Hiker and Hippie Island Gomera

The Second-Smallest of the Canary Islands Attracts Nature Lovers

Aug 13, 2008 Renate Oetjens

Having no big international airport Gomera forces visitors to already slow down when they approach the rocky island in the Atlantic. The reward is relaxed recreation.

The Spanish island La Gomera is one of the Canary Islands off the African coast – but while the bigger ones like Gran Canaria or Tenerife are all about beach, booze and party, the smaller neighbor offers completely different attractions. Gomera first became popular in the 1970s; up to 1974 the ferry from Tenerife to San Sebastián de la Gomera operated only twice per week. Well into the 1980s the island remained an insider tip for hippies, hikers and individualists, who loved the unspoilt spot and its about 20000 inhabitants.

Today the island still has no big airport and can basically only be reached via ferry from Tenerife's southern port Los Christianos. While some developers consider this a drawback, it also protected the isle from highrise hotels and a loss of identity. With only few sandy beaches – with black lava sand – Gomera attracts mainly hikers, who roam the national park in the mountains, or people who enjoy the remnants of hippie culture of yoga, peace and love that still characterizes the main tourist villages in the Valle Gran, the Valley of the Great King. It offers a pleasant climate most of the year – palm trees, banana and other fruit trees create an image of a timeless Garden of Eden.

From Whales to Ancients Forests – Gomera's Highlights

Garajonay National Park: In the center of the island the national park's suptropical laurel rain forests spread out over the mountains that are as high as 1487 m (over 4800 feet). The trade winds constantly bring new clouds over the Atlantic that leave the ancient woodland in a heavy mist most of the time, but offer stunning views into the steep valleys towards the coast. Old lichenic laurel trees form the laurisilva, a type of woodland that used to cover wide areas of Europe and has almost completely vanished today.
Los Organos: Volcanic activity formed giant basalt columns around the northern tip of Gomera, reminding of a church organ. The columns stretch over 200 m (656 feet) and are up to 80 m (260 feet) high. They can only be seen from sea. Small boats go from the port of Vueltas, when the sea is calm enough.
Architecture by César Manrique: Born 1919 on Lanzarote, architect Manrique left his distinctive modernist mark on several of the Canary islands. His unique puristical style blends in well with the bare lava landscapes and houses are often completed by rockery gardens he also designed. Towering over the Valle Gran Rey he created a lookout.
Tracing the steps of Christopher Columbus in San Sebastián: As a fact Columbus stopped off in this port in 1492, but whatever he did here is hard to say: The island chronicle claims he went to pray in the Iglesia de la Asunción; and the old Pozo de Colón prides itself to be the last well where Columbus stocked up on his water reserves before sailing out to discover the New World. A sign saying „This water baptised America“ modestly reminds of this unproven myth.
Whale watching: After having hunted the big whales around the islands for centuries, the islanders turned to the more peaceful whale watching now. Sperm whales, beaked whales and Bryde's whales might be spotted – more frequent are porpoises and dolphins.

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