Compiled with the help of artificial intelligence, based on Spanish-language information. Source below the article.
If there is a perfect place to slow down the relentless pace of daily life and switch off, it is the Canary Islands. Any one of the archipelago’s islands is ideal for escaping the noise and everything that makes us slaves to haste, obligations and constant hyperconnectivity.
Demand grows for quiet getaways
Google searches for peaceful destinations and holidays that offer an escape from everyday responsibilities and constant overstimulation have doubled of late. People are no longer looking for holidays in which to squeeze every last minute, but rather for tranquillity, silence and time to disconnect.
This trend explains the creation of the first Unspoilt Index from BookRetreats.com, a website specialising in retreat bookings. The list compares 100 islands around the world using satellite and cartographic data to identify which are the quietest and least altered. Among them is La Gomera, which has managed to secure a place in the top 25 of the ranking.
How the unspoilt index was compiled
The criteria used to draw up the list were taken from the European Environment Agency (EEA), which defines what constitutes a quiet place. They take into account natural richness, low air traffic, few roads, an absence of crowds, dark night skies and natural coastal landscapes. It came as no surprise that the most crowded islands scored poorly, which is why Gran Canaria missed out. It is surprising, however, that Tenerife is among those 100 islands with a score of 25.9, placing it 93rd.
“Quiet means something different to each of us,” explains researcher Olga V. Lehmann, who was tasked with contributing her expertise on silence to the list. “But there are some objective indicators that matter. Low decibel levels in our surroundings are fundamental, and both the natural and architectural qualities of a place can shape the soundscape we perceive and determine whether it truly allows us to rest,” she adds.
The world’s quietest island
So which island takes the top spot? With a score of 94.6, Stewart Island, New Zealand’s third-largest and also one of its least known, emerges as the quietest place in the world. In Māori it is known as Rakiura, “the land of glowing skies”, and it is home to the southernmost International Dark Sky Sanctuary on the planet. Barely 500 people live there and, according to the measurement of its natural state, the island remains completely intact.
La Gomera’s place in the ranking
La Gomera, the third-smallest island of the archipelago, unique in its kind, full of treasures that have remained untouched over time and with an endless expanse of laurel forest, has taken 25th place with a score of 68.2. For BookRetreats, this 12-million-year-old island is the perfect setting for hiking in the heart of nature. Its isolation, its virtually untouched landscapes and a culture closely tied to its surroundings make La Gomera one of those places where slowing down is almost inevitable.
The data help to explain why La Gomera occupies such a prominent position in the ranking: barely 59 inhabitants per square kilometre, 82.1% natural surface area and a score of 6.2 for coastal spaces.
Where the other Canary Islands rank
The remaining Canary Islands also find their place on the list, although considerably further down. El Hierro takes 38th place with a score of 62.2, followed by Fuerteventura on 51.5, La Palma on 49.9, Lanzarote on 27.7 and Tenerife on 24.9. It is a ranking that once again puts forward the idea that the further away from noise and overcrowding, the easier it seems to find calm.
The ranking also reserves space for other Spanish islands. Formentera, Menorca, Mallorca and Ibiza all appear among the 100 selected, albeit in more distant positions.
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