Getting Around La Gomera

If you are traveling to La Gomera for the first time and don't know how to get around the island, I'll tell you about the alternatives available!

Isabel Catalán

Isabel Catalán

7 min read

Getting Around La Gomera

© Julieta Navarro

Located very close to Tenerife, the island of La Gomera is a place that will surprise you if you decide to visit it. Now, how to get around La Gomera once you land on the island? In this post we review all the options you can use to get from one place to another.

Touring La Gomera with an organized excursion and let yourself be carried away

Garajonay National Park| ©dronepicr
Garajonay National Park| ©dronepicr

The fastest and most comfortable way to get around La Gomera to visit it is to take an organized excursion from Tenerife to discover this place in just one day if you do not have more time.

This way you will not have to worry about organizing the logistics or planning the tour to the main tourist attractions of the island, with all the stress that entails. In this type of activities everything is designed so that travelers can relax and let themselves be guided by local guides to enjoy their visit to La Gomera without headaches.

In addition, you will save money, since the price is higher when renting a car to move around the island and also time (both in planning the visit and making the tour itself when you get there).

How do I visit La Gomera on an organized excursion?

Depending on the excursion you choose, the trips to visit La Gomera and the routes are varied, but usually include pick up and transfer to the hotel, plus all transfers during the activity.

For example, to get to the island you take the ferry that departs from Tenerife. After disembarking at the port of San Sebastián de La Gomera, the main sites of interest in the capital are usually visited on foot with a guide.

Afterwards, a vehicle is usually taken to go by road to emblematic places such as the Garajonay National Park or the Hermigua Valley before returning to the port to take the ferry to Tenerife again.

Book an organized excursion to La Gomera

Getting around by car

Rent a car| ©Jordi Sabaté
Rent a car| ©Jordi Sabaté

If you do not travel to La Gomera with your own vehicle, my advice is to book a rental car if you want to move quickly from one place to another in La Gomera with total freedom, without depending on the schedules of public transport and its availability.

Driving around La Gomera is not difficult because the island is small and the state of the roads is good. Besides, some roads like the GM-2 that crosses the Garajonay National Park are so beautiful that they have become another tourist attraction to enjoy during your stay. So if you like driving, this is your best option to move around the Canary Island.

Where to rent a car in La Gomera?

The most convenient way is to pick it up at the Port of San Sebastian de La Gomera if you arrive by ferry or at the Airport of La Gomera if you arrive by plane.

Some companies that provide this service on the island are Cicar or Avis and depending on the model and the characteristics of the vehicle you will find options from 30 € per day.

What documentation is needed to rent a car in La Gomera?

  • Identity card or passport
  • Valid national or internationaldriver's license
  • To have a minimum of 1 or 2 years of driving license.
  • Depending on the rental company, you must be 21 years of age or older.

How long does it take to drive to the main tourist attractions in La Gomera?

Time is money, especially when we go on vacation and have a tight schedule. The car gives us total freedom and helps us to save time in getting around La Gomera, as we do not depend on timetables, transfers, or the availability of public transport.

In the following table you will see the estimated time it takes to go by car to some points of La Gomera from the capital of the island.

  • Garajonay National Park
  • 14,2 Kilometers
  • Time: 20 minutes approx.
  • Hermigua
  • 18,7 kilometers
  • Time: 25 min approx.
  • Agulo
  • 23,8 kilometers
  • Time: 35 min approx.
  • Valle Gran Rey
  • 51,6 kilometers
  • Time: 1 hour and 12 minutes

Book an organized excursion in La Gomera

How to get around La Gomera by bus

Enjoy the beautiful views from the guagua (bus)| ©Tony Hisgett
Enjoy the beautiful views from the guagua (bus)| ©Tony Hisgett

The bus or guagua (as they call it in the Canary Islands) is the cheapest option to move around La Gomera but if you do not have much time to be on the island I do not recommend it, because it is slower than the car and you will have to be aware of schedules, routes and availability of buses without counting the waits at each stop.

