GETTING THERE
Janice Hopper sings the praises of little-known La Gomera
The first noticeable thing when discussing a trip to the green Canary Island of La Gomera, is that most people simply haven’t heard of it. Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, even Fuerteventura, yes, but La Gomera is the Canary that’s been flying under the radar. Lying west of Tenerife it’s beautifully unspoiled, partly due to the absence of an international airport. Instead we took a chilled 45-minute sailing from Tenerife’s Los Cristianos port with Fred Olsen Express, arriving at La Gomera’s capital, San Sebastián, ready for adventure.
We steered our hire car literally into the clouds that cover the island’s mountainous top, driving through the island’s dramatic calling card, Garajonay National Park.
This mystical and magical wonderland, a Unesco World Heritage site, is ideal for hikers, with well signposted trekking routes that take walkers through the misty green foliage of this unique corner of the world. At the coastal fringes of La Gomera, visitors can still find sunshine and beachlife, but up in the clouds, it’s reminiscent of an atmospheric Tim Burton movie.
Travelling with young children, we took a gentle and short walk along the Ermita/El Cedro route. Clear footpaths pass waterfalls (and the rather novel ‘Peeing Tree’, with water running from it, which is amusing for children and big kids alike) before reaching the small church built by Englishwoman Florence Stephen Parry who, having lost her fiancé in World War I, arrived on the island as a governess and made it her lifelong home.
Another curious sight is the many hikers thumbing a lift along the roads, trying to make it back to their accommodation. We felt the island’s cool, relaxed vibe beginning to rub off on us.
MOST major UK airports have flights to Tenerife South. The sailing to La Gomera costs from around £60 return with Fred Olsen Express. fredolsen.es
Rooms at Hotel Gran Rey cost from £64. hotelgranrey.es
For more information, visit lagomera.travel (right)