Story
The story of Garajonay National Park
Welcome to Garajonay, declared a national park in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. It covers 40 square kilometres in the centre and north of La Gomera, reaching into all six of the island's municipalities, and nearly 450,000 tourists visit it every year. What they come for is the laurisilva, a humid subtropical forest that in the Tertiary covered almost all of Southern Europe; this park is its best example in the Canaries.
In the humid, sheltered valleys facing north grows the richest form, a true subtropical rainforest with the largest laurel trees. Higher up, with less protection from wind and sun, the forest loses some of its more delicate species, and in the south a mix of beech and heather takes over.
Listen for birds: this is one of the best places to see the two pigeons found only in the Canaries, the laurel pigeon and Bolle's pigeon. In August 2012 a forest fire burned 747 hectares, 18% of it.
This story is compiled from Wikipedia and other open sources; dates and numbers are checked against the source. The text is shared under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Source ↗
Hear this story on the spot, in a natural voice
On Sightlore, the story of Garajonay National Park is narrated in a natural voice in 5 languages. When you arrive, say "I'm here" and get your passport stamp.
11 more stories from La Gomera in the app
More highlights in La Gomera
- Torre del CondeTorre del Conde is a fortress from the 15th century located in the Villa de San Sebastián de La Gomera (Canary Islands, Spain). It is a military-type building.
- Church of la AsunciónThe mother parish church of San Sebastián de La Gomera and of the whole island; it originated as a small hermitage.
- Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la CandelariaParish church of the village of Chipude in Vallehermoso, La Gomera, dedicated to Our Lady of Candelaria; one of the island's most important churches.
- San Cristóbal LighthouseThe San Cristóbal Lighthouse is an active lighthouse on the Spanish island of La Gomera in the Canary islands.
- Ermita de Nuestra Señora de GuadalupeHermitage and sanctuary at Puntallana in San Sebastián de La Gomera, venerating Our Lady of Guadalupe, patron saint of the island.
- Monumento Natural de La FortalezaA prominent table mountain with sheer rock walls and a flat summit near Chipude in Vallehermoso, La Gomera; a protected natural monument with remains from the pre-Hispanic period.