Garajonay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Park, is located at the summit of La Gomera, on the central plateau. It protects nearly 4,000 hectares of a unique forest ecosystem, the laurel forest, the best preserved in the archipelago.

The laurel forest, a living fossil.
During the Tertiary Period, Europe suffered glaciation and North Africa suffered desertification. All of this led to the extinction of most of the subtropical flora of the Mediterranean basin. Due to its temperate climate, the Tertiary flora survives as living fossils on La Gomera.

The legend
The national park is named after the mythical lovers Gara and Jonay, who, like Romeo and Juliet, chose death rather than renounce their love.