Holiday villas, airbnb and apartments in La Gomera

Visit La Gomera: an unspoilt paradise in the Canaries!

If you are looking for a peaceful holiday home in The Canary Islands then look no further than La Gomera. The second-smallest island in the Canary Islands, La Gomera is notable for its craggy volcanic mountains and black sand beaches making to look like something out of a prehistoric movie. A fantastic place to visit no matter the time of year, it's an impenetrable fortress of ancient rainforests and mountainous peaks, interspersed with tiny roads winding their way towards the cliffs. The island has none of the tourist-favoured nightlife bars and golden sand beaches; instead, it has a wealth of history and culture, coupled with iconic and unique beaches, low-key cities and a number of different hikes which take visitors through the depths of the island.

When to go to La Gomera

The best time to visit La Gomera depends on what you're looking to do with your trip. March and April are the best for hiking, as the weather isn't too warm that it's uncomfortable to go walking, but it's just right to allow subtropical flowers to bloom all along the routes. This is similar for autumnal months, October and November, although expect different flowers to be in bloom. During the summer (July and August), the temperature can reach over 30 degrees, making it perfect for a relaxing, laze around by the pool break. The winter sees some rainfall, but it's still warm enough for a relaxing break – and it comes with the added bonus of having a lot fewer crowds to disturb your stay.

How to get to La Gomera

La Gomera is a tiny, remote island, and as a result, it can't be reached from anywhere on the European mainland – not directly, at least. As a result, the easiest way to reach the island is to get a plane to Tenerife first, and from there hop on a ferry to La Gomera. Luckily, Tenerife airport is serviced by flights from all over Europe: Austria, Spain, Germany, Italy, the UK, Poland, Russia, and France. There are two airports in Tenerife, one in the north and one in the south. If you fly into the north airport – Reina Sofia - then hop on a ferry to La Gomera, but if you fly into the southern airport – Los Rodeos Airport – then there's the option to get on a connecting flight to La Gomera. Alternatively, if you rent a holiday villa in Tenerife, you can visit La Gomera and go back to Tenerife in one day, so why not take up the chance to island-hop across the Canaries!

Where to stay in La Gomera

Playa Santiago

The tourist resorts are typically along the coastline, making them the perfect home away from home if you're looking for a friendly vibe with a lot of different things to do. Besides, as tourist towns go, La Gomera's are incredibly sleepy. Playa Santiago is one of the best towns along the coast, with several self-catered apartment rentals to sit back and enjoy the cultural hub of La Gomera in a city full of individuality and history.

Rural La Gomera

Travelling inland that really gives visitors a sense of La Gomera, and the history and traditions surrounding the island. Not only is the landscape wholly different, but the area just has an overall different atmosphere to it as well – as though you know you're walking through hundreds and thousands of years of history. Walkthrough the centre of Vallehermoso toward the Presa de la Encantadora to pass the farmers chopping down palm fronds, and hanging buckets to collect sap from the trees. The ends of roads always offer buckets of fresh fruits, offered out to satisfy your hunger as you wander through the hilly landscape. To make the most of the inland traditions, but still maintaining a beachside getaway, then find a holiday villa to rent in Hermigua, just a few miles from a number of nearby beaches.

In the hills

Nowhere on La Gomera is more stunning that in the shadows of the rocking mountains and challenging peaks that surround Hermigua and Vallehermoso, and can be found dotted along Garajonay National Park. Book a luxury apartment rental in one of these towns, with views over the dense South American rainforest on one side and a North Afrcian hillside to the other.

What to do in La Gomera

Visit the black sand beaches

A number of the beaches in La Gomera have black sand beaches thanks to the volcanic soil that helped form the islands. Not the best for sunbathing as a result of the pebbles, nevertheless these beaches are stunningly beautiful. Head to the one along Playa Santiago if you want to couple your visit with a beautiful sunset, or Vale Gran Rey if you wish to visit a remote setting.

Ascend Hasta La Vista

Definitely not one for anyone with a fear of heights, Hasta la Vista is a boxed-in glass walkway jutting out 7 metres from the edge of a cliff, along the north coast of the island. Over 400 metres high, the view is insane, and on a clear day, it's even possible to see as far as Tenerife.

Visit Garajonay National Park

Garajonay National Park is one of the best sights on the island. Home to a number of distinct species of plants that are under a serious threat of extinction, it's a botanist's haven. Typically, visitors will find the forest shrouded in mist and cloud, which adds to the mystical feeling of the place. The entire park is an example of an ancient type of rainforest that used to exist across Europe and North Africa, but can now only be spotted in the Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands.

Food and drink in La Gomera

Considering its coastal setting, naturally, the food and drink scene across La Gomera features a lot of fish and general seafood. That means freshly caught tuna grilled in the open air or visiting the local harbours to pick up the fresh catch of the day to cook in your holiday villa in La Gomera. Typically, favoured fish among the locals include bream, pike, perch, sole, and even parrotfish. Overall, the food across the island is hearty, simple, and incredibly tasty, with several unique dishes travellers can't find anywhere else. In terms of enjoying a tipple, the national drink is hands down rum, with honey rum being one of the most popular. In fact, it's common for locals across La Gomera to add a drop or two of honey rum to their money coffee to ensure they're fully awake and ready for the day.

History and culture in La Gomera

It's not entirely known when La Gomera was first discovered, but historical remnants and mythologies date knowledge of the islands back centuries. In fact, in one of Plato's musings, he discussed an old continent known as Atlantic, which sunk beneath the sea and left just the highest peaks above water – the Canary Islands. In terms of human settlements, the earliest recordings put humans on La Gomera as early as 200 B.C., but it wasn't until the 1300s that the island was connected with the wider world. This began in 1341, with an Italian expedition finally putting La Gomera – and the rest of the Canary Islands – on the map. This was then followed by a hundred years of battles against various European powers – notably Portugal and Spain. Today, La Gomera has held on to a lot of its traditional customs, having been passed down through generations – in fact, it's the one Canary Island that has held onto the purest versions of the original traditions and customs. These include the Gomeran Whistle, which was originally used by locals as a way of communicating across the rough and hilly terrain, as well as the rich folklore music such as the Endechas, which were chants that once disappeared from La Gomera but have been modernised and brought back.