Walking on La Gomera and El Hierro. Paddy Dillon

right, away from the main valley, across a slope dominated by cistus below Montaña de Juan Romo. Descend rugged stone steps into a valley of lush and varied scrub, with plenty of tagasaste. Reach a rocky edge and turn right to cross a streambed, picking up a path rising gently on the other side.

      Cross a slope of agaves, cistus, tabaibal and verode, turning a rocky corner for a sudden view of Imada at the head of the Barranco de Guarimar. The path crosses the scrubby slope, with lots of prickly pears at the top, tagasaste later, then agaves and palms further down. Wind down and cross bare rock in a streambed, climbing stone steps to leave it. Walk along a terrace, then down paved steps to a road-end. Walk down the steep and bendy road, through a bouldery cutting, to reach the Bar Cafeteria Arcilia in Imada. The route can be finished, after only 5km (3 miles), by catching a bus to Playa de Santiago.

      Looking from the forested crest near Pajarito to El Teide on Tenerife

      Walk down the road as signposted for Playa de Santiago, levelling out beside a small sports pitch. Turn left down steps, then right along a road to pass the Ermita de Santa Ana. Follow the road onwards, and while flights of steps descend to the left, only one of them is signposted. A stone-paved path, jointly used by Rutas 20 and 24, runs down through the Barranco de Guarimiar. Cross terraces and pass a ruin. Huge boulders lie on slopes where palms and almonds grow. The path runs down a soft band of rock then drops down smooth, bare rock, continuing along the valley side to pass an upstanding dyke. Turn a crumbling corner and look back to Imada for the last time.

      Don’t follow a level, easy path, but turn left down a winding, rocky path. Later, exploit a soft, red layer, heading downhill, uphill and across a rock-face, beneath an overhang. Next, a soft, yellow/creamy layer of rock leads steeply down across cliffs. A rugged path leads to a broken water channel; the path drops down a slope of agaves, prickly pears, tabaibal, verode and cistus. After following the path round a corner and further along its rugged course, palms grow on the way round a side-valley. Cross over and climb as marked, passing between houses to reach a track that leads down to a signpost. The track offers a quick exit if needed.

      Climb a narrow path signposted for El Rumbazo and Playa de Santiago. Cross a steep and rugged slope, passing a ruined caseta and another signpost. Keep left to head gradually down above another caseta. Look across the valley to see the Ermita de Guarimiar. Pass lots of palms to reach a small building and a couple of ruins on old terraces. At this point choose between an easy descent to Playa de Santiago via the Ruta 24, or a steep climb up the Ruta 20 to Targa, then on to Antoncojo or Alajeró (see later).

      To Playa de Santiago

      Keep straight ahead past the buildings and a few palms, up across a scrubby slope, then wind down past palms. The rugged path crosses scrubby slopes and a stone-paved path runs in front of houses at El Rumbazo. Go down stone steps and down a steep and bendy road to cross a bridge, reaching a road junction and a map-board. Ruta 24 joins Ruta 23 here. Turn right and follow the road to Playa de Santiago. (See Walk 4 for the route description.)

      Ascent to Targa

      This is a steep and rocky climb of 500m (1640ft). Turn right to follow Ruta 20 up a narrow, stone-paved path beside a barranco, passing palms. Cross the barranco and keep climbing, drifting right up a steep and scrubby buttress. Further uphill worn, red rock leads to a path junction. Turn left and climb across an old water channel, passing agaves, cistus, prickly pears, tabaibal and verode. The path climbs up around cliffs, in and out of gullies, exploiting every weakness to gain height on a formidable mountainside. The path is gentler as it crosses a rocky gap and reaches a road. Turn right up the road to a signpost at Targa, for options to walk to Alajeró or Antoncojo.

      To Alajeró

      Walkers take in the view at the head of the Barranco de Guarimiar near Imada

      After a steep climb from the Barranco de Guarimiar, Alajeró can be reached easily from Targa

      Walk further along the road, step down to the left to follow the GR132, then cross a streambed and climb back to the road. Cross the road and watch carefully for cairns and markers as the path is initially vague and rugged, although further uphill it is concrete. Turn left up a road to reach a little quarry on the right. Turn right just after the quarry to walk up a stone-paved path. Turn right across bare rock, then an easy terrace path leads to an old house where a stone-paved path runs to the main road in Alajeró. The Bar Restaurante Las Palmeras is across the road, or continue a little further, walking roughly parallel to the road to reach a bus shelter. See Walk 20 for more information about the GR132.

      To Antoncojo

      This route runs downhill, around 300m (985ft). Leave Targa as signposted for Antoncojo, crossing bare rock and following a narrow path between low walls across old terraces, passing a few palms. Climb a little then keep right at a path junction as marked. A rugged path zigzags down a slope of agaves, cistus, asphodel and prickly pears, to the rocky bed of a barranco. Do not cross, but head downstream, scrambling on rock if necessary. A scanty path appears, and a boulder threatens to push walkers into the stream, but still do not cross. Step up onto a terrace, then down a terrace, then turn right and left and finally cross the streambed.