Day 6 of GR 132: Playa de Santa Catalina – San Sebastián de La Gomera

Track around Mt Jaragán (674m)
Hike Facts Guide Maps
Distance of this day 22 km 1:30 000 (Kompass 231)
Hiking time 8’30
Playa de Santa Catalina 0’00 – El Palmar 1’30 – Enchereda 3’30 – San Sebastián de La Gomera 3’30
1:35 000 (OSE 377 Toeristische wegenkaart)
Online map & GPX files See introduction for more info 1:35 000 (La Gomera Tour & Trail Super-Durable Map) – recommended

To El Palmar it’s quite a comfortable walk, similar to what you’re used to from the previous parts. From there to Encherada it’s a mountain road. I’d even call it a pipe road since you follow a water pipe which is crawling on the side of the road. Sometimes you even feel like the pipe is following you. The pipe changes a colour sometimes but it’s more or less there all the time, making strange noises.

Mountain road with the Pipe

The local valleys are green like fresh avocados with the sounds of palm leaves spreading over them. From time to time you can spot a yacht sailing around the coast or a sheep hanging out on unmaintained terraces. Shortly after you pass Encherada, the trail goes straight up. It feels unnecessary because San Sebastián is so close and almost under your feet! But yeah, let’s go up once again and see the local beauties for one more time.

Goats on the track are pretty common

On the way up you can see inhabited caves, herds of goats and goatherds too. How simple life they have to be living up here! The view was just amazing and I was thankful that I was wearing my total 1 lenses. If you want it or not, San Sebastián grows closer and closer and before you even realize, you’re on the main road heading downtown.

One of the last views of wilderness before you reach San Sebastián

Being back in San Sebastián feels strange, as usual after a long hike. Cars, rushing in ostensibly senseless directions, are driven by guys with fancy sunglasses as pricey as my hiking boots and shops again offer stuff which people don’t need. Tourists are taking selfies in front of each other and looking at you like you’ve just come up from a rubbish bin. Well, you might look like that but still! The track was really magnificent, something like I have never done before. That’s pretty much how I feel every time after a big hike but still… It’s magical!

Last part of the track before San Sebastián

< Go to day 5
Hiked with Hanka in January 2017. Photos taken by me and my lovely Sony a6000

About the Author

Michal
I lived a pretty ordinary life for a while. I did my studies, my second studies, my third studies, my first job, my second job, and my third job. I wasn’t really sure what’s going on so, in 2014, I left my home country (Czechia) to learn about the world. I’m still not sure what’s going on but I enjoy it much more. I lived in a few countries before settling in New Zealand.

7 Comments on "Day 6 of GR 132: Playa de Santa Catalina – San Sebastián de La Gomera"

  1. Desmedt Patrick | 7.11.2020 at 5:03 | Reply

    Hello everyone,
    I walk a lot (drinking also)
    i going to hike this trail next week.
    I have been there 3 times in La Gomera.(also El Hierro, la palma en Tenerife)
    What is bordering me a little bit is that the support of your touristic track in that little island doesn’t support much local people except the beer in the bar en the grocery shop. Even water has to be free!!
    It’s a pity.
    Little bit like the hippies…
    But you write nice

  2. Thanks for this great write up Michael. I’m lucky enough to live in Gran Canaria and enjoy the great hiking here. I’ve been getting more into camping and have a lightweight tarp. My question is how easy is to get a stake into the ground in most of the places you camped. Mostly I would just cowboy camp under the stars on my mat with a sleeping bag. But can you get a shelter up easily enough in the volcanic ground on the island at the likeliest stopping points each night.

    • Hi Steve, good question. I remember the soil to be hard but not impenetrable for tent stakes. But to be honest we had no wind most of the time so we didn’t really need to put the stakes too deep in the soil. There are plenty or rocks everywhere so if you can’t put the stakes in, you can always use the rocks instead of stakes. Just bring a few meters long string that you can use to tide a rock to the tent corners if needed. All the best from New Zealand

  3. Hi Michal,

    I noticed that the route you described for the 6th day is entirely different from the route that is described for the 6th day in the Cicerone guide (of 2011), which goes through Las Nuevitas from Hermigua to La Poyata, La Carbonera, Degollada de la Cumbre, Aguajilva, Lomo Fragoso, Barranco de la Villa, San Antonio, El Langrero.

    So I wonder, did that section of the GR 132 change or did you take an alternative route on your last day?

    Thanks,
    Freya

    • Michal Klajban | 27.1.2019 at 15:40 | Reply

      Hi Freya!

      Yes, the last leg described here is totally different from the one described in Cicerone. I actually got lost there, blindly following Cicerone maps while the marking poles were heading different way. My route as described here is following marked poles in terrain. Also, a map I met on the way displayed the route as I described it here.

      We can only guess if the old, Cicerone route went through areas that are currently closed because of land slips or if the old route crossed properties that are private now. You might be able to follow the Cicerone route and if you do, please, let me know if it’s doable. If you follow the route described here, that’s the way that follows the marking and the route that should be safe

  4. hi michael,

    great read! i was wondering about the weight of your backpack? i am planing to go the route next month and i am not really sure what to bring. thanks in advance!

    cheers,
    david

    • Michal Klajban | 27.1.2019 at 15:42 | Reply

      Hi David!

      The weight of my backpack was about 12 kg, even though I’m pretty sure I’d be able to fit into 7 kg now. I was carrying quite a heavy tent which was unnecessary (but I didn’t have other one by then). Just make sure you don’t pack anything you’re not going to use. The lighter you go, the more you enjoy it 🙂

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published.