Mr Atkinson says...
Very well organised and well provided for.
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Led by our expert local walking guide this varied guided walking holiday allows you to discover the breathtaking natural beauty of La Gomera. Short transfers to various locations around the island ensure you will experience the bewitching variety of landscapes on offer in this sub-tropical paradise.
We visit the UNESCO World Heritage National Park of Garajonay, a rare example of the humid sub-tropical forest that covered most of Europe before the arrival of man. From the misty heights of its peak, we will walk through forests and fertile terraces dotted with palms and rugged ravines. We'll follow goat herders' tracks and ancient paths, linking remote villages and hermitages perched above dramatic gorges with spectacular coastal views. La Gomera is also a plant lover's paradise due to its temperate climes; it offers a wide variety of plants and we spot many endemic and sometimes rare species. As we explore the pretty towns and villages en route, we'll stop for refreshing drinks and also include lunch in two restaurants specialising in local cuisine.
Your base is the stunning and tranquil 4 star Parador in the charming capital of San Sebastian. Perched high on the cliff top and surrounded by exotic gardens planted with hibiscus, bougainvillea and palms, the hotel's pool is spectacularly positioned overlooking the sea and the colourful harbour below. It is built in traditional Canarian style with elegantly furnished wooden-beamed rooms with air conditioning and pretty interior patios. Excellent evening meals are served in the hotel, and expect to sample some typical Gomeran specialities.
This varied level 2 holiday includes coastal and gorge walking. Walkers should be sure footed and hiking boots are essential. Those with a fear of heights may have problems with days 4 and 6. In order that you see as much of this varied region as possible, transfers (typically 45-70 minutes) are built into the beginning/end of most walking days.
We meet you at the airport and take you to Los Cristianos. You have free time to eat or drink, walk by the seaside or go to the beach until the ferry departure. We will take care of your luggage.
You stay at the Parador de La Gomera (evening meal)
Today's walk starts in the impressive surroundings of Los Roques with gigantic lava plugs all around us. We descend through colourful vegetation and Canarian Pine and palm trees to the pretty white cottages of Benchijigua, one of the oldest settlements on the island. A short climb rewards us with stunning views of the Santiago ravine, towered over by the colossal Roque Agando, before we finish our walk in the hamlet of Imada. Ravines and rocks are evidence of the erosion here after two million years without volcanic eruptions, while terraced fields colonise the steep slopes and goat-bells ring in the distance.
You stay at the Parador de La Gomera (breakfast and evening meal)
A UNESCO World Heritage National Park since 1986, the ancient laurel forest of the Garajonay National Park is a magical green oasis. Today's walk descends gently through the high-humidity forest, alive with flora and fauna including wax myrtle, Canary laurel, blue tits and Bolle's pigeons; our expert local guide will share their knowledge with us. We follow one of the few streams on the island which flows all year round, down towards the hamlet of El Cedro where we stop for lunch in a local restaurant, dining on watercress soup, gofio, almogrote and goats' cheese, before continuing our walk through the forest.
You stay at the Parador de La Gomera (breakfast and evening meal)
Starting in Arure with its patchwork of green and gold terraces, the ground opens dramatically on both sides. There are spectacular views from the ridge over the most emblematic valley on the island - Valle Gran Rey - to the left, and over Taguluche village far down to the right. We continue our walk, passing goat farms, until an abandoned canal leads us to a terraced plateau which is deserted apart from some ruined houses. We walk down to La Calera where locals grow bananas, mangos and avocados in abundance. It's time for a refreshing swim in the ocean and a relaxing drink.
You stay at the Parador de La Gomera (breakfast and evening meal)
Today you could explore the pretty harbour and old quarter of San Sebastian, which dates back 500 years to the Conquest of the Americas. Here you can see Columbus' house, the Church of the Incarnation and Columbus' well, where water supplies were taken for his final voyage. It's also market day here today. Or maybe just relax in the hotel's beautiful gardens by the pool.
You stay at the Parador de La Gomera (breakfast)
This walk reveals the very best of the island with verdant gorges, dramatic coastline, and magnificent views. From bustling Vallehermoso in the fertile north west, we ascend a lush ravine to the Santa Clara chapel for a picnic lunch. A stunning coastal walk and a beautiful descent with a commanding view of lofty Roque Cano, returns us to Vallehermoso.
