Circular Altos de Orone – Monte de los Noruegos
Our cycling adventure pays homage to Orahan, the divinity of the ancient inhabitants of La Gomera, with a route taking us from the picturesque pottery village of El Cercado up to the imposing Alto de Garajonay, the island’s summit and its main sanctuary. The trail combines diverse landscapes, passing through cultivated plots, lush forests, and the rugged Monte de Los Noruegos above the Benchijigua basin, where each climb and each bend connects us with the purest essence of the western part of Garajonay National Park. Ideal for MTB and gravel, the journey mixes dirt tracks with paved and concreted sections, offering the reward of unique panoramic views from the summit and the thrill of a return full of nature, history, and adventure.
Route
This route immerses us in the history, culture, and nature of La Gomera. It starts in the plaza of El Cercado, next to the Las Loceras Interpretation Center, where we discover the island’s pottery tradition and its ancestral ceramics. El Cercado is also a wine‑making reference, with family wineries producing unique wines from the local Forastera Gomera variety. Riding towards Llanos de Crispín, we cross gentle ravines, terraces and palm groves, until reaching the La Cabecita dam, before entering Garajonay National Park on dirt tracks surrounded by fayal‑brezal (heather‑laurel forest) and the Argumame pine forest. The route culminates at Alto de Garajonay, the island’s summit, a natural and aboriginal sanctuary dedicated to the deity Orahan, where reconstructions of the ancient sacrifice circles, the pireos, can be seen, and spectacular views of the entire island enjoyed. For those seeking adventure, the long version continues toward Monte de Los Noruegos, a forested area above the Benchijigua basin, with restored fayal‑brezal and views of the impressive Roques of the island. The return follows the same path, descending toward El Cercado through Los Manantiales, completing a route that combines nature, culture and unforgettable panoramas, ideal for MTB and gravel.
