Cherfe Viewpoint

The road climbs through hairpin after hairpin, and at Cherfe the Masca side opens up all at once: ridge behind ridge, gorges cut deep between them, green valley floors far below. It is your first look at the ground the road is about to drop into, and it shows what the descent to Masca will be like.

The light keeps changing the view. Sun catches one ridge while the next sits in shadow, and cloud can come over the tops within a morning, so the drive back may show you a different valley from the one you saw on the way in. On clear days La Gomera stands on the horizon out to sea.

• The car park fills quickly, and more so as the day goes on.
• Thieves have targeted cars here. Lock the doors yourself, check each one has shut, and leave nothing on show.
• The pass is cooler than the coast, and the wind can be sharp up there. Bring a jacket.
• There are no toilets or drinking water at the viewpoint. The nearest are about 750 m away in a straight line.

Most people come by car on the TF-436, a narrow mountain road of steep stretches and tight hairpins, with oncoming traffic that includes tour buses. Take it slowly and expect to pull in for vehicles coming the other way.

The viewpoint is right at the roadside. The car park is about 10 m from the lookout, so there is no walk to speak of once you have parked. Two La Cumbre bus stops stand beside it. Masca lies further down the same road.

Best: early morning.

Avoid: later in the day.

The car park fills quickly as the day goes on, and cloud can build over the ridges and close off the view.