera features a subtropical climate with long, hot summer seasons that last for up to eleven months. The island has a beautiful climate all year around with its most perfect time for holidays being between late autumn to spring. The temperatures on the coast generally remain between 20 and 25 degrees, however the temperatures in the mountain regions can drop to freezing point from time to time.
Nevertheless, the island is typically warm and beautiful throughout the year with little seasonal variation, even though the temperatures can rise beyond highs of 30 degrees in the summer time. There is also little variation in La Gomera hours of daylight. During the shortest winter days, the area is still warm and light until much later.
However, there are vast temperature differences ranging from the south and the north. In the north, the climate is more extreme, showing lower temperatures than those in the southern areas. May and September are the best times for going to La Gomera on holidays.
The climate conditions on the island are ideal for walking holidays. Both water temperatures and air temperatures are commonly slightly warmer in the north than in the south of the island and obviously the high mountains in the center of the island are much cooler than the coast. Unlike other bordering islands, La Gomera has never experienced any volcanic eruptions.
Travelling about La Gomera is pleasurable and simple as the roads are very well maintained. In general, La Gomera is not only a perfect holiday destination for tourists, but also an ideal region to live in. Trade winds and a beautiful all year round sub-tropical climate are all about La Gomera.