La Gomera Day 3
Playa de Santiago – Targa (2 km before)
Hiking: 7.5 km Ascent: 552 m Descent: 82 m  Max Elevation: 493 m
Due to the detour we took the day before, we already knew what was laying in front of us. We started our day with a wonderful cup of hot coffee on the beach. We try to wash our self with curd soap in the Atlantic. Due to the cold water the soap didn’t want to dissolve and we had soap pieces everywhere.
But we were feeling better nevertheless.
Playa de Santiago
Still hungry we pushed ahead. At the promenade of Playa de Santiago we found a Spar Supermarket where we could buy some bread and lucky enough we found a tortilla de patatas, a dish that Bella is always really exited about. While at it we refilled our cereal bar and instant noodle supply.
A straw parasol at the beach was the perfect spot for our extended breakfast. We watched the small fisher boats leaving the pier, there was a strong westerly wind blowing and anchored boats were dancing in the harbour.
In the distance Tenerife was wrapped in clouds. Just the peak of the Teide protruded above the clouds.
Lugar Targa
We followed the Calle de Santiago Apostol for about 500 meters. A small winding mountain road, the Lugar Targa was our next path. The steep path seemed to continue forever. Maybe we ate too much this morning but we needed to take a break every 40 minutes. Our freshly bought cereal bars were already running low. Again it was super-hot and no shadow in sight. The road quickly became a small path and dropped pieces of rock were covering the path.
Aeroporto de La Gomera
Our hiking guide said that the first part of today’s hike would be a comfortable constant climb. – this felt different.
A structure was appearing on the mountains behind us next to Playa de Santiago. First we thought it was waste dump, but as we gained elevation it turned out to be the Aeroporto de La Gomera, a private airport founded in the 1950s, used for crop spraying and emergency flights. Today the airport is also used for domestic flights.
A collapsed water canal followed the trail. In the distance a palm grove on a terraced mountain appeared. We decided to call it an early day. We found a great camping spot close to an old water tank.
After exploring our surroundings we discovered that we were completely lost. We should have been in the valley next to us. But instead we were on the 500 meter tall ridge next to the Barranco. Just off by 100 meter but the height difference was massive.
Most perfect camp site
The stunning landscape made up for our mistake. The yellow dried grass was mixing with the warm orange colors of the twilight, and barren landscape of the burned south of La Gomera was doing the rest – a magical moment.
There was a storm brewing and Roque de Targa suddenly disappeared. A strong wind blew raindrops towards us – a welcome cooling.
We sat in front of our tent and played “Yahtzee” while eating instant noodles. A perfect day – one of the moments you’ll never forget, I still get goosebumps just thinking of the vibe that night.
The sky during the night was incredible. Usually we are too tired to go outside after a long day of hiking, but that night we both could enjoy the perfectly visible milky way. Even the most distance object visible to the naked eye could be seen clearly: the Andromeda Galaxy radiated in all its glory.
