Traveller's Tale: Walking La Gomera with Alison Carr

Alison Carr, a watercolour painter from the UK, took a walking holiday on La Gomera with Walkers' Britain & Europe in November. Below, she shares her experiences of this remarkable Canary Island, along with some of the artwork she produced along the way.

"The first word that comes to mind about this walking trip on La Gomera is contrast."

The harbour town of Los Cristianos at the southernmost tip of Tenerife, where the nearest airport is, is so busy - but then the ferry takes you away to the quiet and quaint San Sebastian on the island of La Gomera, near enough to be seen but, in some ways, a rather different world.

The first walking day takes me up to the hamlet of El Cedro. The road tunnel catapults me into one of the famous rain forests of La Gomera. It is like a portal. On the other side is steamy, dense woodland with the light coming through in misty shards. Truly magical. Flowers and fruit grow in rich abundance and lizards scuttle about in the dry leaves as I walk past.

Being up so high affords sweeping views of the coastline below, and also puts you in touch with the elements - on occasion a stiff breeze and atmospheric, swirling mists frame glimpses of dramatic rock formations above and below.

Descending to the little town of Vallehermoso, I hear music and discover that the local bar in the square is a place where people gather to sing, very heartily, with enthusiastic local guitarists. It is so cheering to sit among them. Another contrast to the quiet of the day in the mountains above.

Highlights of the rest of the trip include the hilltop village of Chipude and the zigzag path that takes you up to the highest point of the island, into the National Park and its visitor centre with a comprehensive history of this fascinating place.

There was also an extra day to walk along the coast, a hot and dry walk with little pockets of green in the coves, including the one at Playa del Cabrito where a banana plantation completely took me by surprise. A dip in the sea on the way back was most welcome.

Returning eventually to San Sebastian, there was a buzz of excitement. It may be a small place with a tiny harbour, but it is also the place of choice for many great seafaring launches. The day I arrived, the teams preparing to row across the Atlantic were getting their boats ready amid all the media attention that goes with it. A Hollywood film was even shot here. By contrast, I boarded the steady, safe and slow ferry back to Tenerife and home, after a truly wonderful walking tour of this lovely island.

Words and artwork by Alison Carr.

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