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San Sebastián de La Gomera
Area369 km²
(0.0088x the Netherlands)
UTC +1
LanguageSpanish
Highest pointAlto de Garajonay - 1,478 m
The Canary Islands are an autonomous region of Spain with two capitals: Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The islands have a common flag since 1982 and the separate islands each have their own flag. The colors blue and white are the colors of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and yellow is of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The weapon consists of a blue shield with seven silver islands flanked by two dogs (Canariae isulae means island of the dogs) With a crown above it and the text Oceano.
The euro was introduced simultaneously in 12 European countries, as well as in Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City on 1 January 2002. This was the largest monetary exchange operation of all time. On the front of the note is a gate or window and a bridge on the back. These are all fictional. The euro replaces the peseta which was used between 1869 and 2002.
La Gomera is the second smallest island (El Hierro) of the Canary Islands.
The volcanic island is less than an hour by boat from Tenerife and has virtually no tourism.
The capital San Sebastián de La Gomera has a few beaches and the most touristic
place is Valle Gran Rey where most hotels are located. There are few attractions but nature and
the views are beautiful and that is why La Gomera, thanks to the good climate, is an especially good
hiking destination.
In 1404, the Spaniards conquered the island and subjugated the locals, the Guanches.
A relic of the time is the Torre del Conde in the capital. Later that century, on September 6,
1492, Columbus started crossing the Atlantic from here. In the church (iglesia de La Asuncion)
in the capital you will find a fresco of a sea battle, a few centuries ago when English and
Dutch pirates attempted to conquer the island. The locals in the mountains communicate with
whistling (el silbo) they took over from the Guanches. After the whistle language threatened
to disappear, it is now a compulsory subject at school.
The almost round island has a diameter of 24 km. The highest point, Alto de Garajonay, is located
in the Parque Nacional de Garajonay. This 40 km² park consists of a primeval forest with
approx. 450 plant and tree species. It was founded
in 1981 and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. Usually there is a thick mist in the forest. The view
from the top is impressive. The island has deep valleys (barrancos) in which most villages are located. The prettiest
village is Agulo and the old center of the capital. Hermigua is the center of the banana industry and also claims the title
of best climate in the world.
The beautiful basalt rocks of Los Organos are located on the north coast. These can only be
reached by sea. The ferry services of Armas and Fred Olsen each sail from Los Cristianos in
Tenerife to La Gomera only three times. The sailing times of both ferries are close together.