Drive around the interior of the Canary Island of La Gomera.

October 2023

Behind the barren shell lies an unexpectedly fertile core…

The first thing I learn on La Gomera is that this is the favorite vacation spot of former Chancellor Angela Merkel… She appears on many a postcard here. Perhaps that's why we meet so many Germans here…

In Valle Gran Rey we rent a car for a day and drive around the island inland on the GM 1/2.

Minibus on La Gomera — Our car for the country tour: Barbara, Wolfgang, Bernd and I set off early in the morning.

Journey from the port into the interior of La Gomera — Driving around the interior of the Canary Island of La Gomera. 18

From Valle Gran Rey, we head inland, and the vegetation quickly changes – the island, which looks so barren from the water, becomes increasingly greener…

Fog on La Gomera — Driving around the interior of the Canary Island of La Gomera. 19

First we go steadily uphill and reach the famous cloud forests of La Gomera.

Fog creeps over the land — Driving around the interior of the Canary Island of La Gomera. 20

We're out on the trail in sunny weather, and now we're surrounded by a wall of fog. The mist drifts over the vegetation.

Cloud forest trees — Mossy trees in the Garajonay National Park, which covers about a quarter of the island's area

In fact, water harvesting on La Gomera occurs primarily through trees, which absorb moisture from the clouds and release it to the ground. Moss-covered trees give the cloud forest a mystical appearance.

On the summit of La Gomera — Driving around the interior of the Canary Island of La Gomera. 21

We reach the summit – the view is dominated by lush vegetation and cloud/fog fields…

View of Mount Teide from La Gomera — Roque de Agando

View from the summit across to the island of Tenerife, clearly visible with Mount Teide emerging from the clouds.

Place La Gomera — The capital of La Gomera: San Sebastian

We continue down to the coast to the capital San Sebastian and the landscape becomes more barren again.

Church and street in La Gomera — Alley in San Sebastian with a view of the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción

Church of Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion — Driving around the interior of the Canary Island of La Gomera. 22

The church dates back to 1450, with additions dating from the 17th century. It is said to be the most beautiful church on La Gomera and steeped in history.

Nave of the church — Driving around the interior of the Canary Island of La Gomera. 23

Christopher Columbus and the conquistadors Cortez and Pizarro are said to have prayed here for a successful crossing…

Hermigua — Playa de la Caleta on the north coast

In the background you can still see the remains of the old banana loading station, and the adjacent former banana washing basin now houses a seawater swimming pool.

Beautiful valley — Driving around the interior of the Canary Island of La Gomera. 24

The circuit goes back to Valle Gran Rey via Vallehermoso, where our catamaran Joline is already waiting for us.

Flora on La Gomera — Driving around the interior of the Canary Island of La Gomera. 25

On our tour, we gained a good insight into the landscapes of La Gomera. However, the island certainly has much more to offer for a multi-day tour. There are also many hiking trails that invite you to explore the island on foot. Due to the many inclines, these hikes are quite challenging and more suitable for experienced hikers.

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