 | ||
| Valle Gran Rey | ||
| province | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 4.630 (2020) | |
| height | 45 m | |
| Tourist info web | vallegranrey.es | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
| ||
The Valle Gran Rey (Valley of the Great King) is located in the southwest of the second smallest Canary Island La Gomera.
Districts
The Valle Gran Rey, also for short "Valle"or"VGR"called, is one of the most important tourism centers on Gomera. Tourism takes place mainly in the five villages in the delta on the bay of the valley: La Calera, the old capital of the valley. Vueltas, the old port town. Borbalan and La Puntilla, two "artificial" places that have grown together with Vueltas, and La playa, a newer tourist spot on the bay. There are other small villages in the upper valley.
background
The Valle Gran Rey was discovered by the hippies and dropouts in the late 1960s. Even today you can still find some "alternative" vacationers or "meaning seekers" here.
The Valle Gran Rey has experienced a tourism boom since the 1990s, which has been accompanied by the construction of numerous new roads and apartment complexes. Nevertheless, the places are much quieter than the tourist centers on Tenerife.
If you are looking for peace and quiet, you are better off in the north of Gomera.
getting there
The journey is usually made by plane to Tenerife South. From the airport, the journey by bus or taxi takes about half an hour to Los Cristianos on Tenerife. From the port there, take the car ferry to San Sebastian. From there it goes 50 km to the VGR by bus, rental car or taxi. There are currently five bus connections per day (unfortunately only 2 on Sundays) from San Sebastian to the VGR. There is a bus service to and from the airport twice a day.
mobility
You can easily walk between the five locations. From La Calera and La Playa you need about half an hour to Vueltas, Borbalan or La Puntilla. From La Calera to La Playa a good ten minutes.
To get to other places on the island, a rental car or taxi is recommended.
The 1 Estación de Guaguas Bus connections are geared towards the ferry in San Sebastian and the arrival times of the planes at the small island airport. See timetables GuaguaGomera Line 1 after San Sebastian de la Gomera, Line 6 to the airport.
Tourist Attractions
.jpg/220px-Hautacuperche_(8553305476).jpg)
- Art district in El Guro
- 1 Monumento a Hautacuperche Monumento a Hautacuperche, bronze statue on the beach. The guanche Skin acuperche was the leader of an uprising against the Spaniards in 1488 Hernan de Peraza. As that of the princess Iballa readjusted, he was lured into a cave and killed. As a result, the Guanche uprising was suppressed, all men were killed, and the women and children were enslaved.
- 2 Iglesia de Los Santos Reyos
- 3 Ayuntamiento, Town hall
activities
To go biking
- Mountain biking.
Of the Bike station in La Puntilla you can be chauffeured up the mountains and then drive down into the valley. You can also just rent bikes for a few days and plan your own tours. It is not possible to take bicycles with you on the bus, so you can hardly avoid the arduous ascent.
Since November 2007 you can also rent mountain bikes or join guided tours at the "Bikers Inn - best bikes and more" in Vueltas (harbor district) in the Valle Gran Rey. The Bikers Inn is a good alternative to the bike station. Tours are organized in all regions of the island. You can explore La Gomera by mountain bike in small groups or sometimes even on individually designed excursions with a friendly guide.
Boat tours
- Boat tours with whale and dolphin watching. There is information about this in Vueltas opposite the car rental company and at the port.
Beach and swimming
The beaches of the Valle are not its flagship, they are rather modest. From Vueltas along the road you can see almost everything the Valle has to offer in terms of beach life.
Opposite the TUI bunker is the so-called baby beach. Here, toddlers can have fun in a shallow mini lagoon. At high tide, the sea water sloshes into the pool and the water is changed. After a few hours of exposure to the sun, the water in the pool is heated up enough for the little ones to have a great time.
