La Gomera to Tenerife: Walking the Canary Islands

La Gomera is just 50 minutes by ferry from Tenerife. There are regular flights to Tenerife Sur airport (TFS) from mainland Spain and there are even direct flights from New York. We will be waiting to take you the short distance to the ferry port for your crossing (included in the price). On arrival, your first hotel is just a few minutes away. On your return, it's another simple journey. Easy!

The Canary Islands can generally be a great all-year destination for walking. You can do this trip all year, but here's a steer should you need it.

April to June: This can be particularly beautiful with the onset of spring bringing lots of color across the islands. Tenerife is particularly lovely, with the echiums in flower around Teide's peak. The further into spring you go, the quieter things actually become in La Gomera. It's a really nice time to walk, but some villages may be a little quieter than normal.

July to August: On Tenerife, summer is very much high season, but the majority of that is concentrated in the resorts of the south coast. Your trails will generally be quiet whenever you visit, but expect Teide to be busier than usual. As always it's easy to find quiet corners, so it's not such a big deal.

The islands can get hot, with temperatures frequently pushing 30°C and beyond if it's a heatwave. It's important to remember that you will have a taste of all of La Gomera and Tenerife's microclimates, from the mountains, forests and coastal towns of the north, which generally have a more lush and humid feel, to the dry sunny southern slopes of Teide.

We always book you on an early cable car ride up to Teide, beating the biggest of the heat. You may wish to consider whether you have the energy to push on to the summit though!

September to October: Autumn is a very pleasant time to visit both islands - La Gomera's peak walking season is starting to build so things get going again there and Tenerife calms down a bit after the heat of the summer. The wineries around Vilaflor at the end of this trip will be at their best, coming into harvest time.

November to March: With things generally a bit chilly and grey at home, winter can be an ideal time to be in the Canary Islands. This is actually peak walking season in La Gomera and the island will be full of color with a vibrant atmosphere.

On Tenerife, Teide's cable cars operate all year and seeing the mountain with a cloak of snow can be a spectacular sight. When this is the case, hikers require crampons to reach the summit - so we tend to advise against pushing on all the way to the top. Elsewhere things can get occasionally get a little wet and wild in the north so you should have an open mind and be prepared to change plans at late notice. Your local contact will help make alternative arrangements so that you can still get out walking.

Your days spent walking and exploring are balanced with great comfort at night. Each hotel offers a warm welcome, a comfy bed, peace and quiet and often a lush garden and pool to enjoy with great views. We spend a great deal of time regularly visiting the hotels in the area to ensure we always offer the very best available.

There's also great comfort in having dinner at your hotel or being within a very short stroll of the restaurants. Once showered and settled, you needn't ever move too far.

Both La Gomera and Tenerife's walking terrain is generally hilly and volcanic. That necessitates a fair amount of up and down to reach the best views and get the most out of your time here, traversing the crest of hills or descending into gorges and valleys. This isn't somewhere you stroll from beach to beach, as you do in Menorca for example.

Therefore, this vacation is intentionally designed to balance more challenging walks with shorter/flatter routes and days of complete downtime and strolling.

In this sense, it will be very enjoyable for most, though there are some fairly hefty descents on the first two walks in La Gomera and again on the first two walks in Tenerife. If you suffer from knee problems then these may take their toll, but keep in mind that the paths in the steepest sections are designed to zig-zag back and forth to ease the gradient, so it's more about an accumulation. Walking poles can also help to distribute your weight and ease the pressure.

The islands do a very good job of maintaining its trails, so most of the walking is done on very clear and well-established gravel paths.

It is possible to walk the final 0.6km to reach the summit of Teide - the highest point in all of Spain. The trail to the summit is a steep and demanding as it is undertaken at altitude (see below). It should take around 45 minutes to an hour to reach the summit.

Permits are limited to 200 each day and must be booked beforehand, usually at least 2-3 months in advance. They are currently free of charge and we can book these for you.

Only for the hour or two that you are up on Teide.

The cable car ride takes you up to high altitude - 3,550m just below the summit and 3,700m if you are going to the summit.

For the vast majority of visitors (this is Spain's most visited national park after all), it's not a problem. But you should still go prepared.

Bring warm layers and wear suitable footwear, walk at a slow pace and drink plenty of water. If you begin to feel sick or suffer with headaches, simply descend in the next cable car. This should quickly relieve any symptoms, taking you down below 2,400m. The 8km circular walk takes place at this altitude, meaning you won't have any issues with it in the second part of the day.

Where you are not walking to/from your hotel, you have a private transfer to the trailhead. You then have lots of time to enjoy the walks at a leisurely pace before you are collected at the agreed time and taken back to your hotel.

No. To make sure you enjoy the trails in splendid peace and at your own pace, we offer just one departure a day for this walking vacation. That means each day is yours, all yours, with no other footsteps gathering speed behind you. It does mean however that dates get booked up. So if you're interested, please let us know so that we can secure your preferred dates.

We provide simple written instructions for you to follow, plus GPS tracks which you use on your smartphone. These will let you know when you need to take an upcoming action, or if you have strayed off the path. It's therefore all very easy, allowing you to relax into the walk and enjoy the views.

We take care of these where necessary. On days when you move between hotels, these will either go separately on a baggage transfer or travel with you as you explore. You will only ever walk with your daypack. The hotels and taxi drivers are all very familiar with this system.

Yes, the slow pace of a walking holiday means you will have ample opportunity to strike up conversations should you wish. You also spend a great deal of time in small towns and collectively your guides and hosts are a great wealth of local knowledge and engaging company.

Simply send over an enquiry with any details or requests that you have and we'll come back to you with a full proposal for you to read through, which details of each walk and lots of stunning photography.

To book the trip you simply then give us your dates and we'll check availability and get you booked in!