The spirit of Christopher Columbus seems to be everywhere you look on the Canary Island of La Gomera. Even the island’s nickname, Isla Colombina, forever links the Spanish explorer to this part of the archipelago. La Gomera’s capital city, San Sebastián, was Columbus’ final stop in Europe, the place where he prepared his infamous ships – the Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria – before setting out September 6, 1492, on his adventure across the Atlantic.
Our visit to San Sebastián landed on a Sunday, when just about everything on this second-smallest of the main Canary Islands is closed. Herb and I had planned a low-key day of wandering, seeking out a few sights and enjoying the warm sunny morning. It’s an easy walk from the port to the center of town, a trek that’s made even easier with a green line painted on the pavement to direct the way. Colorful houses climb up hillsides, palm trees and wooden balconies decorate the streets, and of course, there’s a statue of Columbus.
Walking With Columbus
The Columbus-themed places on my list were quite simple to track down in this compact little city of less than 10,000 people. The downside was being here on a Sunday, when literally everything was closed except the church and a few cafés. Museum visits and a stop at the Tourist Information Office wouldn’t be possible, but on the glass-half-full side of things, there would be no crowds!
Torre del Conde
The Torre del Conde – Count’s Tower – is a fortress that served as a warehouse for the riches brought back from America. Built between 1447 and 1450, it’s the oldest building on La Gomera and one of the few medieval fortifications on the Canary Islands. The tower has a history of being attacked by pirates, but it was never taken over and retains its original architectural design.
Casa de Colón
The house at #60 Calle Real was the last place Columbus stayed before setting sail to the Americas. It now houses an exhibition of pre-Columbian sculpture.
La Iglesia de la Asunción
As the story is told, the Church of the Assumption is where Columbus prayed before he began his journey. A mural of his three ships decorates one of the interior walls. A service was in progress when we arrived, but I managed to take a photo of the interior from the front door.
The Sundial and the Castle
Before heading back to the ship, we walked to the edge of town, where a lovely esplanade stretches along the waterfront. At one end, a grand stone sundial marks the time of day; at the other, the remains of a horseshoe-shaped fortification winds along a stone wall and up several flights of stairs. A sign identifies the ruins as the “Castle of Buen Paso, circa 1690…disarmed following a Royal decree on 25 July 1867 and finally dismantled in 1924.”
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I tried to find a little more information about the sundial and the castle when we returned home from our travels, but I came up empty-handed. In a way, I think that speaks volumes about a place like La Gomera. My impression of the island – and the other Canary Islands we visited as well – is that they are longer-term get-away destinations rather than places to pop in for a day of sightseeing. And yet there is a lot to see here if we take the time to seek it out.
And as for Christopher Columbus…I thoroughly enjoyed the little history lesson beyond the “he sailed from Spain” generality I learned in school years ago. Generalities are fine and offer tidbits of information about the world. But seeing the specific place where someone you read about set sail, well, that’s the ultimate field trip.
I’m having a lot of fun following this trip. Always great to read about your Journeys . Something my wife and I have always wanted to do. Happy New Year and give my best to Herb.
So happy to hear from you, Jason! This was a wonderful itinerary – many diverse and interesting places and an intriguing part of the world – and I’m delighted to have you following along. Happy New Year to you and your wife from Herb and me!
Another interesting and helpful read thank you Mary. We have two stops in La Gomera on our B2B sailing and neither fall on a Sunday. I had a couple of the places you visited on my list and now I have some more and a better feeling for what is in town. From Google Earth Torre del Conde looked smaller so your photo is very helpful.
Thank you also on the feedback on wine in Lanzarote, very useful.
Julie, I am really happy to be able to help! It’s great to have a list of options so you can literally hit the ground running and enjoy your day. The tower is surprisingly tall and worth a stop. You should be able to get inside as well. You’ll have so much more to see than we did since you won’t be visiting on a Sunday!
Good luck finding the wine. I wish I could remember which one we tasted. But if you try to find one with the least “volcanic” taste, you should be okay!
I didn’t realise you could get inside as some things I read indicated it was cordoned off. The article I just found after reading your post shows times to enter but they are restricted so I will aim to be there aim to be there between 9am-1pm.
Thanks again.
I hope your safe from either winter storms or raging fires.
I am curious about what the inside contains. Some type of museum, maybe? Or just the inside of a tower with stairs leading to a viewpoint? Should be interesting to explore, whatever you find!
Thanks for the good weather wishes. We are in San Diego and quite far south of the fires, but so saddened to watch the reports. I hope you are safe from all the latest weather traumas as well.
How frustrating to be there when everything is closed, Mary. However, perhaps a quiet day just pottering about independently was the perfect antidote to the wine tour? You certainly seem to have found places of interest and have, as usual, found fascinating features to photograph – thank you!
We’d not been to the Canary Islands before our cruise last Spring, yet they are a popular destination for people from the UK to get some winter sunshine and flights are frequent and relatively cheap. Many of our friends are fans and spend a week or two each year there, though everyone seems to have their own favourite island. I suspect most spend their time at a beachside resort – not really something that appeals to us 😉
Gill, that is so true! Having a day to do nothing but simply wander was a welcome change after not only the dreadful wine tour but also after so much intensive sightseeing in Morocco. Sunday is definitely not a day I would choose to visit, but of course, we had no choice in the matter!
I’m fascinated by your comments about the Canary Islands and its popularity with UK travelers. The islands were completely new to us and an interesting part of the itinerary. We visited four – blog posts are forthcoming! – and were surprised by how different and unique they were. I can see how your friends become partial to a favorite. As you’ve probably figured out, we’re not big beachside resort travelers, either. I’d rather see as much of the world as possible, even if it means arriving somewhere on a Sunday when everything is closed!