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Garajonay National Park

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ECST. European Charter for Sustainable Tourism

La Gomera and its ancestral natural landscapes

This national Park, declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO, contrasts with the rest of the Canary Islands. Here, instead of volcanic landscapes there are laurisilva forests, almost perpetually shrouded in mist.

A stroll around Garajonay is like travelling back in time, as it has practically virgin vegetation. This is a place where the clouds hang low over the ground, providing an atmosphere of constant humidity and the famous horizontal rain which encourages growth of this lush and leafy forest. The forest landscapes are the main protagonists of the Park, as there are numerous different plant formations to be seen; everything from the laurisilva mentioned above, through white tree heath, mocan and the strawberry tree. The park is home to numerous bird species and two reptiles, the Gomeran lizard (Gallotia galloti gomerae) and the Gomeran skink (Chalcides viridanus coeruleopunctatus), as well as one species of amphibian, the little green frog (Hyla meridionalis).

Type of area

Parque Nacional

Information

Area: 3.986 Hectares
Location: It is situated in La Gomera, in the Canary Islands.

Information for visits: The park is easy to reach from any point on the island through the local road network which runs through it. Guided tours are also available. There are recreational areas and a network of viewpoints. You can check the Visitor Centres on this page.

More access information.

Environmental information: The laurisilva forest is one of the remaining vestiges of the ancient subtropical forests. Garajonay is today the best conserved example of this ecosystem, and contains over half of the mature laurisilva forests on the archipelago. Other interesting features of the Garajonay National Park are the diversity of plant formations, the large number of endemic species, and its spectacular geological monuments such as Los Roques (curious rock formations).

Cultural information: Juego de Bolas is the park's visitor centre. The building displays highlighting aspects of the typical architecture of the Canary Islands, as well as exhibition rooms and video presentations on the National Park and the island in general. In Alto de Garajonay there are many archaeological sites left by the old inhabitants of the island. Around the park you will find spectacular crops growing on scarps.
On this island you will have the chance to discover the "Silbo Gomero", a unique whistled language in the world, fully developed and practised by a large community. It was awarded the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity designation in 2009.