post offices have more limited opening times. Mobile phone coverage is usually good in towns and villages, but can be completely absent elsewhere, depending on the nature of the terrain. High mountains and deep barrancos block signals. In the past shepherds on La Gomera got round this problem by developing a whistling language, known as Silbo. Internet access is usually offered by accommodation providers, but if relying on it, please check when making a booking.
Walking on La Gomera and El Hierro
Looking back to the Roque de Agando after leaving a high-level road (Walk 2)
These are the two smallest Canary Islands, at the western end of the archipelago. La Gomera is heavily eroded, scored by dozens of steep-sided rocky barrancos. As a result, walks that lead in and out of them are often very rugged, but that shouldn’t suggest that the walking is going to be too difficult for ‘ordinary’ walkers. In fact, almost all the routes in this guidebook follow waymarked trails, made up of narrow paths and broad tracks that often zigzag to ease the gradient.
Access to the coast is often limited to the mouths of the barrancos, as there are sheer cliffs elsewhere. By contrast, the highest parts of the island are much gentler and are covered in extensive laurisilva forest, encircled by pines. On El Hierro the laurisilva forest is less extensive and there are more pines. Barrancos are not as deep and rugged, and instead there are extensive slopes of volcanic ash and dozens of well-defined volcanic cones.
On both islands, traditional paths have been cleared, repaired, signposted and waymarked to create splendid trail networks.
What to take
If planning to use one or two bases to explore, then a simple day pack is all you need, containing items you would normally take for a day walk. Waterproofs can be lightweight and might not even be used. Footwear is a personal preference, but wear what you would normally wear for steep, rocky, stony slopes, remembering that hot feet are more likely to be a problem than wet feet. Lightweight, light-coloured clothing is best in bright sunshine, along with a sun hat and frequent applications of sunscreen. If planning to backpack around the islands, bear in mind that wild camping is technically illegal, although surprisingly popular. Lightweight kit should be carried, as a heavy pack is a cruel burden on steep slopes in hot weather. Note Water can be difficult to find, so try and anticipate your needs and carry enough to last until you reach a village, houses or bar where you can obtain a refill. (All such places are indicated in the text.)
Waymarking and access
Both La Gomera and El Hierro once shared the same system for signposting and waymarking routes, using standard European codes. However, La Gomera switched to a new system where waymarked trails were designated ruta, followed by a number. El Hierro kept its system of short PR (pequeño recorrido) routes, which are marked with yellow and white paint flashes, and numbered to keep them separate. Signposts read PR EH, with a number following the letters. These codes are quoted in the route descriptions so that walkers will always be able to check they are going the right way. Both islands also have GR (gran recorrido) routes; these are intended as long-distance walks, but can also serve as simple one-day linear walks.
Clockwise from left: La Gomera and El Hierro boast splendid networks of signposted and waymarked short and long trails; A signpost at a junction of tracks and paths marks an important link with the village of Sabinosa (Walk 39); The long-distance GR131 starts at Orchilla on El Hierro among twisted lava and volcanic ash.
Apart from signposts, routes are marked by occasional paint marks: yellow for routes on La Gomera, parallel yellow and white stripes for PR routes on El Hierro, and red and white stripes for the GR routes on both islands. These confirm that walkers are still on course, and usually appear at junctions. Left and right turns are indicated with right-angled flashes, but if the paint marks form an ‘X’, this indicates that a wrong turn has been made.
Maps
The Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN), www.cnig.es, publishes maps of the Canary Islands at scales of 1:50,000 and 1:25,000. These are part of the Mapa Topográfico Nacional (MTN) series. To avoid disappointment, please check the style and quality of these maps before making a purchase, since they generally do not show the details that walkers require.
For La Gomera the best map of the island and its network of signposted trails is published by Editorial Alpina, www.editorialalpina.com, at a scale of 1:25,000. This is far and away the most detailed and up-to-date map available.
On El Hierro the tourist information offices provide a free map of the trail network, which can be used with a topographical map. The 1:30,000 Kompass map of El Hierro is reasonably good.
Maps can be ordered in advance from British suppliers such as: Stanfords (7 Mercer Walk, London, WC2H 9FA, tel 020 7836 1321, www.stanfords.co.uk), The Map Shop (15 High Street, Upton-upon-Severn WR8 0HJ, tel 01684 593146, www.themapshop.co.uk) or Cordee (www.cordee.co.uk).
The route maps in this guide are all at 1:50,000 scale with north to the top.
Emergencies
The pan-European emergency telephone number 112 is used to call for assistance throughout the Canary Islands, linking with the police, fire or ambulance service, for a response on land or at sea. The Guardia Civil telephone number is 062, and it is likely that they would be involved in a response involving mountain rescue, as they generally patrol rural areas.
Using this guide
Two islands are covered in this guidebook – La Gomera and El Hierro – each with their own introduction. The walks are spread roughly clockwise around the islands, and where they lie side-by-side, links between routes are often possible. On both islands, after several day walks have been described, there are also long-distance walks. Both islands feature coast-to-coast trails, while La Gomera also features a circular trail taking up to a week to complete. Any day-long stretch can naturally also be followed as a walk in its own right, using bus services to join and leave it.
On arrival at either island, visit the tourist information office as soon as possible. Ask for an up-to-date bus timetable and as much information about walking opportunities as they can provide. Remember to pick up leaflets about local attractions for full contact details, opening times and admission charges.
LA GOMERA
The resistant volcanic stump of Roque de Agando towers over the Benchijigua valley (Walk 4)
INTRODUCTION
Looking down on the Ermita de San Juan, with El Teide on Tenerife far beyond (Walk 17)
La Gomera is a small circular island that supports a wealth of walking opportunities. It takes time to explore and this
