La Gomera is not only one of the lesser well-known of the Canary Island chain, but also one of the smallest so its easily covered in your car hire. Do not however, let either of these points deter you from what is truly a unique holiday destination.
Tourists have been slow to flock here in the way that they do to other islands and as such La Gomera retains much of its true character.
Volcanic origins combined with the passing moist trade winds provide La Gomera with a fertile countryside which can not fail to impress, a fact not missed by the UNESCO board who awarded the area around Mount Garajonay a world heritage listing.
As impressed as UNESCO, but rumour has it for different reasons, was the famous Christopher Columbus, who made the island his final port of call before heading off to the new world, piece of sugarcane in hand. Having put ashore for three days to supply, ended up staying a month. He became romantically involved, shall we say, and a parting gift from the object of his affections was said piece of sugar cane, which in turn had the dubious honour of becoming the first of its species to reach the other side of the Atlantic. The house where he stayed in San Sebastian is now a museum.
Getting around the island is not made any easier by public transport, so booking a car hire is pretty much a must, but will reward you with a fine array of sights that you could not see without one.
Once out of your car hire, the island offers plenty of opportunities for hiking, and some of the peaks are several thousand feet above sea level.
As you travel around La Gomera in your car hire listen out for El Silbo, the local whistling language, used originally to communicate over long distances, but which, sadly, due to the ever-present telephone, is slowly dying out.
