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Torre del conde
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Church Iglesia de La Asunción
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The island is of volcanic
origin and roughly circular; it is about 22 km (15 miles) in diameter
and rises to 1487 m (nearly 5000 feet) at the island's highest peak,
Garajonay. Its shape is rather like an orange that has been cut in half
and then split into segments, which has left deep ravines or barrancos between them. These barrancos, in turn, are covered by the laurisilva - or laurel rain forest.
The upper reaches of this densely wooded region are almost
permanently shrouded in clouds and mist, and as a result are covered in
lush and diverse vegetation: they form the protected environment of
Spain's Garajonay National Park, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site
in 1986. The slopes are criss-crossed by paths that present varying
levels of difficulty to visitors, and stunning views to seasoned hikers.
The central mountains catch the moisture from the trade wind clouds and yield a dense jungle climate in the cooler air, which contrasts with the warmer, sun-baked cliffs near sea level.
Between these extremes one finds a fascinating gamut of
microclimates; for centuries, the inhabitants of La Gomera have farmed
the lower levels by channelling runoff water to irrigate their
vineyards, orchards and banana groves.
Culture
In 2003, some 19,580 people lived on La Gomera.
The local wine is distinctive, and is often accompanied with a tapa (snack) of local cheese, roasted pork or goat meat. Other culinary specialities include almogrote, a cheese spread, and miel de palma, a syrup extracted from palm trees.
The inhabitants of La Gomera have a unique way of communicating across deep ravines by means of an amazing whistled speech called Silbo Gomero. This whistled language
is indigenous to the island, and its existence has been documented
since Roman times. Invented by the original inhabitants of the island,
the Guanches, Silbo Gomero
was adopted by the Spanish settlers in the 16th century and survived
after the Guanches died out. When this unique means of communication
was threatened with extinction at the dawn of the 21st century, the
local government required all children to learn it in school.
In the mountains of La Gomera, its original inhabitants worshipped
their god, whom they called Orahan; the summit and centre of the island
served as their grand sanctuary. Indeed, many of the natives took
refuge in this sacred territory in 1489, as they were faced imminent
defeat at the hands of the Spaniards, and it was here that the conquest
of La Gomera was drawn to a close. Modern-day archaeologists have found
several ceremonial stone constructions here, which appear to represent
sacrificial altar stones, slate hollows or cavities. It was here that
the Guanches built pyres upon which to make offerings of goats and
sheep to their god. This same god, Orahan, was known on La Palma as
Abora and on Tenerife and Gran Canaria as Arocan.
Christopher Columbus
made La Gomera his last port of call before crossing the Atlantic in
1492. He stopped here to replenish his crew's wine and water, intending
to stay only four days. However, he became romantically involved with
Beatriz de Bobadilla, the governor of La Gomera, and he ended up
staying one month. When he finally sailed she gave him cuttings of
sugarcane, which became the first to reach the New World. The house in San Sebastián in which he stayed is now a tourist attraction.
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