La Gomera is the perfect destination for your family trip ... if you are looking for a different trip for your children, make it fun and at the same time will allow contact with nature, stories and legends of the many places to visit in this beautiful island.
Even Christopher Columbus made landfall in Gomera, in three of his four trips to the conquest of America and left a deep mark in the history of this beautiful island.
Garajonay National Park
This declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1996 park is a living example of subtropical forests that covered Europe and North Africa millions of years ago.
We can tour the park on foot or by bicycle. There are organized guided tours of different duration and difficulty, which can be very interesting for kids as they enjoy the explanations about the flora and fauna of the island. The Cedar Forest, with its beautiful mountain stream in the northwest of the park is highly recommended, it is a humid laurel forest of gnarled trees conquered by mosses, ferns and lichens hanging as if they were bearded, with soft and thick fog ... that give an appearance of enchanted forest ... your kids will love!
But not everything will be walking or cycling ... in the middle of the park, in Laguna Grande you will find a large recreation area, with large green areas and swings where kids can let off steam. A very well prepared to make a chuletada and rest.
Before any excursions, it is advisable to visit the Visitor Center Park in Agulo, which provides comprehensive information about the park. Children will enjoy the explanations of the transformation of landscapes, which affected the entire Europe after the Ice Age. Right next to the Visitor Center, is the least interesting Ethnography Museum called "House of Memory" essential for children to know the traditional culture of the area. Inside the museum, it reproduces a peasant gomera house with farm implements, a cave of prehispanic burial, whistling, dancing drum etc. The entrance to the Visitor Center and the Ethnographic Museum is free and open from 9 : 30 to 16:30 from Monday to Sunday, including holidays.
Stargazing
Can you think of anything better ... on a beautiful starry night to do a small tour with family for stargazing?
From the Alto de Garajonay, natural watchtower located 1,487 (highest point of the island) the whole family can overlook the firmament of Gomera in all its glory thanks to low light pollution. In August, early in the evening facing south, they can locate the constellations Sagittarius and Scorpius Milky Way. If the night is dark, the show core of our galaxy is very striking. Scorpio, the star shining tone between red and orange: is Antares, the red star 700 times larger than the sun near Antares, with binoculars, you can see a ball of stars as a blurred spot.. It is M4, great sphere 7,200 light years old Earth stars.
In the months of February and March, in the recreation area Las Nieves, at 1,250 meters above sea level, they may see the early hours of the night, two typical winter sky in the northern hemisphere constellations. Looking north, where looming on the horizon the North Star, Gemini and Auriga appear. The first is easy to recognize by its stars: the bright orange Castor and Pollux. Auriga has a pentagonal shape and its brightest star is Capella, with similar characteristics to the sun.
Boat trips to see whales
In these excursions the whole family can spot spotted, bottlenose, common dolphins, sperm whales, tropical whales and sea turtles. We recommend choosing a long excursion anchored in a hidden cove, where you will offer an exquisite fishes and enjoy a good swim. Tina Tours organizes trips from Playa Santiago and other parts of the island, several days a week.
Kayaking, snorkeling, paddleboarding
If your children are not too small, it could also be a good option snorkel or sail sea kayaking or paddleboarding contemplating the majestic cliffs from the sea. The dive center "Gomera Splash" located in the Club Laurel Hotel Jardin Tecina offers a wide variety of possibilities of having a good time making the most of the sea.