You’ll find a map, descriptions, prices, tips, and recommendations. Discover top 15 Sights of La Gomera for a 3-5 day trip. This article helps plan your perfect route on the island and get the most out of your visit to one of the greenest islands in the Canary Archipelago.
What to See on La Gomera: Overview
A comprehensive article that covers the best beach resorts, transportation options, and island specifics. It explains everything you need to know about enjoying La Gomera, including what sets it apart from other islands in the archipelago. If you’re still debating whether to visit La Gomera, this is a must-read.
Useful Information:
Each attraction on the island mentioned in this article will be personally rated by the author (me). Yes, these ratings are subjective, but I’ll try to explain why I rated each one as I did. This makes it easier for you to decide whether you want to visit a particular location or not, as not all of La Gomera attractions are equally thrilling. Some can be skipped, but not all travel guides mention this.
Sights of La Gomera: Map
Legend for reading the “La Gomera Island Attractions” map:
- Blue markers: Beaches
- Black markers: Man-made and architectural attractions, including museums
- Burgundy markers: Natural attractions of La Gomera Island
Important:
The best and most detailed maps of La Gomera are based on Open Street Map. Specifically, I recommend installing one of two apps in advance: Maps.me or Organic Maps (I personally use the latter). Both are free and available for Android and iOS. After installation, download the Canary map, and you’ll be ready for hiking on the island. These apps include all hiking trails, viewpoints, and beaches. They’re superior to Google Maps for this purpose and work offline, although mobile internet is still useful during island trips.
All About Mobile Connectivity and Internet in the Canary Islands.
Best Beaches on La Gomera
La Gomera is a dormant volcano that last erupted several million years ago. There are many beaches here, but they are all rocky, short, and difficult to access. There are only a handful of equipped and infrastructural beaches. Being a volcano, all the beaches have either pebbles or fine black volcanic sand.
For details on the features of beaches in the Canaries and ocean hazards, read the article: Best Beaches in the Canaries.
So, here are the top infrastructure and best beaches on La Gomera for beach relaxation:
- Playa de San Sebastián in the island’s capital. There’s a promenade and fine black volcanic sand: 28.087684614684033, -17.112915073797378
- Playa de Santiago, a pebble beach in the town of Santiago, with a promenade lined with restaurants: 28.027793225060922, -17.198022620865448
- Two calm beaches with black volcanic sand, Playa De Vueltas in Valle Gran Rey. It’s a popular tourist town with all amenities: 28.082557104702044, -17.33193893006542
- Playa del Ingles, a wild beach with black sand, frequented by nudists. It’s easily accessible by foot or car, about a 25-30 minute walk from Valle Gran Rey along a scenic coastal road: 28.100447378351475, -17.347498396682976.
- Playa de Vallehermoso, a narrow pebble beach in a lagoon between cliffs, with limited infrastructure. But during the season from May to September, they open free pools with seawater right on the beach, with a bar, making it a great relaxation spot: 28.20308336572919, -17.252180413643515
- For those who seek seclusion, there are dozens of such beaches on the island, and one of them is Playa De Arguamul. It’s not just a beach but a hiking: you need to drive along a narrow serpentine road until it ends. Then descend a trail from the mountain for about 200 meters to reach the completely wild beach, where it’s just you and the ocean. It’s quite a powerful experience. You can’t reach here without a car; it’s about a 30-minute downhill walk from the end of the road: 28.206798022408776, -17.294970188280992
Important:
Beaches like Playa De Arguamul are completely wild, with open ocean, strong waves, and rip currents. Swimming in such places is dangerous; you should come here for contemplation and seclusion. At most, you can dip your toes.
Garajonay National Park (Parque Nacional de Garajonay)
A top attraction from the “What to See on La Gomera” list, Garajonay National Park covers an area of 40 square kilometers and is included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. It’s named after the rock, the highest point on the island (1488 meters above sea level).
There isn’t a specific spot for the park; all roads on the island traverse Garajonay. With 40 hiking routes and dozens of viewpoints, you can simply drive along the beautiful serpentine roads, leave your car in the parking lot, and hike in the mountains for a whole day or just two hours. The park offers mountains, nature, and many stunning views
- Install the map app on your phone as mentioned earlier; it includes all hiking trails.
- Entry to Garajonay Park is completely free. The park is open to tourists 24/7.
- Here’s a point where within a 1 km radius, you’ll find four viewpoints and several intersecting hiking routes. You can start a leisurely stroll from here: 28.109022684749895, -17.214586452901024, where you’ll also find the beautiful Mirador de los Roques. “Mirador” means viewpoint in Spanish, remember that.
