La Gomera Adventure: San Sebastián
I arrived in San Sebastián de la Gomera for the start of my 6-day hiking adventure. La Gomera is the third smallest of the eight main islands of this archipelago,** volcanic in origin, and approximately circular. It measures 22 km (14 miles) in diameter. It is steeply sloping and very mountainous. This island is famous for its hiking with more than 600 km/373 miles of trails. My first hike starts in the morning, and I will be ascending to the highest point, Alto de Garajonay, which rises to 1,487m (4,879 feet).
Today I spent time exploring San Sebastián, the capitol city of La Gomera. It’s a sleepy little town with steep walls of rock on one side and black sand beaches on the other. It’s made up of several shaded plazas, sun-bleached pastel-painted buildings and pedestrian-friendly streets with a few shops, cafes, and ice cream parlors.
Its claim to fame is that Christopher Columbus stayed here on his way to the New World. I am staying in an inn overlooking a grassy park with the Torre del Conde out my window. It was built in 1477 and is a stone-and-whitewash tower considered the Canary Islands’ most important example of military architecture. The fort was the first building of any note to be erected on La Gomera and is about the only one to have been (more or less) preserved in its original state.
After eating a pizza and drinking some vino tinto, I’m now resting and getting ready for my big day tomorrow.
**The Canary Islands listed in order of size:
1. Tenerife
2. Fuerteventura
3. Gran Canaria
4. Lanzarote
5. La Palma
6. La Gomera
7. El Hierro
8. La Graciosa