You stay at the Parador de La Gomera (breakfast and evening meal)
Today, a short and spectacular climb to the Garajonay peak, in the centre of the UNESCO World Heritage National Park, rewards us with breathtaking views of the islands of La Palma, El Hierro, Tenerife and Gran Canaria. We'll pass fig, palm and Canary pine trees as we descend through some of the most iconic villages in La Gomera, the first being Igualero, from where we can see the UNESCO World Heritage monument to Silbo Gomero. We head on to the 16th century mountain village of Chipude, where we pass a huge rock fortress, The Fortress of Chipude (or Argodey) and where we stop for a typical Canarian lunch. We finish the day in El Cercado where traditional pottery methods are still used in some of the craft shops. Round off your week with a tasty local tipple such as guarapo, mistela or gomeron.
You stay at the Parador de La Gomera (breakfast and evening meal)
This single-centre holiday is based at the following hotel. If you'd like to extend your stay here, or upgrade your room, just let us know at the time of booking.
To find out more call our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or email usa@exodustravels.com
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
NEARBY:
Room upgrades: Sea View with balcony or Junior Suite.
Superior Room has twin beds with balcony and sea view, Junior Suites have a double bed and are larger rooms with balcony, sea view and own lounge area. Double beds are only possible in the Junior Suite, subject to availability.
Extra nights: Please contact us for details.
If you'd like to extend your trip with extra nights at the start or end, or if you'd like to arrange a stop off point en-route, then we recommend the following hotels.
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
Room upgrades: Superior Room, Duplex Room, Junior Suite or Duplex Suite.
Duplex Rooms have 2 floors with the lounge and bathroom, with a whirlpool tub, on the lower floor. Stairs take you up to the top floor to discover the loft-type bedroom. The Junior Suite is a larger room with a seating area and Jacuzzi bath. Duplex Suites have two floors. There is a lounge on the lower level with flat-screen TV, DVD and CD player, desk and bathroom with jacuzzi. The air-conditioned bedroom is on the upper level and it has a double bed, flat-screen TV, DVD player, minibar and skylight. If required, a second bed can be put in the lounge area.
Extra nights: Please contact us for details.
Transfers can be arranged at a supplement to tie in with the standard flights.
Call now to speak to our specialist team at 1-800-267-3347 or email us at usa@exodustravels.com for enquiries or to book your trip.
Everyone who goes on a Headwater holiday will be emailed a link to our post-holiday questionnaire where they can give us an honest assessment of all aspects of their holiday - everything from how quickly we answer the phone to how clean the hotels were - plus an overall rating and comments about their holiday.
Any feedback collected is posted to our website, so that people can make an informed decision based on past experiences before heading off on holiday. We don’t edit the reviews, the only thing we do is proofread them and alter any typos, where necessary, to ensure they are easy to read for everyone. All reviews will be published (except in certain extreme circumstances), and a member of the Headwater team will respond to any constructive criticisms/comments under the reviews, at their discretion. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of our holidays, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.
Very well organised and well provided for.
A fantastic holiday: La Gomera is beautiful and unspoiled. Our guide, Ene, was really knowledgeable and enthusiastic about his island. I learned a lot about La Gomera’s history and ecology which is very different than marinade Spain’s. I enjoyed staying in one place and the Parador was lovely. We saw different parts of the island on the walks all in lovely locations. The walking was hard - there was a lot of up and down on every walk so you’ll enjoy it more if you’re fit. Everyone’s knees felt it!
However, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and would recommend this trip.
It was true to the 2 Boot rating. The Parador was excellent and the guide very knowledgeable. The walks covered the island well but we’re quite challenging in places. The ravines were steep and the oaths rocky. Overall a good experience.
We have been to La Gomera before. However this itinerary far surpassed the previous one albeit the walking was a little more demanding. This time we felt we saw far more of the island and experienced breathtaking views - and we all managed everything. The Parador itself is an a stunnibg position with beautiful gardens and a very ‘refreshing’ pool. However the best part of the trip was our guide Enekoiz (Eny) Rodriguez.. He was always cheerful and encouraging and seemed sensitive to each member of the group. His enthusiasm for La Gomera where his family come from is wonderful and was infectious. We felt we learnt and understood so much about the history, different ecosystems, and the difficulties for both plants and people - it made all our walks just great. Thoroughly recommend this guide.
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The guide was a little strange, he stops us so frequently to lecture us on Everything, some times we could not walk for 10 minutes at a time before stoping for another 10 minute monologue. He also did not like any suggestions on what the group would like to do, it was very much his way or not at all. On the whole it has put me off guided walking, i'm not sure the benefits of the guide with regard to travel to the walks and not needing to find the route outweighed the disadvantage of the walks being so slow. It would take all day to do 6 miles, which with stops we would expect to do in a morning.
