Valle Gran Rey
The Valle Gran Rey ( the valley of the great king, meaning the Guanchenoberhaupt Hupalupa ) is a commune of the Canary Island of La Gomera. Administrative headquarters since 1930, the village of La Calera. In addition, the municipality comprises the three main types Calera ( on a slope ), Vueltas ( at the port ) and La Playa. Outside of the valley belong to the community, among other things, the hamlet Taguluche, Las Haya and Arure, the latter two lying close to the National Park Garajonay.
Character
The valley offers thanks to its terraced agricultural landscape with an abundance of palm trees, the extensive banana plantations and many scattered small houses an almost exotic sight. It has attracted a particularly large number hippies in the 1970s and 1980s. In the meantime, the valley with dropout places like Goa or Kathmandu was equated.
The municipality of Valle Gran Rey has on the island of La Gomera has by far the highest tourist use. After the access road was extended to the valley, is currently the port in Vueltas expanded so that in future can also create large ferries and merchant ships there. These activities are coupled with a significant increase of hotels and apartment houses of a total of at least 1,400 beds over the last 15 years (as of 2005). This could be from the previous individual tourism gradually arise after a mass tourism. There is a speedboat line ( Fred. Olsen Express) between Los Cristianos in Tenerife and Vueltas with stops in San Sebastian de la Gomera, Playa de Santiago to the south of La Gomera. For German residents and tourists, there is a German -language magazine.
High above the valley with views of the cultivation terraces down to the sea has created the Mirador del Palmerejeo in 1989, the African artist César Manrique Lanzarote. Due to the large panoramic windows of the restaurants therein one also has a good view (see photo). The restaurant was run by a vocational school for hotel and catering trade, but abandoned for economic reasons. The Mirador is a typical Manrique wind chime.
Mirador del Palmerejeo, Restaurant
The beach at La Playa
Fast ferry in the port of Vueltas
View of the port of Vueltas
Stature of the great king after whom the valley is named, site of a town near the beach promenade leading to the beach village of Playa