The best MTB trails around Valle Gran Rey

A very popular stopping area within Garajonay National Park, next to one of the most used parking lots for accessing trails, forest tracks, and viewpoints in the upper part of La Gomera. Here the landscape changes constantly: fog, humidity, laurel forest, and clearings from which enormous views open up towards the island's ravines. It is a strategic point for cyclists and hikers because it connects several park routes and allows easy connection to summit roads. Garajonay's laurel forest is one of the oldest and rarest forests in Europe, a humid ecosystem that survived from prehistoric times thanks to the trade winds. That's why this area has such a distinct atmosphere from the rest of the Canary Islands. Very close by, there is usually total silence... until the wind moves the trees or the fog rolls in suddenly.

A very well-known stop on the GM-1 road, going up from Vallehermoso towards the upper area of Garajonay. It's one of those strategic points on La Gomera where there are usually cars, cyclists, and motorcyclists stopping to rest, have coffee, or eat something before continuing their route along the summit. The access is fully asphalted and very convenient from Vallehermoso. From here you can easily connect with mountain roads that lead towards the area of El Cercado, Arure, Monte de Ayamosna, and several viewpoints from which you can see Teide on clear days. The restaurant is known for traditional Gomera cuisine, especially grilled meats, stews, almogrote, cheeses, and homemade dishes. The area is also famous for the historic Chorros de Epina, well-known springs on the island associated with ancient legends and popular beliefs. It's one of those places where many people end up stopping even if they hadn't planned it.

“Route 4 is short but seems to enter directly into a Jurassic forest, with dense laurisilva and moss-covered trees everywhere. Route 6, from Laguna Grande, allows you to traverse a wider part of the heart of Garajonay between old gomero paths and areas where you can still see how the forest recovered after the 2012 fire. Two easy but very atmospheric routes.”

In the heart of the Garajonay National Park, this recreational area is one of the most magical corners of La Gomera. Surrounded by laurel forest, mist, and moss-covered trees, it feels like a scene frozen in time. Ideal for taking a break on the route, having a snack, or simply listening to the silence of the forest as the light shifts through the mist. A classic for cyclists and hikers seeking the island's most humid, green, and mysterious side.

Mirador de El Palmarejo Also known as Mirador de César Manrique, it is one of the artist's most recognizable works outside of Lanzarote and considered one of his last major interventions. It was designed as a panoramic viewpoint and restaurant, fully integrated into the terraces and the mountain of Valle Gran Rey. For years it operated as a restaurant, although it went through several closures, reopenings, and management problems until it was abandoned for long periods. Even so, even when closed, it remains a spectacular place to stop and contemplate one of the most impressive views of Valle Gran Rey, especially at sunset.

From this point, you get one of the wildest and most isolated views of northwestern La Gomera. Below appears the hamlet of Arguamul, surrounded by enormous ravines and small strips of beach and black shingle that from above almost look like lost islets in the Atlantic. For centuries, this coast was a difficult area for navigation due to the strong surf and the absence of natural shelters, which is why landings and access from the sea were very difficult. The most interesting thing here is not so much the legends, but the real sense of isolation: until not so many years ago, Arguamul was mainly connected by mountain paths and trails, maintaining a life very separate from the rest of the island. On clear days, the mix of cliffs, ocean, and scattered hamlets makes the landscape seem almost untouched.

quite discreet compared to other reservoirs in the Canary Islands, but very important to understand how water has been historically managed in La Gomera. Here every drop counts, and these deposits helped to store water collected from rain and humidity from the peaks to supply nearby crops and agricultural areas. The curious thing is the contrast: a small reservoir surrounded by enormous ravines and wild volcanic landscape, where water has always been one of the island's most valuable resources.

Mirador de La Retama From this viewpoint, the wild dimensions of the ravines of La Gomera are perfectly understood. Directly opposite, you can see ancient caves dug into the rock, used for generations as shelter, storage, and even housing by the island's inhabitants in times when moving between valleys was much more complicated than today. The new road and tunnel have completely changed the connectivity of this area, but from here you can still perceive what the more isolated and rugged Gomera was like.