LA GOMERA (E)  DIARY  4

               From Diary 3.
3/11 2025, day 7. The day is all about the most northern - found in the north-west. However, I try to do a detour through a village; Epina, I’ve been passing several times, but it is actually two, non-connected roads, leading into it. And they don’t get visitors on a regular basis.

As always, I have to pass the central part, then a few unfamiliar settlements, before the fertile valley with Vallehermoso reveals itself. Parking is a challenge, and I get to see some of the cosy little town, on the way to the central square.

The church is on higher ground, and not only nice looking, but open. Soft music is being played, and the sun fills the room through the glass mosaics. Then I find the central square, a bit down the street.
Besides from the nice looking Municipal, here are quite some hikers and the Spar, I want. I eat my bun in the sun on the square, filled with mumbling from locals and hikers.

Like the other valley towns, it is scattered around a larger area. The ability to make connection roads might be the dominating factor.
The few shops are found on the square and the nearby alleys. This is, by far, the most cosy town on La Gomera.

A little trail leads out of town, way up in the mountains, and the views down to the town, get better and better and better. I end up near the ridge, with way too many photos. As the scenery is huge, they probably look just alike each other. Not adding to the collection on the way down is impossible.

Here are many small and pretty garden and some larger, with commercial grown flowers. And so many fruits from passion, mango, citrus, avocado and more I don’t recognise, due to the lack of fruits.

The camera get to cool down, while I sip coffee at a little local place, in the edge of town - deliberated without any views. Two elder French women are having car problems, and shout a lot in their phone, with the rental company. I flip down the hand brake, and that quiet down the area, and I get to enjoy my coffee.

Back in town, I start exploring the rest. I’ve never thought I would miss a town, but this one, I enjoy. After another loop in the central part, I figure it is time to leave, while the camera still have battery left.

A few kilometres down the giant valley, the sea and Playa de Vallehermoso found. Some huge and powerful waves beats the stony beach, while the closed but nicely blue pool is still.
It is noon, and I enjoy my lunch, overseeing the scenery. Then a stroll along the short line of boulder, failing to keep the sea out.

The corner have a recent build but abandoned castle-like structure, and some of the waves here are 3-4 meters. Soaked in saltwater spray, I finally manages to find four limpets, which I can experiment on cleaning.

My next target is just the road and area, leading from the highlands somewhat out to the lowland at Chigueré, around 600 meters. The GPS estimate 19 kilometres, 45 minutes.
It is a great drive, the first part by the familiar one-lane road towards Arguamul and Guillama. Then I turn off into badly maintained gravel road, clinging to ravines for many kilometres.
It terminates at a view point, one side facing Vallehermoso and its beach, 600 meters down, 2,1 kilometres by hiking trail.

I passed a chapel, and here are a few real challenged pines. The soil is made up of yellow vulcanite clay, and real dry. Nothing to do, but turn around and head for next site.

It is found on the other side of home, at the beach of Alojera, the oasis village with palm sap.
Here are at least four different types of sea-snails, crabs, hermit crabs and small fishes. And a single egg-sized sea-slug. Eventually, I find the home of the limpets, but none have a spare shell. I get soaked, but at least, I get to see them move around, although slowly.

At four, I head home to do laundry, work, eat and work some more. Well, laundry get postponed due to an unexpected lack of sun. I rather have dry saltwater than wet freshwater on my pans. Later, there is yet another great sunset.

I might have to re-dust the car a tad, before I return it. Else, he might think I've done some dirt roads - or a rally or two.

The highlights from Day 7. The lot; Day 7.

4/11. Day 8. The first sight it the Supermercado in Navarro. I pass other sights, but the sun is still too low for photos - and I'm ready for breakfast. The supermarket is combined with the bar, in front of the humble church an the new hotel. And they only have real light bread, which have to do for now.
I do a big loop in the village, while I munch on my bred. Here are a few old and charming houses made from cut rocks, but most are fairly new.

I try to figure how to get close to Chipude, 1243 meter Monumento Nacional de la Fortaleza. I leave the town on a narrow road, sealed with square natural rocks. It winds its way around one valley after another, and the scenery is fantastic.

Here are quite some farming, vine the dominant crop. I end at a huge reservoir at 1125 meters height, and park the car. I can see the bush-covered peak, but can’t find the interest to climb it. I rather explore the botanic around the car. Here are gravel roads, connecting fields with vine, palms, apples, citrus, chestnuts, mulberries, cherries, figs and alike.

I gather some chestnuts and pick a single apple, where the ground is covered. I fail to find any interesting plants, but the coots in the reservoir was a new.
Here are several species of butterflies, bees and the only noise originates from the Italian timber-bees and some distant ravens.

The shortcut to next site get corrupted by the national park it is found within. Well, I just ditch the car and walk through the forest for one kilometre, saving the car for twelve.

It a green laurel bush with quite some dead trees. I assumed, it was caused by climate changes, but could be the result of a fire, which hit this area recently.
The “Laguna Grande” is a parking lot with chargers for cars. Plenty of playgrounds and an open restaurant. Additional plus 20 cars - short visit.

At least, this way, the next sight is close, and a nice drive too. On the other side of a gorge, the little Los Pajarejos is spread over the edge. On my side, it is El Cercado, a scattered mountain village, famous for their clay works. I however, starts with lunch at a railing, while listening to the canary finches.

It is yellow grassland with Opuntias and palms that occupies the valley, but the terraces indicates; it was farmland in past days. Here are mandarins, figs, peaches, and quite some vine.

I see the little museum, showing how they moulded the clay. Then I do an extensive walk around, without seeing any other ceramics. But the views are endless, and here are even a few sheep and a goat.
Pretty much the only sound is the finches, munching on the numerous figs in all stages.

A bit down the mountain, within the dense forest, Mirador Risquillos de Corgo is found, way into the greenery. Here, some the succulents are epiphytes, while the trees are covered in mosses.
Here is a view to the giant canyon and way down to the sea and Tagulche - unless it is another town. However, the scenery is too big and distant to actually work.

The plan was to do a 2*2,5 kilometres hike in the forest: Raso de la Bruma - Las Creces, but I fail to talk myself into that. Quite frankly, I do not really find the forests that interesting: Moss-covered stems, that’s it. I stop at the trail-head, and do half the hike, before I head on to Mirador de Alojera. It is actually another too big a stretch of cost to be impressive - or grasp.

Further down to Arure, just to get a bread, as my lunch was a bit light. Unfortunately, the bakery is having lunch, and here are nothing else.
A sign showing off to Mirador Ermita del Santo lours me in. The trail, leading out on a ridge, is absolutely mindblowing with views to both sides, way down. A few crippled pines, a goat farmer and massive mountain sides.

Once more, I bump into Jess from Hammersmith, and we have a long and pleasant chat - she even get to say some.
It is time to head home and enjoy the last afternoon sun, and absorb the views from here.

And cook chestnuts. I add quite some salt to the water, and now, they are easy to peal. Laundry, more coffee in the sun and dinner - in the last sun. The evening get to be spend with diary, photos and chestnuts. Not a bad day at all.

The highlights from Day 8. The lot; Day 8.

               And then into the next page; Diary 5.