Valle Gran Rey★★
The Valle Gran Rey ("Valley of the Great King") on the west coast is the most tourist-developed place on La Gomera — which on this island means that there are a few guesthouses, a handful of restaurants, and a relaxed hippie atmosphere reminiscent of the 1970s. German dropouts discovered the valley in the seventies, and even today you hear more German than Spanish in the bars.
The valley is spectacular: a deep gorge that stretches from the high plateau (1,000 m) down to the sea, with terraced slopes full of palms and banana plants. The road (GM-1) winds down in countless hairpin bends — breathtaking and nerve-wracking at the same time.
At the sea, the districts of La Playa (main beach, black sand, restaurants, apartment rentals), La Puntilla (harbor, quieter), and Vueltas (fishing harbor with the best fish restaurants) are spread out. The beach of La Playa is about 400 m long, the water calm and suitable for swimming.
Valle Gran Rey is the perfect place to unwind: go to the beach in the morning, hike in the afternoon, eat fish at the harbor at sunset in the evening. Whale watching tours start from Vueltas (approx. €35/person, 2–3 hours) — pilot whales and dolphins are spotted on almost every trip.
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The apartments in Valle Gran Rey are significantly cheaper than hotels — from about €40/night for a studio with a kitchen. Book through local agencies like Gomera Ferienwohnungen or Apartamentos Valle Gran Rey instead of international platforms — better and cheaper. In the upper part of the valley (La Calera), there are organic shops and vegetarian restaurants — a relic of the dropout scene.