Further towards the district of Playa you will find the actual beach of the Valle, a narrow strip of black beach behind a low wall. The beach is not managed, so you cannot rent sun loungers or parasols, you should take care of that yourself. The beach becomes a bit wider at Casa Maria, and recently you can also rent pedal boats there.
Two beaches should be mentioned: the beach in the harbor of Vueltas and the wild beach Playa Inglés behind the district of Playa. The harbor beach is naturally very quiet and a matter of taste. Personally, I don't like swimming between old plastic bottles in the harbor basin.
Playa Inglés can be reached by turning right at Casa Maria, looking towards the water, along in front of the small village square. You hit the streets between the restaurants, soon along an apartment complex on the left, past a sports field and a helicopter landing pad on the right, and after a few minutes you reach a beach with strong surf. You should only swim carefully here, there are occasionally strong currents and many a tourist has paid for his carelessness with his life. So wave hopping and water fights are more recommended. You hardly ever find locals here, they shy away from the danger. Still, the beach is beautiful and really wild. If you can do without extensive swimming and enjoy the rough landscape, this is the place for you. Occasional cooling down without a lot of swimming is not really dangerous here either.
Nudism is common and accepted at Playa Inglés, but not a must.
hike
Gomera is well suited for mountain hikes. The most important hiking trails that can be started from Valle Gran Rey without coming:
- To the waterfall: 1-2 hours from El Guro. The beginning marked with yellow arrows and yellow-blue markings. Then further in the streambed. The course of the route changes with the water level. Sometimes you have to climb a bit.
- Via Risco La Merica to Arure from there to Las Hayas and descent into Valle Gran Rey. Entry in the upper calera at the large cistern behind a house with a terrace and lots of flowers. Impossible to miss.
- Las Hayas possibly onward hike into the laurel forest. There are 2 ascents to Las Hayas, both of which start in the upper part of the valley just below the church. The first starts on the road to Casa de la Seda just after the bridge on the left. There you enter the Baranco over large boulders and soon you will find the way to Las Hayas above the terrace fields. Unfortunately, this path is no longer maintained. For the second ascent you have to walk further on the small road. After about 8 minutes you will come across a small bamboo forest in a sharp right-hand bend. From there walk back a few meters and you will find the signposted hiking trail to Las Hayas on the right.
- El Cercado, from there via Chipude to the table mountain La Fortaleza or descent via the Alm La Mantanza and the church path into the Valle Gran Rey. Started the hike at the Ermita de los Reyes, there after the church square, continue on the hiking trail through small villages to the signposted ascent to El Cercado.
- Baranco de Argaga to Gerian - difficult hike with climbing, from there over the La Mantanza pasture and the church path back to the Valle Gran Rey (arrival at the Ermita de los Reyes). Danger! When it is wet, e.g. after rain, this hike is extremely dangerous, as several areas become very smooth and slipping can hardly be avoided. It is even more dangerous to descend into the Baranco de Argaga via this path in all weather conditions. It is very easy to sell yourself. At many steep climbing spots that have to be mastered from bottom to top, you bite your teeth from top to bottom and provoke accidents. Locals always advise against going down!
In any case, hikers should provide enough water (in summer not less than 3 liters per person, better more!) And appropriate clothing. Sometimes the hikes on Gomera are very demanding! You should never hike alone and definitely take a cell phone with you. Ideally, you can also join a guided hike at the beginning, which is offered by several providers in the Valle.
Those who like to hike on their own should purchase a hiking guide in book form. "Mountain hiking on La Gomera" is the title of the most popular book, available in many tourist shops near the beach.
You should have a good sense of direction and be on the lookout for the cairns that other hikers have set up as trail markers. With a few bits of Spanish you can also ask locals, unfortunately only in the villages, you rarely meet other people on the way.
The descents are sometimes a bit difficult after a long hike and require a lot of concentration, as the ground is sometimes a bit rough. This is especially true for the church path, which requires a lot of concentration. If you want to avoid it, you can take the bus back to the valley. There are stops in Chipude near the church, on the road between Chipude and EL Cercado, and in El Cercado at Bar Maria.
