Do you know what it feels like to walk in the sky?
One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. This famous phrase, spoken by the astronaut Neil Armstrong when he arrived on the moon, could well have been coined at the Abrante Viewpoint. Located in La Gomera, this modern installation invites us to conquer the void by taking a stroll in a glass walkway located over 600 metres up. A unique experience, however you look at it.
The Canarian archipelago’s third-smallest island offers some great natural wonders for contemplation. Perhaps that is why it has more than 30 viewpoints dotted all over its geography. Some are celestial, like those of El Santo and La Cruz del Viento; others have famous names, like the César Manrique Viewpoint or the Borges Viewpoint; still more are secret, like that of Bailadero… And although they all have the power to leave one speechless, one above all goes that much further in terms of its spectacular nature.
Located in Agulo, the Abrante Viewpoint challenges gravity. A projecting walkway with transparent walls and floor that allows you to walk through the sky itself for 7 metres. Beneath our feet lie what many consider to be the most beautiful village on La Gomera and the picturesque neighbourhoods around it. And if the clouds permit, you can even see the silhouette of the Teide and the coastline of neighbouring Tenerife. The vertigo-inducing panoramic views have made this viewpoint one of the essential vantage points on the island, despite the fact it was constructed in 2014. But the magic enveloping this place dates much further back.
According to legend, the name of Abrante comes from a young local woman who lost her beloved. Stricken by grief, after trying different remedies she found the only way she could be reunited with him in this formidable vertical drop. That may be the reason why one’s heart races upon merely stepping on the ground here. And if it were not enough to walk in the sky and contemplate a landscape steeped in history, the Abrante Viewpoint has yet another surprise in store. In its glazed interior there is a restaurant, perfect for taking a break and pairing Canarian gastronomy with some absolutely unique views.
Perfect routes for losing oneself on the horizon
Living out picture-postcard images first-hand through these lookout points is not only something available on La Gomera. The Canary Islands have a network of more than 80 viewpoints prepared for visits, perfect for exploring their volcanic beauty with a bird’s eye view. In addition, the fact that they are so close to one another means we can drive to them at our own pace in order to explore the scenery from different angles.
One of the most outstanding viewpoints on this long list is Roque de Los Muchachos, the highest point on the island of La Palma and an authentic VIP box for delighting in the beauty of the Taburiente National Park or contemplating a sea of stars when night falls. On Tenerife the Humboldt Viewpoint awaits, a peaceful place with views of La Orotava valley and its endless banana plantations, from which one can espy up to three volcanoes. Meanwhile El Hierro dedicates one of its foremost viewpoints to the ocean and the whimsical forms of its coast. From the top of Isora we can contemplate a spectacular interior bay, the result of a gravitational landslide that occurred centuries ago. Gran Canaria, on the other hand, is immersed in nature via the Pico de los Pozos de la Nieve, a natural balcony at an altitude of nearly 2000 metres from where one can capture the majesty of an authentic Biosphere Reserve.
When nature merges with art...
When nature merges with art it gives way to genius. Something we can see both at the viewpoint of Río on Lanzarote and in that of Morro Velosa. What they both have in common is the seal of the Canarian artist César Manrique, and we can perceive this both on an architectural level and through his interpretation of the spaces. The former is found on Lanzarote, and is one of his most famous creations. The latter lies in the Betancuria Rural Park and enables us to see Fuerteventura in depth in little more than a blink of an eye.