La Gomera

> Breathtaking hikes

Certainly not an island for the neon-loving dance set, Tenerife’s nearest neighbour is a green, hilly outcrop scarred with deep ravines and fertile valleys. A walker’s paradise, La Gomera is etched with hiking trails. In the ancient laurel forests of the Parque Nacional de Garajonay you might hear the distant whistling of Silbo, La Gomera’s unique whistling language. On an island of tiny fishing villages and clusters of mountainside cottages, Valle Gran Rey bears the closest resemblance to a holiday resort, but only just. Here you’ll find a shingle beach and several bars catering for the mainly Spanish visitors. For culture-seekers, the pretty harbour town and capital of San Sebastian has a museum and visitor centre showcasing legacies of Christopher Columbus’s time here.