Isla Gomera, Canary Islands
This morning we awoke on approach to La Gomera, our second stop in the Canary Islands. Behind us, the volcanic cone on Isla Tenerife peeked out among clouds tinted pink in the sunrise light. Ahead of us was the port town of San Sebastian, our launching point for the day’s activities.
Everyone set out this morning, opting for either a long walk in the Parque Nacional de Garajonay or a scenic tour of the island. The road up to the National Park wound through terraced desert slopes, with multiple switchbacks as we drove from sea level to over 1000 meters in elevation. It was interesting to watch as the desert environment changed quickly to pine forest at Los Roques, and then to into laurel forest as we crested the mountain in the park looking to the north.
Long hikers set off into the dense shade of the twisted Laurisilva forest on the cooler north side of the ridge. As the walk continued, hikers crossed back to the south side, and the moist ferns and moss were replaced by an increasingly warm and dry forest environment. The trail followed a small, abandoned canal that had once provided water to a village below. Eventually the walkers found themselves on a hot, dusty and precipitous trail among the terraced slopes. Ricardo, the local guide, offered tastes of prickly pear cactus fruit and figs found along the trail. Fortunately, a wayward cloud settled in, keeping the hikers cool for the last long and very steep section of the hike up to the town of El Cercado.
Moving back up into the Garajonary National Park, the different groups briefly converged in the forest at La Laguna Grande. We then all headed back to San Sebastian to explore this small port town before boarding our ship to depart for the Cape Verde Islands.
Once we’d set sail from La Gomera, it wasn’t long until we spotted blows not far off, probably a Bryde’s whale. We passed through flocks of Cory’s Shearwaters with lots of Atlantic spotted dolphins splashing among them. The dolphins rode our bow, racing along, surging forward and leaping into the air. It was terrific way to spend the late afternoon and early evening, and a wonderful ending to our time in the Canary Islands.
