These actions are framed in the Tourism Sustainability Plan 'La Gomera, Isla Circular', with the aim of consolidating an offer aimed at the conscious and high-value traveler.
These products will allow the business fabric to be aligned with the new tourism model, based on sustainable commitment, authentic experiences and natural and cultural heritage.
The Cabildo of La Gomera, through the Tourism Area, gathered this Wednesday the island's tourism sector at the Botanical Garden of Discovery, in Vallehermoso, for the official presentation of six new tourism products. The initiative is part of the Tourism Sustainability Plan: 'La Gomera, Circular Island', financed by the European Union - NextGenerationEU.
The president, Casimiro Curbelo, highlighted the important path that La Gomera has been building for years: a tourism model that - as he explained - is based on the pillars of sustainability, authenticity and respect for its natural values. In this sense, he stressed that this is not an improvised initiative, but rather the result of strategic planning. He stressed that these products represent an island that opens to the future without losing its identity and that converts the protection of its natural and cultural heritage into an opportunity for socioeconomic development, especially in rural municipalities.
The insular Minister of Tourism, Commerce and Consumption, María Isabel Méndez, insisted that tourism must be understood as a tool of transformation. In this sense, he explained that each investment, training action and tourism product is aimed at generating shared value, improving the quality of life of residents and preserving the natural resources that attract visitors. In this way, he emphasized that the new tourism products presented reflect a vision of the future: “that of tourism more connected to the territory, which energizes the island territory.”
For his part, José Juan Lorenzo, managing director of Promotur – Tourism of the Canary Islands, highlighted the importance of public-private collaboration “which has a direct, real and significant impact on communication and making the products and benefits of La Gomera more accessible.” In addition, he pointed out that "what began here in 2021 is an example for all the islands, because it is substantially improving the accessibility of visitors to get to know the island."
The mayor of Vallehermoso, Emiliano Coello, highlighted "the satisfaction of celebrating this event at such a positive time for Vallehermoso, recently recognized as 'Magical Town of Spain'. Initiatives like this reinforce the tourist projection of the municipality and add to the joint efforts with the Government of the Canary Islands and the Cabildo of La Gomera within the Tourism Sustainability plan." Likewise, he added that, in a season of high occupancy in La Gomera, “this type of actions strengthen the tourism value chain and contribute to the present and future economic growth of the island.”
Offer aimed at the traveler
The new products include ecotourism, hiking and cycle tourism experiences that allow you to explore the island on foot or by bicycle, along with coastal tourism proposals aimed at the peaceful enjoyment of the coastline and its marine wealth. They also incorporate agricultural tourism initiatives that bring visitors closer to rural life and local production, as well as cultural and ethnographic tourism routes that highlight history, traditional architecture and cultural expressions that define the Gomera identity.
The objective is to reinforce the attraction of the destination throughout the year and invite you to rediscover the island with calm, authenticity and respect for its environment, immersing yourself in its landscape, its flavors and its traditions.
In total, 27 thematic routes have been defined, which can be traveled independently with access to audio guides, following the QR code signage along the route, or through professional guides who accompany the visitor in interpretive experiences.
Likewise, with this initiative, the Cabildo of La Gomera promotes greater involvement of the private sector, encouraging local companies to expand or specialize their services to move towards a sustainable economic development model consistent with the identity of the island.
Get to know the six new tourist products
The six new tourist products of La Gomera encourage you to enjoy the island in a more conscious and authentic way. The itineraries will be available in four languages (Spanish, English, German and French) on the tourist website lagomera.travel, within the framework of collaboration with Tourism of the Canary Islands.
The first of them, 'Ecotourism: An island under the stars', linked to the quality of the night sky, the ecotourism product takes advantage of the low light pollution to offer astrotourism experiences. It proposes experiences such as 'A journey between stars and tradition', which includes night walks to the Drago de Agalán mixing astronomy and legends, and the route 'Heading to the sea', which connects the terrestrial landscape with the observation of the firmament over the ocean.
'Hiking: Discover the island's legacy on foot', proposes trails in low-density areas and encourages "slow tourism" in the north and west of the island. Itineraries such as 'Caminos del Mar y la Montaña' and the 'Ruta de los Caseríos' cross juniper forests, the mystical Chorros de Epina and authentic villages such as Arguamul, also integrating proposals for well-being and connection with the environment.
'Cyclotourism: Route Guide' brings together more than a dozen routes designed for mountain, gravel, electric and road bikes that cover the four cardinal points of the island, thus allowing you to experience the diversity of the Gomera orography, from the humid freshness of the laurel forest in the Garajonay National Park and the sacred peaks to the arid ravines of the south and the cliffs of the coast of Majona or Puntallana.
The product 'Coastal Tourism: La Gomera on the edge of the Atlantic' merges hiking with the enjoyment of the coast. The experience 'Between sea and mountain' descends from the peaks to the beaches of Valle Gran Rey, while 'Sunset in Playa de Santiago' offers a day in the south that combines seafood cuisine with nautical activities such as kayaking and snorkeling.
'Agrarian Tourism: Between terraces and traditions' highlights 'heroic agriculture' and the landscape shaped by man. Through routes such as 'Arure Trails' and 'Between palm groves and vineyards', visitors tour terraces, traditional pottery areas and the Taguluche valley, discovering the production of palm honey and local viticulture.
Finally, the product 'Cultural and Ethnographic Tourism' will be focused on the municipality of Alajeró, and invites you to discover local history and archeology through the route 'In the footsteps of Orahan', which runs through sacred mountains and ancient centers of worship. This aspect is complemented by the proposal 'Los Caminos del Agua', which explores the hydraulic heritage of dams and ravines such as Guarimiar, and with 'Los Sabores de Alajeró', a gastronomic itinerary dedicated to local products such as wine, cheese and coffee.