- If you want to drive through the park, two hours should be enough. If you plan to hike along one of the routes, it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a whole day.
- Here you’ll find the coolest hiking trails on La Gomera, with records of routes, elevation gains, times, and even photos. This resource is for active and seasoned tourists.
Author’s Rating:
10 out of 10. You can only skip this attraction if you plan to lounge on the beach and not explore the island. It’s a fantastic place for both drivers and hikers. Even if you don’t like walking, come to the viewpoints mentioned above; it’s only a 7-minute walk, and the views are stunning, with Mount Teide visible on the neighboring island of Tenerife.
Laguna Grande and Laurel Forest
The laurel forest is located in Garajonay Park, but I wanted to highlight this place separately because it’s worth it. In the heart of the park, there’s a large recreational area with barbecue facilities, a playground, and locals come here for picnics on weekends. This area is called Laguna Grande, where a beautiful hiking trail begins, stretching for one and a half kilometers through the relic laurel forest.
- This location is completely free, including toilets and parking.
- Parking Coordinates: 28.12665975319135, -17.25782809558278. There’s a cafe here.
- This is where the famous trekking route almost crosses the entire island, making it an excellent camping spot for those with tents.
- A half-hour stroll through the laurel forest is sufficient.
Author’s Rating:
8 out of 10. It’s a great location, but it lacks a bit of grandeur; the forest shown in photos is quite small. But it’s definitely worth a visit. If you have time, buy some meat, charcoal, and come here with your kids for a half-day barbecue. There’s a huge area for the whole family to relax, with free barbecue facilities.
1968 Olympic Flame
To be precise, not the Olympic flame itself but the place where it was lit. In the island’s capital, San Sebastián, there’s an Olympic bowl where the Olympic flame burned for a whole year in 1968.
Here’s the backstory: In 1968, the Summer Olympics were held in Mexico City, Mexico, North America. Traditionally, the Olympic flame is lit in Olympia, Greece, and it’s carried/transported across land and water for several months to the city hosting the Olympics. The same happened in 1968. The last stop in the “Old World” where the Olympic flame made a stop was La Gomera Island, and here, it was lit in the bowl. The next stop was in the “New World” across the ocean.
Interesting to Know:
There’s great symbolism here. Just as Columbus, who discovered the New World, America, in 1492 during his first voyage, made his final stop before discovering America on La Gomera Island in San Sebastián. And in 1968, the Olympic flame headed to America along the same route.
- Coordinates: 28.089381701122623, -17.104707096645775
- Free and open 24/7.
- Plan for 10 minutes here; there are beautiful views, powerful ocean waves, and strong winds.
Author’s Rating:
5 out of 10. The flame was extinguished on the day of the 1968 Olympics closing ceremony. The bowl remains. Over time, saltwater and corrosion have heavily affected it. If you don’t know the full history, as I’ve explained above, there’s not much to do here. But if you become interested and know that the Olympic flame burned here, the emotions are different. If you’re traveling from Tenerife to La Palma by ferry, the port is just 400 meters from this attraction; it’s worth a visit.
Columbus House in San Sebastian (Casa de Colon)
Christopher Columbus in the Canaries is a well-known figure. After all, on each of his voyages to America (and there were three), he sailed through the Canary Islands, stopping here to replenish supplies for his ships. Therefore, on each island, there are houses where Columbus stayed, streets named after him, and much more.
- Coordinates: 28.09346276869804, -17.11197651295963
- There’s no museum here, just the house where Columbus presumably (no official documents have been preserved) lived for a week before his first voyage. Two years ago, there was still a small exhibition here, quite modest, but everything has been closed in the past year.
- At the beginning of the street where the house is located, there’s also a monument to Columbus. And at these coordinates, 300 meters from the house: 28.090702667711945, -17.111689918159275 – a 15th-century fortress, quite small and not particularly impressive, but definitely better than Columbus’ house. You can see a photo of this fortress at the top of the article’s main photo, for those who are interested.
Author’s Rating:
1 out of 10. There’s absolutely nothing to do here; even from the outside, Columbus’ house leaves no impressions. If you’re interested in the history of the discovery of America and Columbus himself, I highly recommend visiting Columbus’ house in the capital of Gran Canaria on Las Palmas; there’s a very cool museum there. But more about that in the article: What to See on Gran Canaria.
Los Organos – Basalt Wonder of Nature
An epic and hard-to-reach attraction on La Gomera Island is the Los Organos cliffs, or the Basalt Organ.
These are cliffs made of basaltic columns, which formed after the cooling and cracking of lava. This phenomenon is not so rare in the world, but it’s not very common either. Such cliffs can be found in Iceland, Armenia, Ireland, and on La Gomera Island.
