Today we took the minibus to Alto de Garajonay, the highest point of the national park, and walked back down to San Sebastian. We followed the GR131 which took us first to the viewpoint of Degollada de Agando, La Gomera’s Machu Picchu. We continued our gradual descent onto Degollada de Peraza, then through a stunning green landscape on the southeast coast of the island. The last section of the walk providds us with stunning views over San Sebastian itself.

A Landscape of Frequent Mists and Volcanic Domes, which were Sacred Mountains for the Ancient Inhabitants of La Gomera

It is not surprising that the mountain peaks and slopes facing the lookout offer the spectacle of splendid cascades of mists. This is one of the weather frontiers of La Gomera. It acts as a transit area between the north facing slopes and the high mountain peaks of the island, which are frequently covered in mists, hence propitiating the growth of splendid forests, and the southern facing slopes where the mists quickly dissipate, giving way to a dryer landscape, with scrub and bush replacing the forest.

The stony power and their central role in the landscape make the Volcanic Domes of Agando, La Zarcita and Ojila - the closest one to the lookout spot - an impressive sight. The pre-Hispanic inhabitants of La Gomera saw these islands as suitable places for worshiping their gods. The volcanic domes and mountains were considered holy ground. The sacrificial altars at the top of these geological monuments bear witness to this fact. These are stone constructions that were probably used to make offerings to these spirits. In them the burned remains of livestock, sheep, goats and even pigs have been found.