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La Gomera Travel Guide
Popular Italian navigator Christopher Columbus once had an affair with the lady governor of La Gomera, the Canaries' second smallest island that still preserves its Stone Age customs, million-year-old deep barrancos or canyons, and lush laurisilvas or laurel rainforests that cradle diverse wildlife and vegetation.
Even though the aboriginal Guanches, the ancestors of the present-day islanders, have long succumbed to Spanish powers, the Guanches' Stone Age traditions and culture lives on in La Gomera. The Guanches' cave cemeteries still dot the landscape, while in the island's mountains, the original residents still worship the Guanches' god, Orahan.
Schools here are also required to include the Guanches' ancient dialect into their curriculum. The language, called Silbo Gomero, is a whistled speech the indigenous tribes once used to communicate from one ravine to another.
Another custom distinctive to the island is its wining tradition, in which wine produced from grapes that grew from volcanic soil is partnered with tapa, or roasted goat meat or pork, as well as with other culinary specialties such as miel de palma or palm tree syrup and almogrote or cheese spread.
San Sebastian de la Gomera, the island's capital, is where Columbus set sail before he crossed the Atlantic in 1492. Casa del Colon, where the navigator stayed for a month, is now a museum dedicated to his honor. The island's only golf course is at the city's Playa de Santiago, a diving and swimming hub.
Hermigua, the center of the island's banana industry, is home to the Garajonay National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a misty summit (Alto de Garajonay), subtropical forests (El Cedro and Laurisilva), rock formations (La Fortaleza, El Magro and El Sombrero), and small plateaus that shelter many endemic birds, invertebrates, plants, and animals. Nearby are six volcanoes collectively known as Los Roques, which is bordered by the southern valley of Benchijigua.
La Gomera's main resort town, Valle Gran Rey, is formerly a favorite hangout among the hippies for its walking trails and stunning terraces. The town is a springboard for whale watching, as well as for reaching the striking basalt columns of Los Organos.
A compact town, Agulo has charming old streets. Another small town, Vallehermoso, is characterized by its botanical gardens, beach concerts, native and endemic plants, and arsenal collections dating from prehistoric times.
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