La Gomera GR-132 Day 7 Vallehermoso - Hermigua

From Playa de Vallehermoso via Las Rosas to the Visitor Center of Garajonay National Park

The start of this seventh day stage (official stage 2) is the beach of Vallehermoso. Those who have stayed in the village of Vallehermoso will immediately switch to variant 3.1 and ascend from the village of Vallehermoso via Cruz de Tierno. The original path starts at the beach of Vallehermoso and leads via the village of Tamargada. Both routes lead to the reservoir of Las Rosas, where they then continue together as stage 2. It is worth crossing the dam, pausing at the rest area afterwards (photo) and watching the ducks.

If we go back on the dam after the break at the rest area, the GR-132 leads uphill slightly right. Since the path through the gardens to the left of the asphalt road is somewhat difficult to find, we can also stay on the road immediately.

In good weather, after climbing the hill, we see the Teide. Over this asphalt road, after a flat section, we reach two restaurants and the Visitor Center of Garajonay National Park. Entry to the Visitor Center is free; there is a beautiful botanical garden around the visitor and administration buildings with labeled plants. The visitor building focuses on the history of the island, its agriculture, and also the forest fire of 2012. Above the visitor building, a trail leads to a small skywalk with a nice view of Teide and Alto de Garajonay, the summit of the island (geocache).

From the Visitor Center of Garajonay National Park via Agulo to Hermigua

At the Visitor Center, we first take the asphalt road to the Abrante viewpoint through the settlement and not the road to Hermigua, but after a few hundred meters turn left onto the forest trail. After a clearing, the GR-132 leads left to the start of a longer descent. Here I recommend turning right from the GR-132 and walking the kilometer to the Abrante Skywalk with a place to stop. We can either go back the same way or - if surefooted and somewhat free of vertigo - descend through the wall on a beautiful trail directly at the southeastern corner of the restaurant (signpost to Agulo).

After descending through the wall below the Mirador Abrante, which leads us directly to the western outskirts of Agulo, we already see the path marked to the church. Here we are back on the original GR-132. We keep going downhill through the village of Agulo toward an old material elevator (rest bench with great view and artist's garden house above the top station), along which we descend toward the Atlantic with a beautiful view back to the Abrante Skywalk.

Down in the hollow, the path is somewhat difficult to find; we have to reach and find our way through the settlement of Lepe in front of us. This leads us almost back to the sea; the driveway of the Lepe settlement that begins here brings us to the beach of Santa Catalina, the end of the seventh day stage of the GR-132 around La Gomera.

There is no accommodation at the beach of Santa Catalina; it is necessary to walk about 2 km uphill on the asphalt road to Hermigua, where there is a supermarket along the way.