Route: Roque Cano
Area: La Gomera
Date of walk: 9th February 2016
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 7.7 miles
Ascent: 1,800 feet
Weather: sunny and warm
This was the penultimate walk of our holiday in La Gomera and in retrospect we both agreed that it was the best. All 7 walks were wonderful in their own way, ranking amongst the very best, but today’s walk seemed to possess something extra special
Vallehermoso, or ‘Beautiful Valley’, was the centrepoint of our walk and as we climbed up the valley away from the village of the same name we admired the well tended banana plantations, small vineyards and potato fields. The weather was perfect and we felt as though we were walking through the Garden of Eden – but more was to come
After a long climb, with spectacular views all around, we arrived at a small mirador near the Restaurant Roque Blanco. From here we started our descent down a long exposed edge. Our pulses quickened as we looked down the route, which appeared to be impossible at times. As usual, the ingenious Gomeran path makers managed to find a safe way down and we had no need to be apprehensive
On the approach to the village we met the huge wall of Roque Cano, a lump of rock shaped like a spaceship and quite surreal in appearance. The path took us round the foot of the rock before leading steeply down back into Vallhermoso to conclude a magical walk
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The road to Vallehermoso and the distinctive outline of Roque Cano - our eventual descent route will be along the ridge leading to it

On foot now as we leave the town square in Vallehermoso and look up to the 400m tall volcanic vent of Roque Cano

Looking back over the town, with early signs of fruit and vegetable production for which the valley is renowned