An unspoilt oasis of beauty and natural wonder

La Gomera’s charms were enough to tempt Christopher Columbus to delay his travels and to make Robin reach for his sandals

When I first set foot on the gloriously sleepy isle of La Gomera, I felt an almost irresistible urge to shake off my shoes and slip on a pair of sandals. La Gomera is that sort of oasis. It’s easy to see why Columbus couldn’t resist making a last stop here before sailing the ocean blue on his voyage of exploration to the New World in 1492.

The contrast from the Canarian resort of Los Cristianos, where the La Gomera ferry sets off from, could not be more pronounced.

Cruise out of the harbour and you leave the busy trappings of big hotels and theme parks behind to ease back in time to a world where the roads are blissfully quiet and the walking trails tempt more than the bustling bars.

The short journey over is all part of the experience and acts like a decompression chamber that helps ease you into La Gomera time.

As you push on through the waves look out for dolphins and pilot whales, which I’ve seen on each of the four times I’ve taken the crossing. Ahead, the foreboding but always beguiling hulk of the island starts to loom large like a leviathan bursting from the depths of the Atlantic ocean.

The ferry arrives in San Sebastian de la Gomera, by far the biggest settlement on the island.

Outside the hubbub of the ferry arrival it is a soporific hideaway by the ocean. There are a couple of black sand beaches if you fancy a cooling dip – the best, Playa de la Cueva, easily walkable from the port.

Afterwards, you can wander streets peppered with little cafes and bars that recline in whitewashed buildings with colourful trims. The chief tourist attraction as such in town is the Torre del Conde, one of the oldest fortifications left standing across any of the eight Canary Islands.

If you want to learn more about Columbus’s visit then the Casa de Colon tells the tale of his historic stop-off in the house where he is said to have stayed. The Iglesia de la Virgen de la Asuncion is the church where Columbus prayed ahead of his voyage into the unknown.

Handily, the Torre del Conde reclines in a little green lung, a park awash with trees and benches. It’s a great spot to just take in the sun and plan your adventures on this isle. Exploring La Gomera needs a little bit of planning as it is basically one giant volcano where man has always clung on to life rather than held sway over nature. Much of it is still wonderfully unspoilt.

Pushing beyond the capital you instantly realise how steep and gnarly this wild volcanic island is. Roads cling to the precipitous slopes as you work your way up through palm-fringed ravines and higher into the thick laurel forest.

This verdant natural subtropical forest wonder is more Jurassic Park than theme park, atmospherically often shrouded in swirling mists. It is a remnant of an ancient type of woodland lost to most of Europe during the last Ice Age and eking through it feels like exploring the pages of a Brothers Grimm fairytale.

The best way to really appreciate the rich nature of La Gomera is by hiking, with the island crisscrossed by an excellent network of well marked walking trails.

Weather conditions change very quickly in this part of the world so always come prepared and leave word of where you are heading and when you