Playa Santiago-Guarimiar
This route takes us from the charming fishing and tourist town of Playa de Santiago into the interior of the narrow canyon of Guarimiar, a harsh and vertical landscape that reflects the essence of La Gomera. Along the route terraces, palm groves and traditional houses alternate, aligned like domino tiles over the narrow cultivated lands, a testimony to heroic farming and the effort of generations of gomeros. The route runs on paved road, suitable for all types of bicycles, and although the climb to the upper core of Guarimiar is demanding in some sections with gradients up to 10%, the absence of traffic and excellent road surface make the ascent very bearable and pleasant.
Route
This route takes us from Playa de Santiago entering into the imposing Santiago ravine, one of the major watercourses of the island which begins at the headwaters of Benchijigua, near the central roques and the Garajonay National Park. After passing through disturbed areas next to the road, the ravine recovers its natural character, and along the way we find the hamlet of Rumbazo, settled on the debris of the ravine walls, reflecting the historic adaptation of the population to a challenging environment. Soon after, a branch leads us into the ravine of Guarimiar, with its canyon‑like form and steep walls, where we discover the hamlet of El Cabezo and tropical farms that include coffee crops, one of the island’s most exotic productions. The route, less than two kilometres, leads us to Guarimiar, a core of traditional houses and terraces that show the heroic agriculture of the island, built upon almost vertical slopes. The route culminates in Lobelión, a small group of traditional houses preserving the memory of ancestral life, with gardens adapted to the slopes and subsistence crops. During the return to Playa de Santiago, cyclists enjoy the panorama of terraced slopes and palm groves, witnesses to the ingenuity of the gomero people in transforming the steepest terrain into fertile spaces, making this route as much scenic as cultural, revealing the harmony between nature and the agricultural tradition of La Gomera.
