Things to See and Do in La Gomera
1 ... WHISTLING LANGUAGE OF LA GOMERAPerhaps the strangest aspect of La Gomera is the language of the inhabitants. A language that was described by the 1st Century Greek traders who heard it echoing across the Barrancos as, "not like a language of men, but like the birds singing", a language almost unique on the planet, a language composed entirely of whistling - it is called Silbo Gomero. The origins of Silbo [the word comes from the Spanish verb
silbar meaning to whistle] and those who speak it,
silbadores, were for years hard to find. What is know is that it was used by shepherds to communicate to each other from one side of the Barrancos to another, at distances of up to 6 miles.
The language features four vowels and four consonants that can be whistled in rising or falling pitches to form over 4,000 words, is spoken by nearly 3,000 of La Gomera's 18,000 inhabitants. However, leas than 15 years ago it was about to die and had maybe 5 years left as with the arrival of phones the need no longer existed. In the late 1990s a programme was introducted to give every Gomeran schoolchild lessons in the language. They learn it for 30 minutes a week and student are learning to use it and understand it.
Visit Las Rosas restaurant, perched in the mountains above the small town of
Agulo which is run by Juan Cabello who learnt Silbo from his grandfather and gives demonstrations of Silbo to visitors ... along with serving traditional Gomeran dishes such as rabbit in spicy sauce.
2 ... LAUREL FOREST, GARAJONAYEnter an ancient, overgrown ecosystem where laurels and mosses thrive, and take in the views over four neighbouring islands. The mountain Garajonay is La Gomera's answer to Romeo and Juliet -
Gara and
Jonay. Gara was a Gomeran princess and Jonay a humble peasant boy from Tenerife who visited his princess by paddling over on inflated goatskins - or so the guanche legend goes. Neither family were keen on the couple's relationship but their love ran far deeper that their differences in status, and so, determined never to be parted, they clambered to the top of Garajonay and ran each other through with lances of laurel wood, choosing death rather than separation and naming the mountain in the process.
The Parque Nacional de Garajonay is one of the world's most ancient forests and apart from the mass of moss-cloaked laurel trees, this UNESCO World Heritage site contains around 400 species of flora.
Another tree which prospers in the park [as well as in groves across the rest of La Gomera], is the date palm which has spread from the Canaries across much of the Mediterranean. It is a cousin of the true date palm of northern Africa nd the Middle East.
3 ... CASTILLO DEL MARCheck your lunar calendar, the unmissable full-moon parties here go on until dawn; there's also live music here every weekend.
A short walk beyond Playa de Vallehermoso, beside towering cliffs and with wonderful views of Tenrtife and Teide, is the atmospheric and bohemian cultural centre Castillo del Mar. Originally built in 1890 as a banana-packing warehouse, the building fell into ruin after the demise of the industry and until 2003 when it was transformed into a cultural centre by a German photographer. The structure has been shored up by local craftsmen using traditional techniques, and its decoration with iron sculptures gives the place a whole new feel and purpose; making it an ideal spot for leisurely drinks and tapas and a great venue for performing arts. As well as soaking up the atmosphere you can get an insight into the history and restoration in the onsite exhibition centre. There is also a chance to buy outstanding postcards and prints from the owner's exceptional photographic collection
4 ... TORRE DEL CONDEThe first building of any note in San Sebastian, was the medieval Torre del Conde fort built in 1447 as a strategic fall-back during the slow conquest of the island. It proved useful, serving its purpose when Beatriz de Bobadilla [the wife of the murdered governor Hernan Peraza] barricaded herself in during the 1448 uprising until help arrived.
Today, the forst contains displays on Gomeran history with maps from 1492 showing how, at the time when Columbus was striking out into uknown waters, most of the Gomeran interior was still uncharted - and would remain so until the 17th century. A copy of the 1743 demand by English naval officer Charles Windham, ordering that San Sebastian give up arms and surrender, is also here, along with the defiant reply of Deigo Bueno, representative of the citizens of San Sebastian, and a print of the subsequent British retreat.
5 ... LOS ORGANOSLos Organos [
the organs] is a natural, basalt-structure of up to 80 metres high and, as the name suggests, resembles organ pipes. These were formed by the slow cooling of lava in an ancient crater and are now surrounded by high waves and white sea spray. From the land you can hardly see it and you need to take a boat trip from Valle Gran Rey or San Sebastian to have a good view of it.
6 ... IGLESIA NUESTRA SENORA DE LA ASUNCIONBefore setting off on his voyage, Columbus supposedly visited San Sebastian's main church for a final session of prayers. Construction of the building started in 1490 and took 20 years to complete, so it is difficult to image what it would have looked like in 1492.
An attack by Algerian pirates in 1618 destroyed all but its basic strcuture, so today's church dates mostly from the 17th century. A large faded mural on one wall of the church depicts the successful repulse of Windham's naval attack on the island, cause for great celebration in a town weary of rebuilding after repeated pirate attacks. The archway to the left of the main entrance is called the Puerta del Perdon which the Guanches were invited to step through for a full amnesty after their 1488 uprising. Hundreds came only to find they had been tricked and were subsequently either executed or sold as slaves.
7 ... CASA DE COLONA quaint wooden-balconied 17th century 2-storey house in San Sebastian, was said to have been used by Columbus although its connections with the explorer are unconfirmed. Today, it is owned by the Island Council and is run as a museum devoted to models of Columbus' ships, maps of the voyage, pieces of Peruvian pottery, and small rotating exhibitions of contemporary Gomeran art.
The building is the focus of the town's annual Columbus festival - the Fiestas Colombinas - when the town celebrates its associations with the explorer.
8 ... MIRADOR DE PALMAREJOLocated in Valle Gran Rey - unless you're a vertigo sufferer the views that crash down from this gourmet restaurant are breathtaking.
9 ... FESTIVALSJanuary 20 ... Fiesta de San Sebastian
Singing and dancing to celebrate the town's patron saint.
April 25 ... Fiesta de San Marcos, Agulo
A statue of Agulo's patron saint, San Marcos, is surrounded by bonfires through which local young mean run in a test of courage.
June 13-29 ... Los Piques, Agulo
This festival includes quarrels in the whilstling language, El Silbo.
July 16 ... Fiesta Virgen del Carmen, Valle Gran Rey and Playa de Santiago
Celebrations usually include a procession of boats.
September 6 ... Fiesta de Cristobal Colon, San Sebastian
Anniversary of the departure of Columbus from San Sebastian, on his first voyage to the Americas.
10 ... LA FORTALEZAOnce a place of considerable spiritual significance to the Guanches, and still the most impressive landmark in the uplands. The top of the hill is amost uniformly flat, and blustery winds are common, but excellent views over Chipude, the national park and El Hierro island compensate for this.
For Guanches, this was an important place of retreat and worship and remains of stone circles have been found here, along with bone fragments, suggesting sacrifices.
