Hiking in La Gomera and Tenerife. Canary Islands
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Place
La Gomera, Canarias España
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Duration
8 days
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Season
All year
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Level
⤤See table
Program in PDF
GALLERY
THE TRIP
Why is that we call the fortunate islands to the Canary Islands? Is it because of its beautiful landscapes? Is it because of its good climate? Is it because its rich biodiversity? Or the endless possibilities for sports? Or the beaches? Or the food? Or maybe for its interesting history and the friendly people? Well, it is a bit of everything… And as a proof, we invite you to see it for yourself in two of the most representative islands: Tenerife and La Gomera.
The Canary Islands are an archipelago in front of the northwest coast of Africa. They are steep volcanic islands mostly known for their white and also black sandy beaches. Historically, they have been considered as a bridge between three continents: Africa, America and Europe. And not only for the geographical and cultural links through history, but also because in many of them the variety of climates gives place to a very diverse biodiversity, and the rich geology makes that in many occasions we talk about continent-islands, with landscapes typical from Europa, Africa and even America. Maybe this is the reason for finding four National Parks, and that all of the islands are home to Unesco Biosphere Reserves, and that some areas have been declared a Unesco World Heritage.
We start our journey in La Gomera, the second smallest island of the archipelago. An island with a rough volcanic mountainous outline, covered by trails, many of them surrounded by thick fern forests and trees covered in moss at Garajonay National Park. But also we will have time to enjoy the black sandy beaches bathed by the Atlantic Ocean, or to learn more about the culture and history of the island: like for example the “silbo gomero”, an old whistling language that is still in use and is learnt at the schools; or the interesting traces of history that have been left in the capital San Sebastián de la Gomera. Well, it seems like we are hungry once again, how about “papas arrugás” with some “mojo” sauce?
And from one of the smallest islands we change to the biggest: Terenife, also known as the island of the endless spring. The island is dominated by an active volcano, Teide, the roof of Spain at 3.718 metres above the Atlantic Ocean. This is an attraction for mountaineers that we will enjoy from different panoramic points, at the same time that we visit other natural attractions like Cañón de Masca, Los Gigantes, Anaga; or the old towns of picturesque villages like San Cristobal de la Laguna, La Orotava and Garachico; as well as the beaches of San Roque and Tamadite. Has anybody thought about a fresh fish meal next to the sea?
THE DESTINATION
La Gomera, nicknamed as Colombina Island, was the last stop of Christopher Columbus before his trip to the American continent in 1492. It is a World Biosphere Reserve, home to the Garajonay National Park, with its ancestral laurel forest. The gomero whistle is a peculiar language based on invented sounds that is still used by some inhabitants of the island to communicate in a fast and less technological way than the current one. The reason is the complex orography of the island.
La Gomera presents a complex and abrupt relief. Ridges, rocky outcrops such as Roque de Agando, gorges and abrupt coasts mark the complexity that forced its inhabitants to inhabit less dramatic and more functional places for daily life. Thus they were able to develop small crops that allowed their subsistence.
San Sebastián de la Gomera is the capital of the island. It is the arrival point of the ferries and it enjoys an ideal quiet environment to tour its old streets and visit some monuments such as the Torre del Conde (Earl’s Tower) and the church of Asunción. Nothing better than dismiss the day in one of its typical restaurants tasting fresh fish accompanied by wrinkled potatoes with mojo.
The island of Tenerife, like the rest of the Canary Islands, has a volcanic origin. It has the highest mountain not only of all the Canaries, but also of Spain: the Teide (3.718 m).
It has two distinct slopes separated by a mountainous axis that runs all over the island. From the west to the east we find the Massif of Teno, in the central part the Teide and all the elevations that this volcano carries within the National Park of Cañadas del Teide, Dorsal Summit, Forest of Hope to finish in the most western part where the Anaga Massif is. To the south, a drier landscape with typical vegetation of arid zones and to the north humid forests (laurel in some zones) product of the collision of the trade winds, loaded with humidity, against the slopes of the island.
In addition to its great network of hiking trails, Tenerife has some cities and towns of interest. San Cristobal de la Laguna is an example of a well preserved historical centre. Other places of interest are La Orotava and Garachico in the north of the Island.
We can enjoy fresh fish in some small town on the steep north coast as Taganana in the Rural Park of Anaga or on good beaches in the south of the island, such as El Médano.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Spectacular volcanic landscapes and forests of Laurisilva.
- Great variety of landscapes.
- Good weather.
- Good gastronomy.
MORE INFORMATION
Equipment required
- Backpack (20-30 litres).
- Trekking boots or mountain sneakers.
- Expandable hiking poles.
- Technical clothing:
- Socks.
- Long and short trekking pants.
- Thermal t-shirt (base layer)
- Fleece jacket or similar (second layer)
- Gore-Tex jacket or similar (third layer)
- Cap for sun protection
- Sunglasses
- Head lamp (extra batteries)
- Water bottle or canteen (1 litre minimum)
- First aid kit and essential toiletries
- Sunscreen and SPF lip balm
- Camera
- Swimming suit
Notes
Date Flexibility
Aside from the regular travel trip dates, we are flexible to reconsider new dates if those are more convenient to the client’s leisure plans. Do not hesitate to contact us should you have any different dates in mind.
Time and meeting point
One week prior to the trip departure date, an email will be sent to each participant to give away the meeting point and time along with the guide contact information. At this point any information considered essential to the trip organization will be shared.
Plane tickets (if applicable)
If case you wish us to handle you plane ticket, please contact us with airport arrival and departure details and number of needed luggage. Before issuing any ticket, Price and details Will be send to the client for its approval.
Muntania fee for plane ticket management is 20€ per person.
If, otherwise, you handle your plane tickets, please coordinate with us before hand to check on arrival and departure information.
Please take into consideration getting with you on your carry-on luggage some set of clothing in case of checked luggage lose.
Insurance policy
This activity includes a basic insurance policy; however, we highly recommend to add, for wider coverage, an extra specific travel policy. This extra policy can be contracted exclusively for the activity dates or annually (flexible starting coverage date), covering not just Muntania Outdoors trips but any other sport activity you may carry out throughout the year.
Extra insurance coverage with cancellation option, will allow you or a family member, in case of incident, to get back the total paid amount (or a percentage if you are already travelling) either for plane tickets or any trip service you might have hired. Moreover, through this coverage home return expenses will be taken care of.
Intermundial insurance company is our supplier for extra coverage insurances; thanks to the signed agreement between parties, Muntania gets to offer lower prices than handling directly with them. The travel insurance with cancellation option offered by Muntania will covered up to 900€ for national trips and 2000€ for abroad travel. In case your total trip cost is higher than the given coverage limit, an extension is always possible (please consult).
Links of interest
PROGRAM
RELATED TRIPS
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- Group completed
5 days