La Gomera is great for walking however there are some steep climbs and descents which the brochure really does not give adequate warning of. The local guide has was very good on the walks. The Parador hotel was lovely however the service in the bar and restaurant at times was little slow, the staff were really friendly but maybe short staffed.
I had a fabulous week. I enjoyed staying at the Parador although they could have more service staff in the bar and restaurant. The local guide was excellent sharing his passion for his homeland. The walking was quite tough but enjoyable at an unhurried pace. The flora and fauna, topography and ethnography are interesting.
A varied walking experience from a comfortable hotel base
Excellent Holiday, just what we needed in mid January. Small friendly group led by an excellent, knowledgeable and friendly guide.
Well worth the effort of travelling to get to the beautiful island of La Gomera. Very well organised so that luggage was looked after whilst we had a pleasant 3 hours to wait in Los Cristianos for the ferry over and similar on the return journey. Once on La Gomera our local guide Javier was excellent, very calm and extremely knowledgeable. Bus transfers were longer than I expected and days were long but the roads on the island although very winding are in good condition and the bus driver was very good. The walking itself was hard (lots of up and down) definitely need walking boots and two walking poles but is definitely worth it for the amazing scenery. Picnics could have been better organised, instead of everyone have to carry items which can be heavy (8 avocados) it may be better to arrange for a packed lunch each day from the hotel. The parador is lovely, room spacious and good views and the food was excellent, good choice on the menu. Walking distance to san sebastian but up hill!
An excellent hotel and food very well located for San Sebastián an the ferry. The cloud forest is very beautiful and while some downhill paths were challenging for the exposure all in all wonderful hiking.
La Gomera is a fantastic place to walk and holiday, diverse scenery, challenging terrain and a lovely climate. The people are beautiful.
The walking involved steep, rough uphill and downhill paths in hot weather. Our guide was excellent, informing us about the history, society and natural environment of the island. Our Parador hotel was lovely, with a super swimming pool, good food and very helpful staff.
Some of the ascents/descents are very steep and uneven underfoot, so walking poles are advisable.
Audrey was one of the best guides we have ever had - highly informative and always helpful.
A wonderful holiday to an unspoilt island with a guide who was knowledgeable, enthusiastic and passionate about his home, its history, geology, flora and fauna. The walks were varied, all in different parts of the island and at times adapted to take into account local weather conditions, quite strenuous at times but so rewarding with wide ranging views. The hotel was very special; spacious rooms and comfortable throughout and the gardens, full of sub-tropical plants, were beautiful - a delight to return to at the end of a full day. Thank you Headwater for an unforgettable holiday.
All 3 guides were fantastic and passionate about the island . Very knowledgeable and interesting. Good awareness of the environment and it's relevance to La Gomera.
Good walking in different areas of the island with knowledgeable guides. Attractive hotel with panoramic views.
Lovely gentle walking with a great group in fantastic surroundings. Really helpful guide.
Very enjoyable walking, quite challenging at times, on a beautiful island. Our guide Javier was excellent - well organised, informative, helpful and in tune with the group’s needs. His picnic lunches were a thing of wonder.
La gomera is a surprisingly varied island for one so small. The hotel was fabulous with great view towards Mount teide. Enekoiz our guide was passionate and knowledgeable about the island. Walking was perfect.
La Gomera was a revelation. I had been put off by the mass-tourism reputation of the Canaries, but this relatively undeveloped island maintains its own strong identity, amid a backdrop of stunning volcanic scenery. The network of ancient footpaths traversing the terraced ravines provides a perfect way for today's hikers to explore. Some of the paths are steep, but the hard work is rewarded with magnificent views over to Mount Teide on Tenerife, Hierra and La Palma. The laurel forests at the top of the island are magical, not to be missed. Our guide, Enerkioz, was passionate about his island, telling excellent stories, sparking lots of interesting conversations, and looked after us all very well. The Parador provided relaxing, elegant comfort at the end of the day. We did not go hungry. I really would recommend this trip very highly indeed.
La Gomera is a small island, but offers a wide variety of terrain. A great hotel and an excellent local guide made this a thoroughly enjoyable holiday.
La Gomera was a delightful 'small island' experience enhanced by its situation in the S Atlantic, an interesting cultural history and a good variety of different terrains, geology and wildlife. The walking was manageable, picnics and lunches including local specialties and returning to the same really excellent hotel each day maintained morale. The key to the holiday was the quality of our guide and, on one day, a deputy, whose knowledge, friendliness and ability to communicate were exemplary.