In Arure the bus stop is on the main street across from a large restaurant, in Las Hayas the bus stop is above the town at the junction to El Cercado.
You should definitely inquire about the bus times, in winter, for example, there is no bus at all on Sundays and public holidays. Bus timetables are posted in many bars, just ask the wait staff.
Another important word about the water supply: do not save on water under any circumstances. 3 liters per adult is the absolute minimum for long hikes. Our own experience has shown in the summer that a hike to Arure with 6 liters of water per person had to be canceled due to lack of water. However, it was especially hot that day, especially it was hotter upstairs than in the valley. This inversion weather situation is normal for the Canary Islands, but in summer the inversion layer often sinks so far down that when climbing within a few meters you suddenly find yourself walking into dust-dry, very hot air, although the temperature in the valley is still pleasant. So caution is called for.
"Refueling" with water is difficult on Gomera, as the hikes are very lonely. There are small shops in El Cercado, Chipude, Arure and (rarely open) in Las Hayas.
On the hike from Baranco de Argaga to Gerian and back via the La Mantanza alpine pasture, there is no civilization on the way. "Refueling" is only possible via a trickle in the Baranco, which rarely has water in summer or autumn. And when it does, it is so filled with life that one hardly likes to drink it.
miscellaneous
- 4 Jardin de Frutas TropicalesArgaga tropical fruit garden, 1.5 km east of Vueltas (follow the road at the edge of the harbor, then signs to the side valley). Tues and Fri, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., guided tour 90 minutes, as you can join the tour at different points, there are no long waiting times. During the one-hour tour, 10-15 fruits from all over the world are shown, explained and tasted, which thanks to the mild climate of the Canary Islands can thrive. Cost: see website for price.
shop
There are enough small supermarkets in all districts in the Valle, which are very well sorted and set up for self-catering. The supermarkets are usually also open on Sundays. There are Spar markets in Borbalan and La Playa which offer a wider selection than the usual grocery stores.
However, the prices are alarmingly high for the German discounter-spoiled tourist. You can buy much cheaper in the supermarket in San Sebastian, the difference is between 20 and 50%.
If you plan well, you can rent a car for the first few days of your vacation and go shopping. The money saved easily finances the car, and you also have the opportunity to visit other parts of the island.
- Post is located in the district of Borbalan
- There are banks in the districts of La Calera, Borbalan and Puntilla. ATMs are located in all parts of the village. Only Vueltas is cut off from the cash supply, as the ATM at Telemaco was dismantled two years ago.
kitchen
Typical dishes for Gomera are:
- Rabbits
- Chocos a la plancha: grilled whole little squids
- Grilled tuna
- Potaje de Berros: watercress soup
Often there are papas arrugadas, the typical wrinkled potatoes that are surrounded by a salt crust (only Gomera beginners peel the potatoes!).
Mojo, a hot sauce made from chilli, oil and garlic, is served with most dishes. They are available in the green and the red version.
Almogrote, available in some bars, is a hard cheese made with oil, and some bars also offer tapas. E.g. in the harbor bar directly on the area of the ferry.
If you want to eat fish, you should watch out for a sign saying "pescado fresco". Only there he can get fish that has also been caught around Gomera. Unfortunately and surprisingly, there are very few restaurants that offer fresh fish. One restaurant is on the promenade in "La Playa", one or two in Vueltas by the harbor and the Telemaco on Av. Maritime Charco del Conde. All other restaurants sell fish that they import frozen, i.e. the same fish that you get in restaurants in Germany. Especially sole is not found in the Canarian waters.
nightlife
The Valle Gran Rey offers a variety of nightlife options.
In La playa:
- Tasca La Noria. Tapas and often spontaneous live music from locals.
- Gecko bar. Friendly atmosphere and many regular guests, football broadcasts.
