1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

Being able to go on hikes through some of the most beautiful landscapes we have seen, followed by swimming in the ocean, while enjoying fantastic weather in Europe in early January.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

The village of Las Hayas on La Gomera, where we stayed, is an excellent base to explore the rest of the island from - we would recommend it to anyone who travels there. If you have booked a car, as we did, staying there allows you to get to most parts of the island quickly and easily. Apart from booking a car, the only other piece of advice we would give is this: if you are there in winter, make sure to take the same mixture of clothing you would take to the British hills in summer. Not only can it get cold, on the tops of the mountains and in the laurasilva forest it can also rain. So take waterproofs and warm jumpers as well as shorts and swimming gear!

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?

We did. The house we rented was locally owned and operated. The food we ate was locally sourced and locally prepared. When we ate out it was in locally run restaurants. There were recycling facilities and the electricity ran on solar power. Responsible Travel also gave us the opportunity to off-set the emissions from our flights, an option which we took.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

Fantastic - have every intention of going back next year.

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

In some ways the most memorable part of this holiday for me was the wonderful, relaxed feeling I had at the end of it! The most impressive was suddenly coming across the view over Valle Gran Rey on one of our walks! There were several magical moments - especially in the trees of El Cedro. The misty green forest certainly sparked my imagination (... though I have to admit that I didn't actually see any of the tree people!) We also enjoyed a tantalising view at the top of Garajonay as the top of the sacred Fortaleza slipped in and out of view. Our most relaxing moments were by the sea at Playa Santiago and Valle Gran Rey.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

1. Remember to check ferry times! (Luckily we arrived early enough to cover our mistake!)
2. Check out the bus timetables early on - I'm sure we could have made better use of buses on the island.
3. Stock up on plenty of Dona Efigenia's goods! Our favourites were her house liqueur and honey.
4. Remember it's warmer at the coast than it is 1000m up into the island ( - especially in February!) We found it pleasantly warm by the coast, but naturally cooler higher up.
5. Be aware that finding an open cafe may not be easy. Again, by the coast cafes stay open all day, but elsewhere they may close at 5pm - just after building up some thirst from a day's walking!

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?

Yes, definitely. The cottages which are rented out are owned and maintained by a local family. They have been renovated and appear to be properties which are no longer lived in by locals due to emigration. Also, our cottage had solar water heating and a low energy room heating system (air source heat pump). So it's certainly a positive choice to stay there - rather than a new holiday appartment!

4. Any other comments?

We had a lovely time in La Gomera. We found everyone to be very helpful - Susanne at this operator replied to e-mails promptly and helpfully. Dona Efigenia and family made us feel very welcome on the island and at Casa Montana. Our cottage was situated just outside the village, in good condition and looked out over palm trees towards the ocean – a very pleasant location!

Excellent location for walking and hiking and wonderful sunset views. Weather in February was a mix, prepare for a range of temperatures/ wind speeds. La Montana restaurant very useful (and great fulsome veggie food) but a smattering of Spanish helps communication, also for very limited supplies of some basics, otherwise shopping in Valle Gran Rey or Chipude. Donna Efigenia wonderful and charming, make friends for donations of local produce!

Our preference was for the hills rather than coast! Two families using both Bodega del Raso and Tia Delfina provided indoor space for poorer weather (Delfina) and a terrace for the sunshine (Bodega del Raso) (and share of various pots and pans!)

Recommend 'Alternative Gomera' for a quirky (but insightful) walking guide and La Gomera Tour and Trail map (www.gomera.org.uk) but there are also more useful straightforward walk guides. Not all walks well/consistently signposted.

Books and maps can be bought on the island but you have to hunt for English versions (e.g. tourist shop at the top end of beach side parade in Valle Gran Rey), more available in San Sebastian if you have time there. Better to go prepared if you can to make the most of the place.

Some of the ferry times in some of the material provided not up to date, best check with websites www.garajonayexpress.com and www.fredolsen.es. We got caught with return tix for one company we could not use....

As ever car hire can be cheaper to book when you arrive...but you need something to get there when you arrive...but could be worth taking the (Garajonay) ferry to Valle Gran Rey and then taxi, rather than taking a car from San Sebastian if you want to rely on walking and public transport - and you can arrive at the right time of day to catch the longer ferry....

La Gomera - just right for getting away from it all - houses characterful and well built, could be slightly better equipped, so 'three going on four' stars.