Start of Holiday somewhat compromised by snow in UK, but also by Storm Emma in the Canary Islands. Once Emma had passed, weather improved somewhat and did not compromise our walking. La Gomera is an old Volcanic island, that has differing areas defined by weather (Cloud Forest, to Arid Conditions). Some of the party did experience some difficulties especially on the downward stretches of the routes, -short person , large steps, but the guide was very helpful where necessary. She was also most informative on local flora on La Gomera (she was a resident on the island).
Another Headwater hit, this holiday was one of our best, on an unspoilt island with interesting walks and incredible scenery. Audrey’s enthusiasm and love for the island was infectious, the hotel was good, staff friendly and our group was informative and fun. We had previously been put off this holiday by the journey, but it was certainly worth it.
Our guide Audrey was superb. Her knowledge of the area was excellent and she was flexible in her approach if weather conditions meant a change of plan. The group were really good company and the Parador was wonderful. La Gomera is a beautiful island, so varied and the walking although challenging at times reflected this.
We appreciated being able to take a later ferry back to Tenerife & to have Audrey meet us and escort us & luggage to the airport was helpful.
The guide spoke good English and was very knowledgeable and passionate about the island. The walks were challenging and between a 2 and 3 boot in our and the guide's opinion but with only 3 grades to use, difficult to differentiate. Disappointed no tea/coffee facilities available in room. Overall enjoyed the holiday.
Excellent holiday with great guide and excellent hotel. The walks were quite hard, mainly due to the nature of the terrain.
Varied 2 boot walking with excellent well informed local guide who went the extra mile. The Parador accommodation and location were a delightful experience.
It was good
Walking harder than expected
La gomera was not as pretty as I had expected. Too barren
I think that though we are fit we are too old for that group and perhaps should have been warned
Hotel was marvellous. We had a deluxe room and it was worth every penny
A fascinating island and a guide who was passionate about it. The hotel was beautifully designed, food was excellent and staff were lovely.
Well organised holiday with an excellent local guide.
An excellently run holiday in a beautiful area. Our guide was always prepared to go the extra mile to make our holiday a success. Walks were excellently prepared and led with extra visits such as to a banana plantation thrown in. He even took us to the market on the first walk day to show him what we all liked in our picnics which were amazing! He also avoided a long wait at the airport on our leaving day by taking us to a nearby beach unencumbered by our luggage and returning for us later. We recommend him very highly.
Wonderful trip and made even better by out guides detailed knowledge of the area and his ability to swap walking days to suit the conditions - stayed in the woods when cloud cover was low. Everything was wonderful except that we had no hot water in our room at 7 am (it got going by 7.40) and again at 6 pm. This was because our room was a long way from the centre of the hotel and / or the system couldn't cope with lots of people all wanting hot water at the same time. I raised the issue with reception twice and was assured that the hot water boiler came on at 7 am, but this certainly wasn't sufficiently early to supply us. Compeletly wonderful hotel in all other ways, so this was a pity. I would certainly recommend this holiday to anyone, but it's ceratinly 2 boot!
An excellent holiday all round. Everything was looked after for us both by Headwater and the local guide whose knowledge was exceptional on every subject and for whom nothing was too much trouble. Accommodation superb and just what was needed at the end of a day's walking.
A very enjoyable holiday with excellent guiding and accomodation
La Gomera is a largely unspoilt island with wonderful plants and stunning views. Great to learn so much about its history and natural history, enjoy lovely walking and sample local food. An excellent guide and good company from our fellow travellers. Would thoroughly recommend this trip!
La Gomera is a beautiful island - greener than some of the other Canary Islands. The parador is a magnificent hotel with a lovely garden. I was lucky to have enjoyed a holiday with a really good group of people. The walks were tough owing to the precipitous nature of the terrain but I feel very fit and healthy now!
With headwater you most certainly get what you pay for. Great organisation, accommodation, walks and fantastic guide. We had fun, ate well and felt fitter at the end of the week, brilliant. Thank you.
Good points: Loved La Gomera, stunning scenery, good choice of routes. Our guide was excellent - friendly, helpful, knowledgeable etc.. Transfers, minibuses and all arrangements were looked after. Hotel was characterful and had lovely gardens. Food was good. Rooms were spacious.