The company that provides this service on the island is called GuaguaGomera, which has a total of 7 lines to connect the different towns of the island.

  • Line 1 - Valle Gran Rey - San Sebastián de La Gomera
  • Line 2 - Vallehermoso - San Sebastián
  • Line 3 - Alajeró - San Sebastián
  • Line 4 - Vallehermoso - La Dama
  • Line 5 - Vallehermoso - Alojera
  • Line 6 - Valle Gran Rey - Airport
  • Line 7 - San Sebastián - Airport
  • Line 8 - Vallehermoso - Valle Gran Rey

How much does a bus ticket cost in La Gomera?

Tickets are purchased inside each bus and the price can range between 2 and 6 euros each way depending on the kilometers of the route.

For example, a full trip between San Sebastian de la Gomera and Vallehermoso costs 4.50 euros, while between the capital and Valle Gran Rey costs 5 euros.

Depending on the locations you are going to see during your stay in La Gomera, I recommend you to check the fares and schedules on the website of GuaguaGomera.

Book an organized tour of La Gomera

How to get around La Gomera by cab

Take a cab| ©david pacey
Take a cab| ©david pacey

Cabs are another interesting option to consider for getting around La Gomera, especially if you do not drive or are traveling in a group, as it is a fast and comfortable transport although less economical than the bus.

As with the buses, the number of cabs available on the island is also limited, so if you want to make sure you get to a certain place or tourist attraction, my advice is to book in advance, leaving everything closed to be picked up without waiting and without surprises.

Some of the companies that offer this service on the island are Gomera Taxi or Taxi La Gomera.

How much does a cab ride in La Gomera cost?

The price of the cab ride will depend on the kilometers made in the route although there are also fixed prices that you can consult with the driver when you call to make the reservation.

For example, the trip between San Sebastián de La Gomera and Hermigua can cost around 25 € while to Agulo is around 30 € and to Valle Gran Rey around 55 €.

Book an organized excursion in La Gomera

Touring La Gomera by ferry for one-off visits

La Gomera Ferry| ©InterCityImpress
La Gomera Ferry| ©InterCityImpress

The island is small but there are areas that are quite far away by road and it may happen that the bus network lines do not reach them. For cases like this, the ferry company Fred Olsen offers a regular service of displacement between different points of the island.

The internal line of Fred Olsen Express La Gomera connects the ports of San Sebastian de La Gomera - Playa Santiago - Valle Gran Rey (round trip). The ticket price for this ferry is between 8 and 10 euros.

How long are the ferry trips within the island?

  • San Sebastián de La Gomera - Playa Santiago: 30 minutes
  • Playa Santiago - Valle Gran Rey: 40 minutes
  • San Sebastián de La Gomera - Valle Gran Rey: 70 minutes

Why travel by ferry in La Gomera?

It is a very interesting option to move around La Gomera where other public transport does not reach and get to know the coastline of the island. From the sea you will have beautiful views of the coastal and marine landscape, a very interesting experience not to be missed!

Walking tours around La Gomera if you stay in the center of the island

Stroll around San Sebastián de La Gomera| ©Bengt Nyman
Stroll around San Sebastián de La Gomera| ©Bengt Nyman

The capital of La Gomera is a very quiet little town with a long history, where only 9,000 people live, so walking is an excellent way to discover the center of the city which is full of low houses in the Canarian style.

Although there are no major tourist attractions in the municipality, there are several places of interest in San Sebastian de La Gomera related to the voyages of Christopher Columbus to America after the discovery of America.

The distances are not excessively large and in fact from the Town Hall to the Archaeological Museum of La Gomera it takes less than 5 minutes to walk, almost the same as to the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, both in the same area. In other words, you will be able to see the highlights of the municipality on foot.

Book an organized excursion in La Gomera