This is one of three guidebooks that replaces Walking in the Canary Islands - West. An update to the original guidebook was planned, then shelved, as the authorities in the Canary Islands embarked on an ambitious plan to signpost and waymark a splendid network of trails across the entire archipelago. After a series of visits to keep a check on the developing trail network, all the routes were walked, photographed and mapped for this new guidebook.

La Gomera and El Hierro are the two smallest Canary Islands, lying at the western end of the archipelago. In recent years they established a comprehensive network of signposted and waymarked trails, following on from work which had been done as long ago as 1999 on neighbouring La Palma. The network is almost entirely based on traditional paths and mule tracks. These trails link villages to each other, as well as climbing to the highest points on the islands. These islands thrive almost entirely on tourism and agriculture, without the need for brash resorts.

The trail network on La Gomera includes a circular long-distance route, the GR 132, running around the island and crossing a series of impressive, steep-sided, arid barrancos. This takes up to a week to cover. The GR 131 runs coast-to-coast over the highest parts of La Gomera, which are covered in dense laurisilva ‘cloud forest’, protected as a national park. The route can be covered in only two days, despite its apparent length. Several shorter ‘PR’ routes form a splendid network, often linking with each other, as well as linking with the ‘GR’ routes, so that any and every walk can be extended and adapted.

The trail network on El Hierro includes another stretch of the long-distance GR 131, which is planned to extend all the way across all seven of the Canary Islands. The middle stretch, over the highest point on El Hierro, is based on the centuries-old pilgrimage route, the Camino de La Virgen. The pilgrim route is the subject of a very long day’s walk once every four years, which the ‘GR’ route can be covered in two days. Several shorter ‘PR’ routes link with this, as well as with each other, so that walks can be extended and adapted all over the island, which is a World Biosphere Reserve.

Many visitors heads for the larger Canary Islands, almost forgetting that these two small islands exist. Make a visit to these islands a priority, because they really are incredibly interesting and take time to explore properly!