Garajonay National Park
A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986, Garajonay covers nearly 40 percent of La Gomera's interior with a primeval laurisilva — laurel forest — that has survived virtually unchanged since the Tertiary period, when this kind of woodland blanketed much of southern Europe. Walking into it feels less like hiking and more like stepping into a living natural history museum.
The Forest Itself
The trees — Canarian laurel, til, tree heath and Canarian holly — grow so densely and are so draped in mosses and ferns that even on a bright day the light inside the forest is a deep, cathedral green. Mist rolls through the canopy on most mornings, feeding the vegetation and creating an atmosphere that is simultaneously eerie and deeply calming.
The park's highest point, Alto de Garajonay at 1,487 metres, is reachable by a well-marked trail from the Las Mimbreras picnic area and rewards you with 360-degree views over the entire island and, on clear days, across to five other Canary Islands simultaneously.
Trails and Access from San Sebastián
The park has over 100 km of signposted trails ranging from easy circular walks of 3 km to full-day ridge traverses. The trail from El Cedro — a mossy hamlet inside the park — to the Laguna Grande picnic area is one of the most beautiful short walks in the Canaries, passing ancient trees with trunks wider than a car.
The park visitor centre (Centro de Visitantes Juego de Bolas) near Agulo has excellent free exhibits on the ecology and geology of the laurel forest and is a sensible first stop for maps and trail conditions.
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