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).