Tuesday, 11 June 2019
La Gomera is a natural paradise, and one of its most important attractions is the Garajonay National Park, declared a World Heritage Site in 1986 and Biosphere Reserve in 2012. It is a wonder of nature that you really should discover for yourself, and what better way than on foot. For lovers of hiking and nature, the routes that run through Garajonay offer something quite different.
Here are some easy routes to help you discover the magic of this park:
- Los Risquillos de Corgo-Raso de la Bruma and Cañada de Jorge route. These are routes 12 and 10, which are both are very easy to do in a single day and in just 2 hours. These two routes pass through the middle of laurisilva and fayal-brezal forests, inviting the traveller to discover a place that gives the impression you are in an enchanted forest. On route 12 you can enjoy a landscape that is often touched by fog, which only adds to its charm, imbuing the forest with a touch of mystery, along with its ferns and tree trunks covered in moss. Once you reach Raso de la Bruma, you can join route 10, Cañada de Jorge. This path takes you through fayal-brezal forest that is somewhat drier as there is not as much fog. The ravine is in the Cañada de Jorge area.
- Las Creces route. This is route 5, which can also be completed to enjoy the Garajonay National Park. On this path of just 4km and with gentle slopes you can see more areas of ancient laurisilva and fayal-brezal forests. This circular route is very gentle and can be done in just an hour and a half.
- Recreational area of La Laguna Grande. You can also follow a circular route of approximately 15 minutes in the recreational area of La Laguna Grande. During the walk you can enjoy a viewpoint from where you can observe an incredible panoramic view and see the Cherelepi Fortress, a volcanic viewpoint with abundant vegetation. The recreational area of Laguna Grande is one of the most visited in the park.
- Contadero-El Cedro. This route is of average difficulty, and it takes over 2 hours to visit one of the most emblematic ecosystems of the Garajonay National Park. Reaching the Barranco del Cedro is spectacular, with its cliff from which the largest waterfall on the island descends.
You could walk these hiking trails in a single day and delve into the charms of the Garajonay National Park, a true jewel for nature lovers and one of the parks of the Canary Islands where the rare laurisilva forest grows.