la gomera tenerife
a new airport in the south may bring more people, but a lack of suitable facilities (though it does have two of the best hotels in the canaries) ensures that la gomera appeals mainly to those who need no entertaining, and want only to experience the simplicity and sun warm tranquility of island life. yet la gomera offers walks, ancient woodland and a dramatic history. the island's capital, san sebastian, is easily accessible by ferries crossing the 32km from southern tenerife. even for those who feel they must be back at their tenerife hotel in time for dinner, la gomera makes a most memorable day out....
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agulo tenerife
a pearl of a village in a delightful setting above the coast, agulo is enclosed by a semicircle of steep green hills, pouring with waterfalls and streams after rain showers. the town's narrow cobbled streets are focused on a domed moorish looking church, while out to sea the inspiring vision of pi co del teide rises above the clouds from the dark floating form that is tenerife. it's one of the prettiest spots on the north coast....
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chipude tenerife
until recently chipude was a remote hamlet, lost high in the green heart of the island. among gomerans its name used to be synonymous with a rustic way of life and poverty, and locals say that the people of chipude used to drive away intruders with stones. while better roads and communications have changed all that, the villagers thankfully still preserve their old customs and traditions, and it is here that you may hear music not being demonstrated for tourists,...
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hermigua tenerife
lying in the island's most fertile and productive valley, hermigua tacks along the road through plantations of banana palms. though one of la gomera's larger settlements, it's a tiny, tranquil place, a stopping point for visitors who want to see local crafts being made and maybe make a purchase at the interesting los telares artesania (craft centre). nearly opposite is the convento de santo domingo, a 16th century church with a moorish style wooden ceiling....
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los organos tenerife
inaccessible from the land, these strange slender columns of basalt emerging from the sea to the north-west of puerto de vallehermoso are so named because they resemble organ pipes. extending over a 200m stretch of cliff, and rising as much as 80m from the sea, the tightly packed hexagonal columns make an impressive sight, and they certainly provide a good excuse for a boat excursion (see side panel for pick-up points). surprisingly, they do look just like the pipes of some gigantesque organ....
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playa de santiago tenerife
the southernmost point of la gomera, close to the island's airport, is blessed with a sheltered position, good beaches and an attractive setting. a growing success as a resort area, it was traditionally a large and prosperous fishing and farming village that went into decline in the 1970s. in recent years it has been reborn thanks to new water sports, beach and harbor facilities and the building of the impressive and imaginative up market resort hotel jardin tecina by cruise operators...
san sebastian de la gomera tenerife
la gomera's capital, usually known as san sebastian and often known to locals simply as villa, is an unprepossessing little port, though it has an excellent harbour. in several ways san sebastian is quite untypical of the island. though hemmed in by hills, the town lies on flat ground while the rest of la gomera is all steep slopes and valleys; its dusty, dry setting is a marked contrast to the island's exotic greenery. most of the town is modern white cubes in an island full of rustic character only san sebastian's picturesque main street, calle real (sometimes known as calle del medio),...
valley of the kings tenerife
on the west side of the island, the majestic valley of the great king is still remote and was almost unknown until the 1970s, when it became something of a hippy retreat offering an away from tall, ecologically sustainable lifestyle. today, though, and despite the location, it attracts more visitors than anywhere else on the island. on the twisting road up to arure (10km inland), several viewpoints offer stunning panoramas of cultivated terraces clinging to the lower slopes of the steep ravine,...
vallehermoso tenerife
an attractive and appealing village one of the island's largest communities vallehermoso is indeed in a 'beautiful valley' as its name suggests. it is surrounded by forest, vineyards and palm plantations of date and banana. a striking 650m high volcanic pinnacle close by is called roque cano, dog rock, supposedly for its resemblance to a canine tooth....
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