//
Photo: Ar Herrmann, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Very eerie in the mist if the trees are creaking. Beautiful carpets of Canarian geranium in spring. For a very intense "old forest" experience, hike Las Hayas - Las Creces - Raso de la Bruma - Mirador Risquillos de Corgo - Cañada de Jorge - Las Creces - Las Hayas.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Stunning views into the valley through the huge windows in this strangely formal establishment. Very hard to spot this place from the road below except at night when the lit windows float eerily in the darkened mountains. There is a nice well-kept garden and a beautiful view.
Area around a big clearing, which is the actual La Laguna Grande. There's a small park and a few footpaths towards a viewpoint of Alto de Garajonay. Good place for a short hike with kids, with playgrounds, BBQ areas, a restaurant and parking lot.
Near Pavón, an outcrop of rock/table mountain. Remains of the main volcanic chimney of the island. Similar but smaller mountain - Calvario - is nearby Alajeró, with a small church at the top.
A UNESCO World Heritage site - extensive forested area on the top of the island. It protects the largest laurel rainforest remaining on Earth, "almost as old as the island itself" — the vegetation type has stayed the same for millions of years. The forest is made up of different evergreens flourishing under the mild temperatures. Trees are irrigated by the mist which sometimes covers the top of the island, especially in winter. The trees are covered in mosses and lichens. This environment extended all around the Mediterranean Sea in the Tertiary Era, so the National Park is considered a living relic. Several species endemic to the Canary Islands live here, including the Gomeran lizard, Gomeran skink, stripeless tree frog, laurel pigeon and Bolle's pigeon. Crisscrossed with footpaths of several difficulty levels, it is known as the green heart of La Gomera. Highlights include:
Stunning terraces in the upper valley. Lower valley still showing some influence (in places) of the time when this was a hippie hangout, but creature comforts widely available. In the upper part of the valley, there are several good paths up in the mountains.