Not so good: We were not impressed with the catering arrangements on the Thomson flight. On the outbound flight food was offered at about 10.30 - we had only recently had breakfast and our next meal was at 9pm. Inbound the food available was mostly junk - healthier options were not available. Toasties tasted of cardboard. We did not think the hotel merited its fourth star. The rooms were a bit tired - poorly lit; shutter would not close; french window jammed; shower leaked onto floor; etc.. Service in the restaurant was slow (on the last night when we wanted an early night dinner took 2 1/2 hours!
Unfortunately the weather wasn't good. There was a blanket of low lying mist, rain or cloud every time we left the coast for the mountains which meant we didn't have the views. Fortunately the group and Lilly, the guide, were excellent.
This holiday matched excellent, varied walking, beautiful scenery and wonderful food in the beautiful parador. Lunches at typical restaurants on two days were a superb idea and the unique experience was much appreciated.
Excellently organised and guided. Fascinating island to visit.
On the whole a very good holiday but the two lunches were unnecessary and pretty awful! We would have preferred to have had just picnics which were delicious
Headwater response:
Dear Mrs Scott, Thank you for taking the time to complete your post-holiday questionnaire. It was lovely to see that you had an enjoyable holiday in La Gomera. I have passed on your feedback regarding the lunches to the programme manager; she will discuss your recommendations with the local guide to ensure the meals provided are of the standard our customers expect, thank you for your constructive comments. We look forward to welcoming you on another of our holidays in the future.
Yours sincerely,
Lisa
The highlight of the holday was the excellent local guide Ricardo and the Parador hotel on La Gomera. However our experience of the flight booking and travel between La Gomera and Tenerfife was very poor. We arrived at Gatwick airport check-in to find that we had been booked in for the wrong year - 2015 instead of 2014. We had also been told the wrong travel information in Tenerife and so had not taken a direct flight from Edinburgh to Tenerife south which made the journey much longer than necessary. When we arrived at Tenerfie South Airport we were told that we had 5 hours to wait until the next ferryto La Gomera and so spent hours waiting around in the airport. The connections on the return journey were also poor with a lot of unnecessary waiting around.
La Gomera is a very mountainous island and is a 'two and a half boot' experience and not for the unfit walker. Because of the terrain and complexity of the walks a guide with local knowledge is essential, as is walking gear for all eventualities. A very rewarding experience and one not to be missed.
Good walking, very helpful guide and excellent company. Unseasonable rain meant that our guide did not take us on one of the listed walks, but he was good at chasing the sun!
Good island venue for interesting walking in warm weather, with good accomodation and guide.
Great walks, dramatic scenery, and a wonderful, tranquil parador.
The walks did not do justice to the beauty of the island. The fire damage from 2012 still sadly evident. Timings of flights and ferries far from ideal.
In late January 2014 we had exceptionally poor weather and this, plus long minibus rides to start points of walks, reduced our enjoyment of the spectacular scenery of La Gomera. Our guide/rep. Roger, did a good job in the circumstances. The Parador was excellent. The long gaps in the transfers are a negative but again Roger did his best to keep us entertained.
Good fun, though walking was harder than we expected having not been on a walking holiday before
You can be confident that our pricing includes all the standard requirements of your holiday and many additional extras. Always ensure that you are comparing like for like when booking your holiday.
This 7 night guided walking holiday includes:
Single-centre accommodation in a hotel
All buffet breakfasts, 5 lunches and 6 evening meals.
Management by your local Headwater-appointed agent
Services of an experienced walking guide
Standard transfers to/from your hotel (if booking inclusive flights)
Air-conditioned vehicle
How to book:
To book this holidays speak to our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or click on the appropriate 'book now' or 'check availability' button below.
To book this holiday call our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or click on the appropriate 'Book now' or 'check availability' button below.
We do not currently have departure dates and prices available on-line. The season may have ended for this tour, or we are still in the process of adding these details to our website. Please contact us for further details.
Minimum group sizes
A minimum of 4 people (in total) are required for each departure.
Solo travellers
Please call for details and prices
Children
This holiday is unsuitable for children.
Holiday type
Guided walking Managed locally by Headwater appointed agent.
Departures
Meals
All buffet breakfasts, 5 lunches and 6 evening meals.
Tour only
Transfers can be arranged at a supplement to tie in with the standard flights.
If you choose to book your own flights please check with us first that your chosen departure date is definitely operating as our guided holidays are subject to minimum group sizes.
To book this holidays speak to our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or click on the appropriate 'book now' button above.
If you need further information before you book simply complete our Holiday Enquiry Form and a member of our sales team will get back to you.
To book this holiday call our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or click on the appropriate 'Book now' or 'Check availability' button below.
