Accommodation
Most visitors to the Canary Islands opt for a package deal, so they are tied to a single accommodation base in a faceless resort. This is far from ideal and a base in the ‘wrong’ place can make it difficult to get to and from walking routes. Package deals are seldom available on the islands of La Gomera and El Hierro; however, out of season, walkers would have little problem turning up unannounced at hotels and pensións, or booking at the last minute on accommodation websites such as www.airbnb.com or www.booking.com. Wild camping is technically illegal, but it does take place.
The higher parts of La Gomera and El Hierro catch the clouds, especially in the winter months
Health and safety
There are no nasty diseases on the Canary Islands, or, at least, nothing you couldn’t contract at home. Water on La Gomera and El Hierro is either drawn from rainfall, or generated by the laurisilva cloud forests. It soaks into the ground, is filtered through thick beds of volcanic ash and emerges pure and clean, perfectly safe to drink. Bottled water is available if you prefer, but buy it cheaply from supermarkets rather than at considerable expense from bars. There are no snakes, no stinging insects worse than honey-bees, and there are always warning signs near hives. Don’t annoy dogs and they won’t annoy you. Dogs that are likely to bite are nearly always tethered, so keep away.
In case of a medical emergency, dial 112 for an ambulance. In case of a non-emergency, all islands have hospitals, health centres (Centro de Salud) and chemists (Farmacia). If treatment is required, EU citizens should present their European Health Insurance Card, while British citizens should check arrangements following Brexit.
Food and drink
Every town and most of the villages throughout the Canary Islands have bars. Most bars also double as cafés or restaurants, often serving tapas, which are often in glass cabinets, so you can point to the ones you want to eat. There are also shops, selling local and imported foodstuffs. Always make the effort to sample local fare, which is often interesting and very tasty. The availability of refreshments is mentioned on every walking trail, but bear in mind that opening hours are variable. Some shops take a very long lunch break, and not all businesses are open every day of the week. Some shops are closed all weekend, or at least half of Saturday and all of Sunday.
Language
Castilian Spanish is spoken throughout the Canary Islands, although in most resorts and large hotels there are English and German speakers. Those who travel to remote rural parts will need at least a few basic phrases of Spanish. Anyone with any proficiency in Spanish will quickly realise that the Canarios have their own accent and colloquialisms. For instance, the letter ‘s’ often vanishes from the middle or end of words, to be replaced by a gentle ‘h’, or even a completely soundless gap. ‘Los Cristianos’, for example, becomes ‘Loh Critiano’. A bus is referred to as an autobus in Spain, but as a guagua throughout the Canary Islands. Some natives may seize the opportunity to practise their English with you, while others may be puzzled by your command of Spanish. No matter how bad you think you sound, you will not be the worst they’ve heard!
Money
The Euro is the currency of the Canary Islands. Large denomination Euro notes are difficult to use for small purchases, so avoid the €500 and €200 notes altogether, and avoid the €100 notes if you can. The rest are fine: €50, €20, €10 and €5. Coins come in €2 and €1. Small denomination coins come in values of 50c, 20c, 10c, 5c, 2c and 1c. Banks and ATMs are mentioned where they occur, if cash is needed. Many accommodation providers accept major credit and debit cards, as will large supermarkets, but small bars, shops and cafés deal only in cash.
Communications
All the towns and some of the villages have post offices (Correos) and public telephones. Opening times for large post offices are usually 0830–1430 Monday to Friday, 0930–1300 Saturday, closed on Sunday. Small post offices have more limited opening times. Mobile phone coverage is usually good in towns and villages, but can be completely absent elsewhere, depending on the nature of the terrain. High mountains and deep barrancos block signals. In the past shepherds on La Gomera got round this problem by developing a whistling language, known as Silbo. Internet access is usually offered by accommodation providers, but if relying on it, please check when making a booking.
Walking on La Gomera and El Hierro
Looking back to the Roque de Agando after leaving a high-level road (Walk 2)
These are the two smallest Canary Islands, at the western end of the archipelago. La Gomera is heavily eroded, scored by dozens of steep-sided rocky barrancos. As a result, walks that lead in and out of them are often very rugged, but that shouldn’t suggest that the walking is going to be too difficult for ‘ordinary’ walkers. In fact, almost all the routes in this guidebook follow waymarked trails, made up of narrow paths and broad tracks that often zigzag to ease the gradient.
Access to the coast is often limited to the mouths of the barrancos, as there are sheer cliffs elsewhere. By contrast, the highest parts of the island are much gentler and are covered in extensive laurisilva forest, encircled by pines. On El Hierro the laurisilva forest is less extensive and there are more pines. Barrancos are not as deep and rugged, and instead there are extensive slopes of volcanic ash and dozens of well-defined volcanic cones.
On both islands, traditional paths have been cleared, repaired, signposted and waymarked to create splendid trail networks.
What to take
If planning to use one or two bases to explore, then a simple day pack is all you need, containing items you would normally take for a day walk. Waterproofs can be lightweight and might not even be used. Footwear is a personal preference, but wear what you would normally wear for steep, rocky, stony slopes, remembering that hot feet are more likely to be a problem than wet feet. Lightweight, light-coloured clothing is best in bright sunshine, along with a sun hat and frequent applications of sunscreen. If planning to backpack around the islands, bear in mind that wild camping is technically illegal, although surprisingly popular. Lightweight kit should be carried, as a heavy pack is a cruel burden on steep slopes in hot weather. Note Water can be difficult to find, so try and anticipate your needs and carry enough to last until you reach a village, houses or bar where you can obtain a refill. (All such places are indicated in the text.)
Waymarking and access
Both La Gomera and El Hierro once shared the same system for signposting and waymarking routes, using standard European codes. However, La Gomera switched to a new system where waymarked trails were designated ruta, followed by a number. El Hierro kept its system of short PR (pequeño recorrido) routes, which are marked with yellow and white paint flashes, and numbered to keep them separate. Signposts read PR EH, with a number following the letters. These codes are quoted in the route descriptions so that walkers will always be able to check they are going the right way. Both islands also have GR (gran recorrido) routes; these are intended as long-distance walks, but can also serve as simple one-day linear walks.
Clockwise from left: La Gomera and El Hierro boast splendid networks of signposted and waymarked short and long trails; A signpost at a junction of tracks and paths marks an important link with the village of Sabinosa (Walk 39); The long-distance GR131 starts at Orchilla on El Hierro among twisted lava and volcanic ash.
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