Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Spain - Canary Islands - Tenerife - La Gomera
100% customisable for you
Passports at the ready: your adventure in the Canary Islands starts today. Head to the airport and speed through security for your flight to Tenerife, which takes four hours and 30 minutes. When you arrive, pick up your hire car and head west along the coastal road for just under an hour until you reach Garachico, a historic port town nestled under towering cliffs.
Check into your hotel for a five-night stay overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and Teno Mountains. Once you’ve unpacked and settled in, find a cosy nook with a good book or drink in hand, ready for the real exploring to begin tomorrow.
On your first morning, we’ve arranged a meet-up with our local Concierge, who’ll give you the inside track on the island over a cup of coffee. Once an important commercial port, complete with lavish houses, convents and monasteries, the Trevejo volcano devastated the city in 1706. Despite the destruction, Garachico is still one of the best-preserved historic towns in the Canaries, perfect for exploring.
Once you’re all clued up, the next couple of days are yours to explore Garachico. Stroll along the cobbled lanes at dusk, spotting beautifully preserved colonial mansions, or visit nearby Orotava for historic architecture and sweeping views over the lush valley.
Love swimming? Head to El Caleton for a dip in natural pools formed by volcanic lava flows, find a secluded beach cove or relax on the sand with a good book in hand. In the evenings, venture back into town for delicious dinners – fresh seafood and local wines are sure to be on the menu.
After two days of getting to know the city, it’s time to delve into the heart of it. One morning, grab your walking shoes for a hike in the UNESCO-listed Teide National Park, home to the 12,000ft Mount Teide – Spain’s highest volcano and the third highest volcanic structure in the world.
Along the way, pine and laurel forests give way to a surreal, lunar-like landscape of red-rust rock formations, created when the volcano last erupted in 1798. Keep your eyes peeled for the local fauna, including gallotia galloti (also known as the Tenerife lizard) and several wild bird species – canaries (yes, really), Betherlot’s pipit, chiffchaffs, swifts, kestrels and the Barbary partridge.
Over the two days, we’ve also arranged a guided tour of the Cueva del Viento (or ‘Cave of the Wind’). Formed over 27,000 years ago, this lava tunnel comprises a labyrinthine network of underground passages, so watch your step as you peer at stalactites, stalagmites, cascades and lakes, as well as fossils and fauna adapted to live in darkness.
Ready for another adventure? For the next few nights, you’ll be staying on La Gomera, the Canaries’ second smallest island, which is just over 14 miles long from east to west.
Today, drive south for just over an hour to Los Cristianos port and board the one-hour ferry to San Sebastian, La Gomera’s capital. When you arrive in this historic port town, it’s just a quick drive to your hotel in the hills, where you’ll be treated to breathtaking views of Mount Teide across the ocean.
After checking in, meet your local guide, who’ll give you some insider tips on this iconic island, which Columbus famously chose as his last port of call before travelling to the Americas in 1492. You’ll also be joined by a local teacher, who’ll fill you in on Silbo Gomero – La Gomera’s ancient whistled language.
Later, wander into town to soak up the atmosphere, admire the Islamic, Gothic and Baroque architecture and enjoy a delicious dinner.
The next couple of days are all about exploring La Gomera at your own pace. From lush valleys and patchworks of banana groves to towering volcanic rocks, there’s no better way to experience the island’s landscape than on foot.
During your time here, we’ve arranged a guided hike from Hermigua, a charming village set in a dramatic ravine, to the Mirador de Abrante, a glass-floored viewpoint offering sweeping views over the dramatic cliff edge. En route, pass through Agulo – said to be the island’s prettiest village and often referred to as ‘the heart of La Gomera’ – and wonder at its maze of cobbled streets, ochre-hued houses, and breathtaking views over the Atlantic Ocean.
Don’t worry about getting hungry – you’ll also stop for lunch at a traditional restaurant, as well as visit the Juego de Bolas National Park Visitor Centre to see its botanic gardens and native tropical plants.
If you thought La Gomera was great, you’re in luck: your next destination is considered the most beautiful town on the island of Tenerife. After breakfast, catch the 50-minute ferry back over to Los Cristianos port, then drive one hour to San Cristobal de La Laguna, a historic town in northern Tenerife. When you arrive, check into your hotel, where you’ll be staying for the next two nights.
After some settling in, head out for a wander around the town’s UNESCO-listed historic centre, brimming with churches, convents and colonial mansions drenched in pastel shades of blue, lemon and green.
When you’re feeling peckish, pull up a chair at a bustling tapas bar. As home to the oldest university in the Canary Islands and a lively marcha (partying) scene, this town fizzes with energy late into the evening. Salud…
Keen gardeners are in for a treat as you’re visiting the Botanical Garden of Puerto de La Cruz today. Even if you don’t have green fingers, these magnificent gardens are a great place to while away an afternoon under the shade of rustling tree ferns and swaying palms.
Established in 1788 by King Carlos III of Spain to acclimatise exotic species brought back from Spanish colonies, the gardens feature thousands of tropical and sub-tropical plants from around the world, including a towering Moreton Bay fig tree that’s over 200 years old.
If you’re still raring to go, we can also arrange a hike in the Anaga Massif, a gorgeous mountain range chock-full of volcanic terrain and hidden villages.
Come evening, enjoy a blow-out feast at your new favourite restaurant and raise a toast to your last night in Tenerife.
Sadly, it’s your last morning in the Canary Islands. After one last leisurely breakfast, say your goodbyes (and maybe take one more snap of the tropical scenery) before heading back to the airport.
When you arrive, drop off the hire car and enjoy a final tipple in the lounge before boarding your flight to the UK. You’ll be in the air for around four-and-a-half hours – just enough time to sit back, scroll through your camera roll and dream up your next Spanish sojourn.
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from checking you in for your flights to our network of local Concierges
