La Gomera
At the end of 2020 we spent 6 weeks at La Gomera. During this period we were able to end the year 2020 in a very nice way and discover the island in all its facets. La Gomera is a small, beautiful, authentic and raw island.
Read all about what we have done on La Gomera and what tips we have for you on this page.
La Gomera
From Saturday November 21st 2020 to Monday January 4th 2021 we have been on La Gomera, the second smallest of the Canary Islands. In the 10 days before we were on Tenerife. At the beginning of November we decided to go to the Canary Islands for the winter of 2020-2021. We had to let go of our original plan to hibernate with the camper in Spain and Portugal at the end of October. Given the situation around Covid-19 in Europe, it seemed unwise to travel with the camper. But the Canary Islands proved to be a very good alternative. At the time we left it was 'code yellow', so the flight with Transavia went really smooth. The weather in the Canary Islands is very mild in winter time and there are many islands to discover.
Before we left we had already thought that we wanted to focus on the small islands. They seemed calmer, safer and there was a lot to discover. So after a good week acclimatizing in Tenerife we went by boat to La Gomera. Because we have been to Tenerife relatively briefly, we have not dedicated a page to it on this site, but we are still going to write a blog about our experiences on Tenerife.
On November 21st we left early in the morning by boat from Los Cristianos in Tenerife to La Gomera. There you arrive at the port of San Sebastian de La Gomera. The host of the property where we would end up staying for 6 weeks, Meike, had told us that a car is necessary on La Gomera, so we rented one. We were early but were already able to pick up the reserved car from Autos Mulagua. In the end we drove the car for six months all over the Canarias. Alberto from Autos Mulagua provided us with the perfect car, delivered fantastic service, was really flexible and was always available for questions and support.
After we picked up the car and we had a nice coffee in the lovely December sunshine, we were able to check in at the nice and fine apartment in San Sebastian early in the afternoon.
San Sebastian de la Gomera
During the first weekend on La Gomera we were in San Sebastian de la Gomera. It is the capital of La Gomera and is home to approx. 9,000 people. This makes San Sebastian the most populous town on the island.
In San Sebastian is also the large port where all ferries arrive from the other islands and sometimes cruise ships also dock. The port, transport, tourism and public sectors are the main economic drivers.
San Sebastian is a nice town with a cozy harbor, a cozy center with square on the harbor and a number of tiny streets with shops and restaurants. We stayed for two days in a well cared for and centrally located apartment. From there we were able to do a first exploration of the island and San Sebastian.
In Tenerife we had already decided that we wanted to stay on La Gomera for a few weeks at one location. In addition, we had been looking for a secluded place where we could end the year 2020. We wanted to rest and focus mainly on reflection, a lot of meditation and yoga and healthy living. In Tazo we found this location and ended up staying there for 6 weeks. It was so special and nice in this place that we dedicated a special blog to it. From Monday November 23rd we were able to check in at this property in Tazo but that was fine. It gave us the opportunity to land quietly on La Gomera in San Sebastian the weekend before and get a first impression of the island. After we checked into the apartment on Saturday we strolled through San Sebastian in the afternoon, sat in the harbour and had an ice cream at Heladeria La Salamandra. Despite eating as much plant-based food as possible, we are huge lovers of ice cream. And this Heladeria turned out (afterwards) to be one of the few places on the island where tasty and good ice cream is sold.
On Sunday we did an exploration of the southeastern part of the island. We drove from San Sebastian towards the central part of the island and from there to Playa Santiago. During the ride we experienced for the first time how beautiful and quiet La Gomera is. The vulcanic island consists of a number of ridges and ravines that run from the centrally located highest point to the sea. As a result, it seems that, looking from above, the island actually has the shape of a citrus press. One of the highlights of the ride was the visit to the Roque de Agando, one of the beautiful prominent vulcanic rocks on the island. In Playa Santiago we had a delicious lunch. It is a small fishing village with small rocky beaches where tourists definitely come but it doesn't really make a touristic impression.
On Monday we went to Tazo. Our host Meike had sent us the route description in advance. From San Sebastian to Tazo is an hour and a half drive although it is only 46km. On La Gomera all roads are winding and mountainous, you can drive on most roads max. 30-40 km/h speed. But that doesn't matter at all because you're short of eyes to see all the beauty around you. La Gomera is a beautiful island with a huge diversity of nature. We chose the route via Hermigua along the north side of the island and via Vallehermoso towards Tazo. Meike had indicated that the last part would be challenging and that was completely correct. From the road at Epina you first go down a single-lane mountain road into the barranco. The first 3km are easy to do, asphalted and a guardrail. But at some point the road becomes unpaved and more and more potholes occur. And the last 500m in Tazo to the house are unpaved with deep potholes, sharp turns and no guardrail. But from the moment we arrived we had all forgotten that, what a beautiful location and great accommodation.
Here we would definitely going to enjoy for a longer period of time.
Tazo
Tazo is a very small remote village in the northwestern part of the island La Gomera, almost the end of the Gomerian world. However, there is another smaller village, Arguamul, the true Gomerian end of the world. When in Tazo, go visit Arguamul.
Tazo is really small and secluded but it is amazingly beautiful and wonderfully quiet. How we enjoyed the peace, quiet, the view over the barranco, the mountains and the sea at this location for 6 weeks. The sunsets were beautiful!
And what have we been able to give our plan to end 2020 well here the right interpretation. Tazo is forever in our hearts, so read our blog about the great stay.
As mentioned, we stayed in Tazo for 6 weeks and it was, although secluded, a perfect location to get to know La Gomera well during that period. In addition to doing meditation and yoga on a daily basis and taking a lot of rest, we also went out to explore of course. We have done many fantastic hikes. La Gomera is a true hiking paradise and there are very nice trails for every level. Especially the hikes from La Dama to Playa Iguala, to the highest point Alto de Garajonay, to El Cedro and to Presa de Amalahuique were highlights. But also in the area of Tazo we made a few beautiful hikes.
In addition, we have been to the beach of Valle Gran Rey a number of times. Valle Gran Rey is the most touristic town of La Gomera and is located on the southwest coast. And Valle Gran Rey has some very nice beaches. In addition, we spent a day at what is said to be the most beautiful beach of La Gomera, and that is Playa de la Caleta. A rocky lava beach but at an idyllic location.
Furthermore, a visit to the Mirador de Abrante is a must. It is a beautiful viewing platform with glass bottom and wall at more than 600m altitude. From there you can see Tenerife in the distance and below you the village of Agulo. And of course we visited most of the villages. In addition to San Sebastian and Valle Gran Rey, Hermigua and Vallehermoso are beautiful places to visit. But there are also many small villages, hidden in the mountains or barranco that are well worth a visit. La Gomera is a fantastically beautiful, authentic and quiet island where you mainly relax and enjoy the beautiful nature. And that was exactly what we needed during that period. Look in the blogs below and read more beautiful stories and tips and recommendations about all the above highlights.
La Gomera Blog posts
Villages of La Gomera
On La Gomera we have visited the 4 most known villages, San Sebastian, Hermigua, Vallehermoso and Valle Gran Rey
Parque Nacional de Garajonay
During our stay at La Gomera we visited Parque Nacional de Garajonay, for example we hiked to Alto de Garajonay
Epic hiking trails on La Gomera
During our more then 6 weeks on La Gomera we did a lot of hiking. Read in this blog about the great hiking possibilities on La Gomera
Tazo
During our stay at La Gomera we were in Tazo almost the entire period. Read in this blog about this great location and our accommodation