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La Gomera

Day 2 - Garajonay National Park from El Cedro to Chipude

Sunday 26th February 2017

 

 

After a 30 - 40 minute transfer on winding highly scenic roads into the hills above San Sebastian to El Cedro, we took a trail which took us through the Garajonay National Park, through a dense laurel wood cloud forest, which covers most of the northern part of the island.

Our first day of walking ended with a short descent to the village of Chipude, considered to be the oldest settlement on La Gomera. Situated below an impressive table mountain and surrounded by terraced field-strips, Chipude is quintessential La Gomera.

 

 

Distance Time Elevation in meters

Km		 Elapsed
Hrs-Mins		 Moving
Hrs-Mins		 Gain Loss Min Max
16.27 6H34   812 554 824 1,468

   

   

 


Courtesy of https://www.orangesmile.com/common/img_city_maps/gomera-island-map-1.jpg

Reproduced under licence from the La Gomera Tour & Trail Map 1:35,000
copyright David Brawn of Discovery Walking Guides Ltd.

Our first glimpse of San Sebastian in daylight

Torre del Conde

The central downtown area

 

9-40 a.m. departure for El Cedro, approximately 18 km from the centre of San Sebastian

30 minute transfer to El Cedro due to good roads and relatively new tunnels

El Cedro

L to R: Rob, Warren, Hilarie, Christine, Sun, Enekoiz and Matt

L to R: Gareth, Kathy, Geoff, Matt, Warren, Louise, Christine, Mick and Heather
Front Row: L to R: Rob, Sun and Hilarie

Onwards and upwards. By my reckoning the first 3 hours 30 minutes was uphill!

Enekoiz explaining the route

 

 

 

 

Ermita de Lourdes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time for lunch

 

 

Huge dandelion plants

 

 

 

The final push to Alto de Garajonay

Not a lot to be seen from the viewpoint at the top

Mirador de Alto de Garajonay

Alto de Garajonay

On the way down

 

 

 

 

 

Table top mountain

 

(Photo by Gareth)

Enekoiz explaining the scenery

 

(Photo by Gareth)

Characteristic roof line weighted against the wind

 

 

 

 

Chipude

Chipude is one of the most important villages in La Gomera, and is also located close to the middle of the island. Chipude is surrounded by the Fortaleza de Chipude Natural Monument, the Garajonay National Park, the Orone Protected Landscape and the Valle Gran Rey Rural Park. The dry stone walls erected because of the need for conquering little areas of flat land on which to cultivate, avoiding the rugged terrain, converted inhabitants into genuine "landscape gardeners", overcoming the territory obstacles for survival. Talking about Chipude is talking about culture, attachment to the custom and inherited traditions, drum sounds, "chacaras" (type of castanets from La Gomera) and respect for memories. The Drum Dance, the Holy Sundays, the Romances, the New Year Celebrations and the Wake of Little Angels among others are examples of an alive musical folklore passed down by word-of-mouth and popular wisdom.

Chipude and the Fortaleza
display their beauty to the world
Begging is not an insult
when you live in poverty

The festival of the patron Saint Muestra Señora de la Candelaria is celebrated on August 15th, when the villagers and the whole island gather around the 17th century La Candelaria Church.

Highlights of the next section of the path between Chipude and Vallehermoso are the craftwork and gastronomy of El Cercado and Las Hayas, the largest "sabina canaria" (Juniperus phoenecia var. canariensis) wood in the Canary Islands and the village of Vallehermoso, a historical center of agricultural exports.


  

 

The parish church of La Candelaria

 

 

Hotel Sonia, Chipude

L to R: Christine, Gareth, Mick, Rob, Geoff, Sun, Heather, Matt, Warren, Kathy, Hilarie and Louise