Alto de Garajonay
1,487 m
Spain
- Elevation
- 1,487 m
- Prominence
- 1,483 m
- Difficulty
- 1/10
- Easy walk
- Best Season
- Mar–Jun
- Routes
- 1
NoticeReported 8 Oct 2026 · until 31 Oct 2026
Ruta 17 is closed between the Cruce de Pajaritos and the junction with the access to the hamlet of Igualero while a retaining wall is built, until 31 October 2026. Ruta 7 from El Contadero is not affected. Notice observed on the park's incidents page on 8 October 2026 (no publication date given).
gobiernodecanarias.org
Routes
1The park's easiest way to La Gomera's highest point: a 2.5 km loop from the El Contadero car park on the GM-2, first on a cobbled track and then on a path with steps through recovering heath to the summit viewpoint. About 110 m of ascent and 1 hour for the round trip.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 1.2 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +139 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,487 m
- Time Up
- 38m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 27m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at the free El Contadero car park beside the GM-2 (km 24), the road across the island between San Sebastián and Valle Gran Rey. Ruta 7 of the Parque Nacional de Garajonay, signposted and with audio-guide posts, follows a cobbled track south-west (shared with routes 14 and 18) and then a footpath, with some stretches of steps and loose stones, up through low heath, broom and tree heath. This is degraded laurel-heath woodland, logged in the 1960s and planted with pines that restoration has since largely removed; the 2012 fire also burned here. The summit (1,487 m) has a paved viewpoint terrace with information boards, a geodetic survey point and a reconstruction of the aboriginal sanctuary found on the top. On clear days without calima the 360° view takes in most of La Gomera, La Palma, El Hierro and Tenerife with Teide, and on very clear days Gran Canaria. The antenna-topped Montaña de Igualero, just south-west, is fenced off. The loop returns to El Contadero by a slightly different line. The summit can also be reached from Pajarito (Ruta 17, 2.2 km loop, 1 h 15 min) or from the La Laguna Grande recreation area (Ruta 14, linear, 9.8 km, 5 h).
Start
El Contadero1,354 m
- Guaguagomera bus line 1 (San Sebastián–Valle Gran Rey) and line 6 (Valle Gran Rey–airport) serve stops in the park such as Cruce de Pajarito; from there join the trail network. Check timetables at guaguagomera.com.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Contadero → Alto de Garajonay | 1.2 | 139 | 6 | 38m |
Waypoints
- Parking: El Contadero1,354 m
- Summit: Alto de Garajonay1,487 m
Key Passages
- Cobbled track from El Contadero
- Stepped path to the summit viewpoint
Equipment
0/3 packedDownloads
Route confidence 85%Overview
The highest point of La Gomera (1,487 m), a rounded summit in the heart of the Garajonay National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage laurel forest. A short, signposted walk leads to a viewpoint terrace and aboriginal sanctuary with views over Teide and the western Canaries.
Garajonay rises from the central plateau of La Gomera, where the trade winds bring almost constant cloud and moisture that sustain one of the best-preserved laurel forests (laurisilva) in the world. The Parque Nacional de Garajonay, declared in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986, protects about 18 park footpaths and receives some 450,000 visitors a year.
The summit itself is a gentle, open dome above the forest, covered in heath and broom that are slowly recovering from logging, pine plantations and the 2012 fire. A paved terrace with information boards stands on the top beside the remains and reconstruction of an aboriginal sanctuary. Three park routes reach it: the 2.5 km loop from El Contadero (1 hour), a 2.2 km loop from Pajarito, and a longer linear route (9.8 km, 5 hours) from the La Laguna Grande recreation area.
There is no technical difficulty. The main factors are weather, as the summit is often wrapped in cloud, drizzle and wind, and on clear days strong sun. When it clears, the view takes in almost all of La Gomera and the islands of La Palma, El Hierro, Tenerife and sometimes Gran Canaria.
Climbing Notes
Suitable for anyone able to walk a few kilometres on paths with steps; families and casual walkers do the Contadero loop in about an hour. Wear closed shoes and bring a warm layer and a rain jacket, as the summit is often cool, windy and in cloud even when the coast is sunny. Download the route sheet or audio guide in advance because mobile coverage is poor. Keep to authorised paths, keep dogs on a lead, and do not fly drones in the park. Combine the summit with a walk through the laurel forest, for example on Ruta 14 from La Laguna Grande or the routes around El Cedro.
History
The name is of Berber origin ('gar' meaning mountain). The summit was an important sacred site for La Gomera's aboriginal inhabitants, with sacrificial altars where offerings of goat and sheep remains were burned. The popular legend of the lovers Gara, a princess from Agulo, and Jonay, a prince from Tenerife, who died together on the mountain, is first recorded only in 1924 and appears to be derived from the place name. In August 2012 a wildfire burned 747 ha, about 18% of the national park, including the summit area.
Season
Best Mar–Jun- January: Good
- February: Good
- March: Best (best window)
- April: Best (best window)
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best
- October: Best
- November: Good
- December: Good
- Jan
- Cool and often cloudy or wet
- Feb
- Cool and often cloudy
- Mar
- Spring flowering of broom and tree heath
- Jul
- Warm; calima can spoil the view; fire-risk restrictions possible
- Aug
- Warm; fire-risk restrictions possible
- Nov
- Rain more frequent
- Dec
- Cool and often cloudy or wet
Access & Permits
- Rules
- Parque Nacional de Garajonay (PRUG rules): stay on authorised roads and paths, park only in designated areas, dogs on a lead, no drones, kites or other aerial activities, take litter home, no collecting of plants or animals
- Professional photography and filming require prior authorisation
- The Montaña de Igualero antenna site next to the summit is fenced and private
- Getting There
Chipude; San Sebastián de La Gomera; Valle Gran Rey
La Gomera (GMZ); Tenerife South (TFS) with ferry from Los Cristianos
- Car: GM-2 (San Sebastián–Valle Gran Rey) across the park; El Contadero car park at km 24, Pajarito at the junction for Igualero
- Bus: Guaguagomera lines 1 (San Sebastián–Valle Gran Rey), 6 (Valle Gran Rey–airport) and 8 (Vallehermoso–Valle Gran Rey) stop in the park at Los Roques, Cruce de Pajarito, Las Paredes, Las Hayas, Las Creces, Apartacaminos and Epina
- Taxi: numbers for each municipality are listed on the national park access page
Hazards
- Weather