Step out onto a glass walkway suspended over a sheer drop, with the white village of Agulo far below and the snow-capped peak of Teide floating across the sea — the Mirador de Abrante is La Gomera's most exhilarating viewpoint. Perched on the cliff edge high above the island's green north coast, this modern skywalk projects out into thin air, so you can look straight down through the floor to the terraced valley beneath your feet. It's a small stop with a big thrill, and one of the most memorable things to do on tranquil La Gomera.
The glass skywalk
The heart of the mirador is a glass-floored platform that juts out from the cliff top, leaving you standing over a dizzying void with nothing but toughened glass between you and the drop. It's a proper test of nerve — some visitors stride straight out, others edge across with a grin — and the reward is a completely open, uninterrupted view. Below you the whitewashed houses and green terraces of the village of Agulo cascade down towards the sea, framed by dramatic cliffs and, on a clear day, the great cone of Mount Teide on neighbouring Tenerife rising beyond the water. It's the kind of view that stops conversation.
Go on a clear day for the Teide view. The star of the panorama is Teide floating across the strait, but La Gomera's north catches cloud and the famous trade-wind mist, so the peak can vanish behind haze. Mornings are often clearest. There's also a café-restaurant at the mirador, so you can enjoy the outlook over a coffee or lunch even if the skywalk queue is busy.
Photo: Jukka (Helsinki) · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · scaled
Agulo below
The village the skywalk hangs over, Agulo, is often called the prettiest in La Gomera — a tight cluster of white and pastel houses with red-tiled roofs, set on a green shelf between towering cliffs and the ocean. From above you get a bird's-eye view of its layout, the little church and the surrounding banana terraces. It's well worth driving down into afterwards to wander the cobbled lanes and see it at ground level; the contrast between the vertigo of the skywalk and the sleepy calm of the village is part of the charm.
Check opening times before you drive up. The skywalk and its café keep set hours and can close for maintenance or in high winds, and the mountain road up to the mirador is narrow and twisting. Confirm it's open before making the trip, take the drive slowly, and mind children near the edges. Access to the platform itself may carry a small charge — check locally.
Gateway to the laurel forest
The Mirador de Abrante sits right on the doorstep of La Gomera's crowning glory, Garajonay National Park. This UNESCO World Heritage site protects an ancient, misty laurel forest — a living relic of the woodlands that once covered southern Europe millions of years ago — draped in moss and threaded with wonderful walking trails. The road up to the mirador climbs towards the park's cool green heights, so it's easy to combine the skywalk with a forest walk. Standing on the glass over sunny Agulo and then plunging into the dripping laurel woods a few minutes later shows off just how varied this small island is.
Getting there and combining your visit
The mirador is above Agulo on La Gomera's north coast, reached by mountain road from the island's forested interior or up from the coast. A hire car is really the only practical way to get here, and it lets you fold the skywalk into a scenic loop taking in Garajonay and the north-coast villages; there's parking at the mirador. The roads are steep and winding but rewarding, with views opening up at every bend.
Most visitors reach La Gomera by ferry from Tenerife, crossing from Los Cristianos to the capital San Sebastián, from where the north is around an hour's drive through the mountains. Set aside a half-day to enjoy the mirador, the village of Agulo and a stretch of the national park together. Whether you brave the glass floor or simply soak up the view from solid ground, the Mirador de Abrante is a small, spectacular reminder of why unhurried, green La Gomera wins over everyone who makes the trip.
Glass underfoot, Agulo far below and Teide across the sea — the Mirador de Abrante puts all of La Gomera's drama beneath your feet.