- Club del Mar nightclub. Closed at the moment.
- Jazz bar. Run by an Englishman, large selection of cocktails.
- Casa Maria. THE meeting place for sunset. Here you can also eat very well typical of the island, currently closed.
- Las Olas, next to Casa Maria. Good for throwing in a few drinks when Maria's too full. Better to bring a cement stomach with you to eat. You can't eat worse on the island.
- El Paraiso. Right next door is a lot better, if still basic. Nice atmosphere under palm fronds, a bit back on the beach road between Casa Maria and the harbor. Food ok, very tasty at fair prices.
In La Calera:
- Orchídea. Wonderful terrace, typical local cuisine.
- La Calera Los Descansillos. A restaurant with a terrace covered with palm fronds and the charm of the late 1980s.
Famous in the Valle Gran Rey is the so-called "Bermuda Triangle" between La Calera, La Playa and Vueltas, where some night owls have been "lost" night after night.
- La Tasca. A nice cocktail bar with a Caribbean atmosphere.Price: cocktails from 3.80 EUR.
- Cacatua. Former meeting point of the most colorful mix of hardcore hippies and gomero youth. Today it makes it more comfortable with friendly furnishings and more moderate music. A tip for young and old.
- Cacatua terrace. Recommended for breakfast, children willingly.
- The little "bistro", on the main street. Also called "a different kind of cafe". Loving breakfast plates and creative crêpes are the insider tip.
- Abisinia restaurant, opposite the Cacatua terrace. There is typical Gomerian cuisine, but also some international dishes. The prices have been more than moderate so far, and the cook knows her trade. Definitely to be recommended!
accommodation
Solo travelers or couples generally do not need to reserve in advance. Outside the high season (which is the European winter) there are enough apartments to rent on site. If you are traveling with children, it would be wise to book accommodation in advance for all seasons, apartments with several bedrooms are not the rule in Valle Gran Rey.
The apartments are simply furnished, always have a fridge and often a small kitchen. Very often the apartments have a balcony, if not, then access to the roof, so that you can have breakfast outside or enjoy beer or wine in the evening under a starry sky can. You can almost always provide for yourself and are not dependent on restaurants and bars.
Travelers should be clear about which main activity they want to prefer while on vacation. Swimmers and beach-goers are in good hands in the nearby districts of La Playa, Borbalan and Puntilla. Hikers should better look for accommodation in the upper Calera, as from there you can reach the entrances to most hikes without having to walk too long on the road.
The prices for the accommodations fluctuate strongly according to location (proximity to the beach is more expensive) and season, but are still moderate in international comparison.
As of 2005 for a studio between 25 and 35 euros a night, apartments with 2 bedrooms around 50 euros a night.
Recalculating almost always shows that it is hardly worthwhile to resort to flat-rate arrangements. Putting together the flight, ferry and accommodation yourself is usually cheaper. The fact that this secures a larger share of the tourism cake for the local population and that the people from the region do not perish as servants in apartment complexes also calms the conscience. However, you should have learned a few bits of Spanish from the phrasebook, you won't get very far with English. Usually the friendly question is enough: Hay un appartamento libre por aqui? (Is there a free apartment around here?) It often sets off a wave of helpfulness among the locals. Neighbors are asked, the uncle is called and a few attempts are enough to find comfortable accommodation.
In the upper districts of Guadá there are some small apartments on request from the residents directly at the foot of the ascents to Arure, Las Hayas, Chipude and El Cercado. A breathtaking view of the valley and the sea opens up from the Macondo restaurant in Lomo del Balo.
In the Valle Gran Rey there are of course also accommodations for package travelers. They can be found near the beach and are visually bearable compared to the hotel castles on Tenerife.
Life in the districts above La Calera is a bit off the beaten track. If you are drawn to the places El Guro to Casa de la Seda, you should plan a rental car and in return you can look forward to a lot of rest. If it weren't for the main street ...
