What's on in La Gomera

La Gomera is the round, green Canary that time forgot, a short hop west of Tenerife. At its heart sits the Garajonay National Park, a UNESCO-listed forest of ancient laurisilva — primeval laurel woodland, dripping with moss and cloud, that once covered much of the Mediterranean and survives almost nowhere else. Steep ravines fan out from the centre down to small black-sand bays, terraced palm valleys and the pretty capital of San Sebastián, the last port Columbus sailed from. The island is also home to Silbo Gomero, the whistled language shepherds use to talk across the gorges — itself a UNESCO treasure.

The fiestas are small, traditional and genuinely local. San Juan on 24 June brings midsummer bonfires to the villages, and in mid-July the Fiesta del Carmen carries the patron saint of fishermen out to sea in a maritime procession. San Sebastián marks its own patron with festivities in January. The island's grandest event, the Bajada de la Virgen de Guadalupe, is a vast pilgrimage held only once every five years, so it's worth checking the cycle before planning around it.

Tiny La Gomera (GMZ) airport takes domestic flights, but most visitors fly into Tenerife South (TFS) from the UK and take the fast ferry across from Los Cristianos to San Sebastián, around 50 minutes. A hire car is well worth it here — the forest, the hidden valleys and the black-sand coves are all linked by slow, winding mountain roads with little public transport.

Whether you're in a Valle Gran Rey apartment, a San Sebastián hotel or a rural cottage near the forest, this is your guide to what's actually on while you're here — the small island fiestas and traditions worth timing your visit around.