What you need to know about Los Organos cliffs:
- Coordinates: 28.217388119643537, -17.277101963175422
- These cliffs are only visible from the water; you can’t get here on foot. Only by boat tour. The price is about 50 euros. It can be quite choppy since it’s the open ocean, and it’s also the northern part of the island, where it’s always windy with strong waves.
- Excursions to Los Organos can be found from San Sebastián or Valle Gran Rey. The duration is usually 2 hours.
Author’s Rating:
7 out of 10. If you’ve never seen such cliffs, you’ll be very impressed. I recommend it to those who tolerate sea sickness well. Bonus: on such a boat tour, there’s a high chance of encountering dolphins and maybe even seeing a sperm whale about 500 meters from the boat if you’re very lucky.
Glass Viewpoint – Mirador de Abrante
The name speaks for itself. At an altitude of 600 meters above sea level, there’s the cool glass viewpoint Mirador de Abrante, all made of glass, even the floor. You can only reach it by car.
- Coordinates: 28.186052860367408, -17.201185089570277
- Open from 10 am to 4 pm daily.
- Absolutely free attraction, well, for now. There are free toilets. There used to be a restaurant/cafe, but they didn’t survive COVID and closed down. Free large parking lot.
- How much time to plan: 10 minutes
Author’s Rating:
8 out of 10. An excellent viewpoint to tickle your nerves, especially for those afraid of heights. If they start cleaning the glass from the outside to keep it perfectly clean, it’ll be even scarier. But that’s when it becomes paid 🙂
Agulo
An authentic, small Spanish town nestled in the mountains on the northern part of La Gomera. It retains the unique appearance and atmosphere of the 15th-16th centuries. Leave your car in the parking lot and stroll along the narrow cobblestone streets, where you’ll find restaurants to have a coffee or a snack.
- Parking coordinates (free): 28.185622497387808, -17.19458011728515
- The town is very small, with only 1100 inhabitants. If you’re just walking around the streets without stopping for a meal at a cafe, plan for a maximum of an hour; you can even walk through the whole town in half an hour. There’s a church, a small museum, and a viewpoint.
Author’s Rating:
6 out of 10. Recommended for those who love architecture, medieval towns, and villages, wandering through narrow streets. But there are no WOW attractions in Agulo, so don’t expect too much. By the way, Agulo can be seen from the Mirador de Abrante viewpoint
Maritime Park Vallehermoso (Parque marítimo)
Right on Playa de Vallehermoso (playa means beach in Spanish) are two pools with sun loungers. It’s a relaxation area. The pools are filled with salty ocean water. Last year, the area was completely free; this year it hasn’t opened yet, but at most, they might charge for sun loungers and umbrellas, with prices purely symbolic at 3 euros per day. When we were in Montenegro, we paid 25 euros for two sun loungers and an umbrella.
- Coordinates: 28.20263465297674, -17.252603308668743
- Open only during the high season; the opening and closing dates vary each year, but usually from May 1st to September 30th.
- Free parking and the pools themselves are also free. Important: the water in them is salty, as the pumps draw water directly from the ocean.
Author’s Rating:
7 out of 10. An excellent alternative to beach relaxation, where there are large pebbles, strong waves, and where you can’t swim. These pools are a real find, especially for children who won’t be swept away by the ocean here. And the water is warmer than in the ocean. One pool is for kids, the other is deeper and larger. The downside is that during peak season, there might be a lot of people, despite it being a fairly remote location.
Beautiful San Juan Viewpoint and Barbecue Area
There isn’t much information about this viewpoint on the internet. San Juan, or Saint John, is a really cool and well-equipped recreational area. There are pine trees, a huge barbecue area with grills, pizza ovens, tables, a playground for kids, and stunning views of the mountains and surroundings. You buy groceries, meat, charcoal, and come here for a picnic.
- Coordinates: 28.161444108743176, -17.20280265079448
- Everything is absolutely free.
Author’s Rating:
9 out of 10. The viewpoint itself is very beautiful, and having everything for a picnic and barbecue is impressive. There’s even a wood-fired oven, and it’s just on a regular rest area. Even if you don’t plan to barbecue, just stop by on your way to enjoy the scenery and have a snack (bring your own food), as there’s nothing to buy here.
Mount Fortaleza
One of the famous attractions on La Gomera Island is the Fortaleza Mountain. But it’s famous only because of its shape and numerous legends. It’s a plateau mountain that you can hike up to, offering excellent views of the surroundings.
- Coordinates for the start of the trail to the top of Fortaleza: 28.1022661124644, -17.27315143710488
- Beautiful photos of the mountain can be taken from the CV-17 road: 28.100567491956024, -17.28056616913497, for example, at these coordinates.
