Hermigua and Agulo and Juego de Bolas Visitor Centre

La Gomera, located in the east of the Canary Islands, has been a Biosphere Reserve since 2012. It is famous because Christopher Columbus made a port of call there on his way to discover America (1492). Here we find Garajonay National Park – World Heritage Site. Hermigua – farming country, Agulo – pioneer municipality as regards electricity, water and fishing, and the Juego de Bolas recreation area at the heart of the National Park.

From San Sebastián to Hermigua

We leave from the port of San Sebastián on La Gomera, located on the east of the island, heading towards two characteristic island towns: Hermigua and Agulo. To get there, we will go through the Garajonay National Park with its laurisilva, which is unique in Europe. It takes half an hour to get to Hermigua, where the legendary El Cedro Forest is found. The steep streets here afford us a view of some traditional 18th-century Canarian architecture, which has been perfectly conserved. Visits to the Gofio, the Ethnographic and Los Telares Museums are highly recommended.

From Hermigua to Agulo

From Hermigua, we continue down the road and —barely a 9-minute drive away by car— we come to the municipality of Agulo, in the north east of La Gomera. Agulo was historically one of the most prosperous places on the island and was the first to have drinking water, electricity and a pier from which bananas were exported. Its historic quarter is one of the best conserved on the island and has a viewing point with beautiful views of the ocean and Mount Teide on the neighbouring island of Tenerife.

From Agulo to the Juego de Bolas

Visitor Centre In less than 14 minutes by car, we go from Agulo to the Juego de Bolas Visitor Centre. It is an architectural complex with a weather station and well-tended gardens with species that are endemic to La Gomera and the Canary Islands, where traditional Gomeran culture is condensed with all the keys to understanding the virgin nature of Garajonay National Park. A big central model of the island of La Gomera will give us an exact perspective of the beauty of its landscapes and ravines.

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Sustainability

- Never leave waste of any type lying around, including cigarette butts. Leftover food leads to a proliferation of rats and wild cats, which pose a serious threat to the fauna.
- Use the waste- paper baskets and, insofar as possible, separate and place your recycling waste in the appropriate containers.
- Do not throw any waste or other objects into the sea.
- Respect the animals. Do not bother them or feed them. If you see an injured specimen, you can call the emergency number: 112. Do not pick flowers or plants.
- Do not pick up or take away stones or any other item from the natural environment. And do not move them to pile them up into sadly famous 'towers'.
- In natural spaces and at viewpoints, do not leave the trail or the spaces designated for people to be in.
- Respect and look after the area's historic and cultural heritage, along with the public furniture and items for visitors, such as information panels or telescopes and binoculars.