©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
La% Gomera 922 / Pop 21,952
Includes Why Go? San Sebastián de la From a distance La Gomera appears as an impenetrable for- Gomera...... 166 tress ringed with soaring rock walls. Noodle-thin roads wig- Parque Nacional de gle their way alongside cliff faces and up ravines, and the tiny Garajonay...... 171 white specks that represent houses seem impossibly placed Hermigua...... 173 on inaccessible crags. Viewed from up-close, however, that El Cedro...... 174 rough landscape translates into lush valleys, awe-inspiring Agulo...... 174 cliffs and stoic rock formations sculpted by ancient volcanic activity and erosion. Vallehermoso...... 175 La Gomera does not offer the standard tourist resort trap- Playa Santiago...... 176 pings of golden beaches and an animated nightlife. It is also Alajeró & Around...... 177 relatively laborious to reach; the ferry from Los Cristianos is Valle Gran Rey...... 178 a filter of sorts, and visitors here tend to be walkers heading for the myriad hiking trails that weave across this lush and spectacular island. La Gomera also has a tangible bohemian air; and you will Best Places to Eat spy plenty of grey ponytails from foreign residents who ar- ¨¨Restaurante Breñusca rived here in the 1960s flower power days – and stayed. (p169) ¨¨Casa Efigenia (p171) When to Go ¨¨Bar-Restaurante El Puerto (p179) ¨¨March and April are the best months for hiking with an ideal temperate temperature coupled with a dazzle of subtropical ¨ ¨Restaurante Junonia (p176) flowers on the hillsides. ¨¨During the summer months August can reach a sizzling Best Places to 30°C and sees the most day-trippers from nearby Los Stay Cristianos, while June and September are a tad cooler and good fiesta months with El Día de San Juan (23 to 24 June) ¨¨Parador Nacional Conde and the week-long Fiestas Columbinas (from 6 September) de la Gomera (p230) street party taking place. ¨¨Apartamentos Los Telares ¨¨In winter expect some rainfall in December and January (p230) with an average temperature of around 17°C. Look for wild ¨¨Finca Argayall (p231) mushrooms on local menus in February. ¨¨Apartamentos Tapahuga (p231) ¨¨Apartamentos Quintero (p230)
; s la 165 Lo Gomera Highlights a s
La Gomerade a D n le km tianos nt ra is mi a Pu Llan Cruz s Cr a # Ù jona nt .5 # f nt lo 6 nta #] # Pu Ma lma (Tenerife) Pu de Canarios Sa l Pa ta Sebastiá o de Juel la Gome n a s igua Cale a 11 de talina de ay ta Sa -7 rm Cabrit Pl la Ca sa e ) TF o 8À #\ o de de He # Ù Ca di
jona a ) sa #\ 13 de Me de ay -7 Ma Santa a 05 02 l Ca Enchered Las Case #\ Dehesa de a TF Pl Cabrit 8À #\ de de l ay de ay El a a # Ù Pl a # ) Pl Chinguarim e ) pahuga ay de la ay ay # Ù Peer into the well that well the into Peer unch seafood on the Munch seafood asco s # Ù to Pl Ta Pl ca (El Hierro r Pl igua rr er ta w as de # to Ù # Ù pe #\ seashore in the laid-back in the laid-back seashore Playa of resort beach (p176 Santiago 7 6 ‘baptised America’ and explore and explore America’ ‘baptised of backstreets the colourful San capital the pint-sized de la Gomera Sebastián (p166 Rejo Cruce de rm # Pu Es #\ si Ù Ca sc ur Le # f
w de l D Vi #\ 7 a o He #\ a To na e # do (1182m Nuestra #\ o ra las ay an de de Lo r Las La Laja st Cedr hijigu Pl da Juego de Bo Centre Roqu Ag ra #\ #\ Boca de Chorro Agul ntiago El Pa ar nc R #ï ño #\ #\ ga #\ #– #Y # S Sa rg #\
#\ o s é Be ag Ermita Se i a nt #\ de Sa o o
ma c ), a rock a rock ), Meri n to a # Ü
er r jaqu de ó #\
#\ ar Ta lmit B N ña ro ) a jari a Ta 1 #\ e
Pa # llehermoso
ay ga #\ Las Rosa c Castillo del Ma Pa ), the island’s the island’s ), C E A N y (p175 s Va Pl Alajer ande o La Tree ue #\ Ma C E A Contad æ # R Iguale #\ ) Roqu Cano (650m) O no La Laguna Gr y ag # Ù
æ # El rq R e gon O a
o Dr
ga 7m æ #
d I C
La Calder o Pa to de
) ra e onal de
4 g
ad
o #\ 48 T
# 2
s I C #\
a
Al c
# ci i visit to a cruise ake
rajona
(D
(1 t
rc n
es
T N
T Garajona
a ya n
Playa de at the Playa Unwind
11 e
a r
Ga a 243m r Na S s N ec -7 Ce
R Los Ór #\ ud a od (1 #\ TF #\ #\
plunging valleys and picture- valleys plunging hillsides terraced perfect (p175 Alojera beach remotest 5 4 Los Órganos Los a that resembles formation pipe organs of set titan’s
La Cr 8À El #\ B Teselind (876m) ip a s La Fortalez T L A ay R in #\ 6 Las Ha ro A y n T L A Ch gu
#\ os #\ a or #\ Ep A Re n io
Ar ev llehermoso #\ Ch y de Sa an 713 ) a Nu La Rajita Va s Llan #\ TF- # Ü Gr
ma Ermita
de
8À Re Anton w s guamul de Crispí l Lo
e
n ojer zo ), with its with its ), s Barranco de Da Era Ar ll #\ an # Ù as tó ), the ), # Al ö Ta elta
w la e r La #\ en Gr Va Barranco de la de ur Vu Ar #\ 5 a #\ 3 ique # Ù lera # Ù # #\ Carre Ar Lomo de # La Césa #\ ay nr 6 6666 6666 6666 a # f Ca Pl de #\ # Ù a Ma # Ù dor a l ojer ntilla (laurel) forest at the forest (laurel) ra ay de aya glés Al Pu Mi a Pl In nta de la ay La La Pl sca Negr Explore the fern-filled the fern-filled Explore Be amazed by the tropical the tropical by amazed Be Soak up the beauty of of up the beauty Soak Pl li Pu Ta flowers, plants and fruits of the of fruits and plants flowers, (p175 lush Vallehermoso (p178 Rey Gran Valle 2 3 La Gomera Highlights 1 Parque Nacional the Parque of trails (p171 de Garajonay laurisilva heart island’s