- The mountain is open to tourists and completely free.
Author’s Rating:
7 out of 10. On one hand, there’s nothing particularly special; are there not enough mountains on the island? On the other hand, it’s an unusual mountain. If you’ve already walked through the entire Garajonay Park and have nowhere else to go, then come here; the road to the plateau is easy and beautiful. If you’re not planning to hike to the top, just take a drive on the CV-17 road if you have time.
La Gomera Ethnographic Park and Museum
Calling it a full-fledged museum is a bit of a stretch, but “ethnographic” is probably the most suitable name for this museum. It’s quite small, but there are exhibits dedicated to the lives of the indigenous Canarian tribes before the arrival of the Spanish. You can also see an ancient mill, items of Canarian daily life, a banana plantation, a small botanical garden, and goats. There are also several exhibits dedicated to Silbo Gomero, the whistling language of La Gomera.
Additionally, there’s a cafe with a terrace overlooking two unique cliffs, where you can have coffee and some tapas.
- Coordinates: 28.1532470113861, -17.199409754948057
- Official museum website (always check current opening hours here): https://www.etnograficolagomera.com/en/ (more photos available via the link)
- Ticket price: 5 euros. There’s a VIP ticket with a wine tasting for 15 euros.
- Plan for an hour.
Author’s Rating:
7 out of 10. The museum may be small, but they’ve managed to gather everything possible on a small area, making it quite an interesting museum. And in the garden, many local endemics grow, such as the dragon tree, which only grows in the Canaries. Let’s just say, this museum is worth every bit of its 5 euros. If you have time and haven’t been to other museums in the Canaries, then you can confidently come here.
About the Flora and Fauna of the Canary Islands and Local Endemics
Aloe Vera Farm
Aloe vera grows everywhere on the Canary Islands, not just on La Gomera. There’s an aloe vera farm on every island, if not more. Additionally, there’s local production of various cosmetics and skincare products made from aloe vera on the Canaries.
It looks pretty much the same everywhere: a farm with aloe plantations and a shop at the farm selling various local cosmetics made from aloe.
- Coordinates: 28.16791534869874, -17.193418914046408
- Entry to the farm on all islands is always free. You’re not obligated to buy anything in the shop either. You can freely wander between the aloe vera plantations.
- Usually, 15 minutes is more than enough if you don’t plan to buy anything.
- Cosmetics at the aloe vera farm are quite expensive; they’re cheaper in regular stores. But it’s considered that all the cosmetics here are of premium quality (that’s what the sellers say, not my words). British tourists, who are the majority on the islands, buy them by the suitcase load; I don’t know why they need so much.
- Aloe vera is one of the symbols of the Canaries and a great gift to bring home for yourself or friends. It’s completely local production with an ECO label. Only Canarian aloe vera is used in making the cosmetics, and the cosmetic factories are located right here. It’s a genuine Made in Canary product from start to finish. What else you can find on the Canaries and what to bring home as gifts.
Author’s Rating:
4 out of 10. There’s nothing particularly interesting; I recommend it only to those who want to buy something made from aloe vera for themselves and their friends. And it’s probably a great gift, although I personally bring wine and food as gifts, not aloe vera creams 🙂
These were probably the most popular attractions of La Gomera Island. I haven’t listed dozens of viewpoints and beautiful locations in the Garajonay Park. But this list of “what to see on La Gomera” will be enough for you for 3-4 days. Remember, La Gomera is a very green island for active tourists. And without a car, there’s practically nothing to do here; you won’t get half the emotions by bus as you would by driving around the island in a car.
- Everything about renting a car on La Gomera, the nuances, peculiarities, local driving habits, parking, police, prices, and more.
In conclusion: I hope you’ve noted down the most interesting attractions on La Gomera and will come here for more than just a day, rent a car, and drive along the picturesque serpentine roads of the island. La Gomera is a beautiful and green island that will surely meet the expectations of active tourists. The only tourists who might not like the island are those who come to lie on the beach all day.
Useful links to help you plan your dream trip to Canary Islands:
- Car Rental: LocalRent or DiscoverCars – the most popular car rental platforms.
- Accommodation:
- Trip.com – the largest accommodation booking platform.
- or TripAdvisor – to compare prices among other platforms and choose the best one.
- Budget-friendly vacation packages to Spain and Canary Islands: CheapOair.
- Tours and activities: GetYourGuide or Viator – hundreds of offers, whales and dolphins, entrance tickets with discounts.
- eSIM and internet: Airalo.
- Flights: WayAway compares prices among dozens of companies.
- Travel Insurance: EKTA.