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Our Experience: This was a return to La Gomera. On our first visit, we had through-hiked largely in the North East and made use of the buses. On this trip, we rented a car and focused on the drier Southern and Western sections of the island. We stayed in 5 different places over 11 nights. 7 of the nights were in Alajeró (above Playa Santiago) and Valle Gran Rey.
December 2025
We had a 5:30pm arrival at the La Gomera airport from El Hierro, via TFN, and somehow managed to collect the car, drive down to the Spar in Playa Santiago and then drive up the hill to Alajeró and our rental house for 4 nights, all before dark. Once again, our Cicar rental of a Fiat 500, was an alternative Opel.
Rental car and Alajeró rental house
View from Alajeró rental house
Alajeró rental house
On our first day, we hiked up the Barranco de Santiago to Imada. I could see that there was some road walking to create a loop, so I figured that we could walk up the canyon and have lunch in Imada and catch the 1:30pm bus back to Alajeró. It was 7.5km from the house to Imada with almost 500m of descent and over 500m of ascent.
Afternoon excursion to the Drago de Agalán.
Morning view from our Alajeró rental house
Entering the Barranco de Santiago from Targa
A high point of the Barranco de Santiago
Descending into the Barranco de Santiago
Looking up the Barranco de Santiago
Disused terraces, Barranco de Santiago
Abandoned farm, Barranco de Santiago
Barranco de Santiago
Steap climb, Barranco de Santiago
Imada is at the top of the canyon
Closer to Imada
Lunch in Imada at the Bar Cafetería Arcilia
Imada bus shelter with British walking group
Sheep above Drago de Agalán
Drago de Agalán
Alajeró Christmas decorations
Moonrise over Alajeró
Barranco de la Negro, Benchijigua & Playa Santiago
Arguayoda, start point of our Barranca Negra hike
Alcove on Barranca Negra hike
Barranca Negra hike
Barranca Negra hike
Abandoned farm, Barranca Negra hike
Abandonded farm on Barranca Negra hike
Benchijigua
Benchijigua
The dirt road in and out of Benchijigua
Returning from Benchijigua
Playa Santiago
Mural, Playa Santiago
Alajeró sunset
Cloud forest walk, Ruta 16 from Pajarita, walk around Montaña de Tagaragunche.
Sun rays in cloud forest on GM-2
Cañada de Jorge cloud forest hike
Cañada de Jorge cloud forest hike
Cañada de Jorge cloud forest hike
cloud forest
Cañada de Jorge cloud forest hike
Cañada de Jorge cloud forest hike
Roque de Agonda from the Pajarito hike
Pine trees on the Pajarito hike
Alajeró sunset
Ermita- Las Pilas hike (Barranco de Argaga) and onto Valle Grand Rey
Hike start point, Ermita de Ntra.Sra. Guadalupe
Barranco de Argaga
Ermita- Las Pilas hike
Ermita- Las Pilas hike
View of the Atlantic from Las Pilas
Barranco de Argaga
Return to the ermita
Upper Valle Gran Rey
Playa De Vueltas, Valle Gran Rey
Valle Gran Rey
Our apartment, Valle Gran Rey
Sunset, La Puntilla beach, Valle Gran Rey
Rest day Valle Gran Rey
La Puntilla beach, Valle Gran Rey
Playa del Ingles, Valle Gran Rey
Playa de la Calera, Valle Gran Rey
Playa de la Calera, Valle Gran Rey
Pool at our apartment, Valle Gran Rey
Sunset, La Puntilla beach, Valle Gran Rey. El Hierro in distance
Los Barranquillos , Vallehermoso antenna ridge walk, Alojera and return to Valle Gran Rey
Early morning bakery run, Playa de la Calera
Landscape above Valle Gran Rey
Driving out of Valle Gran Rey
Los Barranquillos short walk
Teide on Tenerife from Montaña Blance
Montaña Blance hike
Montaña Blance hike
The island of La Palma in distance
Montaña Blance hike
Montaña Blance hike
Communication tower, Montaña Blance
Lower Alojera
Risco de Tajeleche
Risco de Tajeleche
Pullover at Risco de Tajeleche
Big waves, Valle Gran Rey
Sunset, Valle Gran Rey
Vallehermosa and our first rain in 4 weeks
Sunrise, Vallee Gran Rey beach
Driving through cloud forest
We drove to a dam and started a hike in upper Vallehermosa
Upper Vallehermosa
Upper Vallehermosa
Upper Vallehermosa
Upper Vallehermosa
Clouds and rain pushed in on the hike, Vallehermosa
Early check-in, Hotel Triana, Vallehermosa
View from our hotel room in Vallehermosa
Vallehermosa beach with Tenerife in distance
Washed out road to old pier
Castillo del Mar, Vallehermosa; once a dock to load bananas
Hills above Vallehermosa
Vallehermosa town
Dinner in Vallehermosa
Agulo, Cuevas Blancas hike and onto La Laja
Wood statue above Vallehermosa
Vallehermosa "in the rear view mirror"
Roque Cano. The communications tower that we walked by is top right corner.
Agulo town
Agulo
Agulo
Beginning of Cuevas Blancas hike
View towards central La Gomera
Cuevas Blancas hike
Cuevas Blancas hike
Cuevas Blancas hike
Abandoned house on Cuevas Blancas hike
Cuevas Blancas hike
Abandoned settlement of Cuevas Blancas
Cuevas Blancas hike and Mt Teide
Cuevas Blancas hike
Cuevas Blancas hike
Unkept palms on Cuevas Blancas hike
Cuevas Blancas hike, returning to back side of Montaña Ismael
Cuevas Blancas hike
Trail under Montaña Ismael
Arrival at House rental in La Laja
House rental in La Laja
Blustery morning, wind & showers in the afternoon at La Laja
Rain in La Laja
La Laja with Roque de Agonda in background
Middle La Laja; our rental house is the far right, below the road
Tenerife is visible from the trail above La Laja
Pine forest above La Laja
Los Roques
Lower La Laja
Lower La Laja, foot access only.
Last full day on La Gomera: blustery! More of Storm Emilia. Onto San Sebastián.
Another morning of rain
San Sebastián
San Sebastián beach
Afternoon downpour in San Sebastián
Row across the Atlantic race was ready to start
Main square, San Sebastián
Exit ((ferry to Tenerife and flight out)
Mt Teide with snow on the ferry crossing
Mt Teide with snow
Tenerife South Airport
PHOTO ALBUM & NEXT LEG
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