Marinas in La Gomera
28˚01΄N -28˚13΄N and 17˚06΄W-17˚22΄W
La Gomera, roughly circular in shape, lies about 20M off the west coast of Tenerife and has at its centre a peak, Montana Garajonay, which is 1488m high and a national park with dense forests of laurel trees. The island resembles the shape of a half sphere when viewed from sea and has an area of 375 sq km. Inland the island is lush and fertile with many steep valleys and mountains, which was why the "whistling language" came about as a means of communicating across large distances. "Silbo Gomero" contains over 4,000 words, four vowels and four consonants. The islands economy depends a lot on the tourist industry, with fishing and agriculture also playing an important part.
The island has a strong historical link with Christopher Columbus as the explorer reputedly had a home in the capital San Sebastian which is now a museum. Columbus used the island as his base to prepare for his voyages across the Atlantic to discover America, which is why the island is sometimes referred to as Isla Colombia. The Capitals town hall was once the home of Beatriz de Bobadilla the friend, and possibly mistress, of Columbus and the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption was where Columbus and his crew said Mass before their departure. The church is on the town's main street but has been rebuilt several times since the 15th century.
The road infrastructure is good and hire cars are available but some of the hairpin bends can be a bit daunting to the nervous! The main communication route between islands is by ferry but there is a small airport which only serves interisland flights using small planes. The main commercial harbour is San Sebastian de la Gomera with a marina in the Northern part of the port. When using the marina be aware of the fast ferries.
The Island produces a lot of its own food produce and also some very good local wines which should be tried as should "mistela" a drink made from white wine. Try also "guarapo" which is the sap from palm trees cooked to make palm honey.
At the northern most point of the island is the Punta de los Organos, a towering cliff face of basalt tubes resembling church organ pipes which can only be seen from seaward.
With the winters being so warm on the islands people often mistakenly think that the summers must be overwhelming, but this couldn't be further from the truth. The summer in the Canary Islands is softened by the trade winds that refresh the archipelago serving it with pleasant mild summers with an average temperature of 24˚C. The sea is equally as warm with temperatures fluctuating between 19˚C in the winter months and 22˚C during the rest of the year. This, together with the estimated annual rate of 2,700 hours of sunlight for the islands allows you to make the most of the day, whether you are on the beach, or out on the ocean sailing. Care must be taken regarding the amount of time spent in the sun. With the island being only 1700 miles north of the Equator the sun can burn the unwary and quickly, High factor sun cream and/or good protection in the form of clothing or shade is essential. For the same reason it is necessary to drink lots of water.
Tenerife is just a short sail away with plenty of marinas along its south coast. Yacht charter is also popular and more companies chartering yachts are realising the benefits of the all round summer climate of the Canary Islands. Yacht charter is available from Tenerife marinas just a short sail away from La Gomera and chartering is becoming more available to yachtsmen.
Useful Links
http://la-gomera.costasur.com/en/la-cueva.html
