Yesterday evening, when we went to ‘our village’ in the Valley of the Great King on the island of La Gomera in the Canaries, we saw an owl in the first hour of darkness, and it was heartening to know that such things hadn’t changed.

La Gomera offers a uniquely different ‘vibe’ from other Canary islands in one important respect. Apart from its unique cloud forests, unspoiled beaches, walking paths and absence of glitzy resorts, a distinctive laid back feeling abides, writes Damien Enright

GOMERA shops offer 20 island walking guides in German and just one in English — the latter costs 14 and falls apart.