22.5
PDI
13.3 mi
DISTANCE
4,156 ft
GAINED
5.5 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
Page Contributor(s): Lisa Irizarry and Matt Jiang, New York, New York
INTRO
Vallehermoso Garajonay climbs 21.5 km (13.3 mi) from the north-coast town of Vallehermoso, on La Gomera in Spain's Canary Islands, up to the high plateau of Garajonay National Park - a UNESCO World Heritage laurisilva (laurel) cloud forest and the highest ground on the island. The route gains 1,267 m (4,156 ft) at a 5.5% average grade, from 178 m (585 ft) near the coast to roughly 1,350 m (4,432 ft) on the mountain.
The climb leaves Vallehermoso beneath Roque Cano, the striking volcanic plug that stands over the town and appears on the municipality's coat of arms, then works up through the old banana- and sugarcane-terraced hillsides that once drove the valley's economy. The GM-1 gains elevation steadily on the way to the island's central ridge, and as it climbs the terrain shifts from cultivated terraces to pine and eventually the ancient laurisilva forest that gives Garajonay its name and its UNESCO status - one of the last significant remnants of this Tertiary-era forest type anywhere in the world.
This is one of several GM-1 approaches to the same national park high point - alongside routes from Hermigua and from Playa de la Calera - so riders looking to combine climbs on La Gomera have real options without changing islands. The GM-1's entrance to Vallehermoso, at the town's southern edge, has been under active construction as the Cabildo works to complete a bypass tunnel meant to relieve a long-standing traffic bottleneck through the town center; check the Cabildo de La Gomera's road-status announcements before a visit, since work in that immediate stretch was still ongoing into 2026.
PLAN YOUR ROUTE
We've partnered with Sherpa-Map.com to bring you the best route planning tool. With a PRO Membership you can use this climb as a reference when creating your route. The grade builds gradually rather than hitting hard early. The first few kilometers out of Vallehermoso, through the terraced lower valley, are the mildest part of the climb, generally under 5%. From there the road settles into a steady 5.5-6.5% through the middle section as it gains the island's interior, with the grade easing again in the final kilometers as the road levels out onto the high plateau approaching Garajonay National Park. There's no single brutal ramp on this route - the difficulty is the sustained, unrelenting nature of over 20 km of continuous climbing.
Roadway: The GM-1 is paved the entire way from Vallehermoso to Garajonay National Park. The town's southern entrance, at La Ladera, has been the site of an active Cabildo de La Gomera infrastructure project to bypass a long-standing traffic bottleneck with a new tunnel - excavation broke through in October 2025, but finishing work (paving, safety systems) was still ongoing into 2026, with local residents reporting congestion from the combined roadwork in early 2026. Check the Cabildo's road-status announcements before you go, particularly for the first kilometer or so out of town.
Traffic: Light to moderate near Vallehermoso, where the GM-1 is the main road linking the town to the rest of the island, picking up briefly with construction-related traffic near La Ladera while the bypass project is finished. Traffic thins out considerably once the road climbs above the terraced valley and gains real elevation toward the park.
Parking: Vallehermoso's town center has on-street parking near the plaza, within easy sight of Roque Cano. If you'd rather avoid the roadwork near La Ladera on foot, there's additional parking near the town's sports facilities closer to the coast.
Over 20 km of sustained climbing calls for real fueling - carry enough food and water for well over an hour and a half of continuous effort, since services thin out quickly once you leave Vallehermoso and there's nothing reliable again until the park's visitor facilities near the top. A compact crank or wide-range cassette earns its keep on the steadier 5.5-6.5% middle section. The temperature and cloud cover can shift noticeably between the sun-baked lower terraces and the laurisilva cloud forest higher up, so a light packable layer is worth carrying even on a warm coastal morning.
Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our Things to Bring on a Cycling Trip and use our interactive check list to ensure you don't forget anything.
Vallehermoso is the largest municipality in La Gomera's west, and Roque Cano - the volcanic plug towering over the town - is one of the island's most recognizable landmarks and a popular hiking objective in its own right. The town built its early prosperity on sugarcane and, later, bananas; that agricultural history is still visible in the terraced hillsides the climb passes through. Playa de Vallehermoso, the town's black-sand beach, has powerful waves better suited to watching than swimming, though a seawater pool complex nearby offers calmer bathing if you want to cool off after the ride. At the top, Garajonay National Park's cloud forest is worth returning to on foot - a number of waymarked trails start from the high plateau this climb reaches. Riders splitting a Gomera trip across more than one approach to the summit can see the Hermigua and Valle Gran Rey routes to the same park with our Routes in the Area tool before planning a base.
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