Laurel forest
Moss and lichen.
Gerd Eichmann — CC BY 4.0 · Gerd Eichmann — CC BY 4.0 · Gerd Eichmann — CC BY 4.0 · Gerd Eichmann — CC BY 4.0 · Bybbisch94, Christian Gebhardt — CC BY-SA 4.0
Garajonay National Park is a mountain forest in the centre and north of La Gomera in Spain's Canary Islands, about 13 km west of San Sebastián de La Gomera and 52 km west of Los Cristianos in southern Tenerife in a straight line. It became a national park in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. It covers 40 square kilometres, reaches into all six of the island's municipalities and draws about 450,000 visitors a year. It is named after the Garajonay rock, the island's highest point at 1,487 metres. It is the best example of Canarian laurel forest, a humid subtropical forest that covered most of southern Europe millions of years ago. The forest is a mysterious green world of twisting trunks covered in moss and hanging lichen, with ferns spread over the ground. Mist drifts between the trees on most days and keeps them damp. Old volcanic rocks shaped by erosion rise within the park, and some were sacred to the island's first inhabitants. Visitors walk a network of 18 trails through the forest, and the Laguna Grande area makes a good starting point. The island is reached by ferry from Los Cristianos in southern Tenerife; the forest is often cool and damp, so bring a jacket.
Moss and lichen.
A starting point.
Between the trees.
Central and northern La Gomera, Canary Islands, Spain
By ferry from southern Tenerife.
A jacket and walking shoes.