LA GOMERA (E)  INFO & DIARY  1

 GENERAL INFO (Jump to Diary)

The name “La Gomera” might have roots in the time of the ancient Phoenician and Greek navigators. It is said that it could derive from the word “Gomara,” used to refer to the nomadic shepherds of North Africa, known for their skill in handling livestock, who could have been the first inhabitants. M former host tells me; it means steel or iron.

It is very mountainous and steeply sloping and rises to 1,487 meters at its highest peak, Alto de Garajonay. The lower altitudes of La Gomera fall into the desert climate zone, while the higher mountainous areas fall into the Mediterranean climate zone. That create a various nature, although not that rich.

The flora is not that plentiful, but the official natural symbols associated with La Gomera are paloma rabiche; Columba junoniae and viñátigo; Persea indica.

The more interesting animals to me are the Mediterranean Tree Frog; Hyla meridionalis, Boettger's Lizard; Gallotia caesaris, Blue-spotted Cylindrical Skink; Chalcides coeruleopunctatus and Gomero Wall Gecko; Tarentola gomerensis. Here are a long list of birds, mainly along the coast.

DIARY
28/10 2025; Day 1. My flight got one hour delayed on La Palma, leaving me with one hour on Gran Canaria. Once more, I am glad I travel light. Well, it is time enough to get bored, and too early for dinner. Then we get additional delayed, as quite some of the, at least 30 F16 fighters, take off on the same route. 

At the airport, I get the Omega rental's Hyundai i20, I booked through Booking.com from Budget, at the Avis man. Manual gear, and I really really hate the automatic lane-assistant it have. It completely fail to understand race-line, and fights back. And shaking the sterling wheel, when I’m speeding?!?

I end up tarring out the page from the manual, explain it can be turned off, but only until next tour, and squeeze it in front of the camera. Now, the car nags about the lost of view for a minute, but it let me do the driving. As a bonus, it can no longer see the speed limit signs, and now stop nagging about spending. But I still miss the VW, which was smart in a clever way.

When I have my car, a , and head straight for my house. It is over an hours drive, and I enjoy it. The south of the island is real dry, all the way up to 1300 meters height. And the views are great. The edge and backside gets green. Pretty soon, the road is in a green tunnel of small broadleaf trees. 

I reach my village, and mark a supermarket - or market, as I pass it. These are the first gathering of buildings I have see since the airport, and here are perhaps 20. The I find the remote house, I have booked. It is locked, and the area completely dead. Well, I’m early, and head back to do some shopping. 

I still home alone, and enjoy the sunset and mild climate. I don’t miss the fleece jacket I left on Gran Canaria - so far. After eight, I call my only-Spanish-speaking-host, and apparently, I just get four digits for a key-box. And it turns out, I am at casa 1 and 3. But I get casa 2, which is way up the now pitch-black mountain side.

I finally find it, and get in. Then the struggle to get the gas-stow started, get the internet working and get things up-dated, along with a late dinner. One more midnight session.  
The highlights from Day 1.  (Open in a new window).

29. Day 2. The plan was to sit and enjoy the sunrise, but there is a mountain, blocking the sun. Nevertheless, the views over the rather dry valley and all the way down to the sea are still great, and then I just get the sunset.

I shift around some days, and do some of the close-by sights today. I aim for a supermarket in Valle Gran Ray - a 45 minutes drive away, and have to stop many times, despite the lack of room for it. But the mountain views are just so amassing, and the chance to meet another car limited.

The Mirador de la Retama is along  huge gorge, and unbelievable. I can just glimpse some houses on the other side, and hear some goats. And I thing the gorge is deeper than wide here. 800 meters down, I can see the sea clearly.

I draw myself loose, but have to stop time and time again, and the views are so great. Well, they might look the same on the photos, but they are just not large enough.
Eventually, I make it to El Retamal and their Proxim, a tiny supermarket which kind off have most on my desired food.

I turn around and almost head home, before a little road leads down towards the sea and Tagulche. The average speed is 30 km/h on the main-road - not counting the photo stops. I try not to make the same photos on the way back, and fails miserably.

A lunch break at the little Ermita San Antonio with the huge views. Then back up through the forest covered mountains, till the desert takes over, on the western side.

Eventually, I make it to Tagulche, with it’s white huts and palms in an oasis-like canyon, and it is a threat. The area is dry, but the mountains look great - and I got photos to proof. I start at their remote church; Ermita de San Salvador, which offers a great view down to the village.

I do a bit of hiking, and are able to get a good a lava collection, at one point alone. Then I do a tour through the few homes, meeting no one. Here are fewer palms than expected, but more than La Palma have. Should be La Banana or La Pina.

I find a road, leading down towards the sea, extended with a path to Playa de Guariñén. It is a real tough and steep trail, and not really worth it.
Back up to the scattered huts and then towards Alojera, where they make palm-sap.

Well, I just drive here to enjoy the road, and it is truly a treat. I do a quick look into the museum; Casa de la Miel de Palms, to make sure, it actually is sap they use. And a lot of boiling to make it thick.

A bit further down the road, Playa de Alojera is found. It is a little black beach, which actually have guests, and five houses. I find gobies, snails and hermit crabs in the ponds. Besides from that, and a single seagull, there are not much native life.

I head home, and have a bit of sunlight, when I reach it. I try to enjoy it at my porch, facing the sea way down to one side, and the real dry mountains to the other. Then I have some videos and 330 photos to process. I misses the sunset, but there will be others - I hope.

So far, this island have been real scars populated. at the same time, there are not that many old houses, probably because it have not been that populated in the past either. But the invasive Agaves and Opuntias along with other plants sure have taken avenges.
The highlights from Day 2.  The lot from Day 2.
               Time to head on in Diary 2.