La Gomera – Checking in with family and checking out of Canaries

We slipped out of the anchorage at Anfi Del Mar in Gran Canaria before it was light – which, seeing as it doesn’t get light until after 7am, did not necessarily mean it was horrendously early!   The forecast was for strong winds and this, on top of the acceleration zone, determined our early start to ensure we could be well on our way before the winds piped up later in the day.   We reefed our mainsail and made steady progress towards the southern most point of Tenerife.   We had booked into La Gomera marina for the following night, so wanted to ensure we were within easy reach for a slow sail in the shadow of Tenerife for the next day.   The wind continued to increase during the passage, getting over 30knots on occasions and the sea was very rolly as we approached Tenerife but Cerulean handled the conditions well and, as we rounded the southern most point of Tenerife, the seas calmed and wind dropped significantly.   

We anchored in Los Cristianos, just south of the popular tourist destination of Playa de las Americas but far enough away to enjoy a quiet night on anchor.   The bay was small with only room for around seven yachts and we were the seventh!   We anchored next to a Dutch friend’s boat and talked to him on the VHF for a while as neither of us had our dinghies inflated, but shared a drink over the radio and watched the sunset together!

The next morning we left early for La Gomera.  The sea was flat with not even a breath of wind so we motored and practiced different down-wind sailing sail plan options.    As we were drifting and playing with different sails, we noticed dark shapes in the water beside us and soon realised we were close to a pod of pilot whales.   We drifted and watched these magnificent animals slowly feeding and making their way north until a number of whale watch boats powered over towards us and chased the whales away.   It was a very special moment we shared with the whales in the peace and tranquility of the flat sea just watching them feed and listening to them blowing air and spurting water a few feet from the boat.  

The passage from Tenerife to La Gomera was only 20 nautical miles but we were in no hurry and, with no wind most of the way, we motored until we were about 10 miles from our destination when we unfurled the jib and enjoyed a leisurely sail.    I was not paying full attention and should have been more observant, so when we were hit with the acceleration winds a few miles east of the island, we had to act quickly to reef the jib.   We continued at good speed with just the one sail up but reefed down, until we were close to the entrance to the marina.    San Sebastian is the capital of the island and, once again we had problems contacting the marina to announce our arrival.   We were given permission to proceed through the port and follow the clearly marked buoyed channel into the marina.  Fortunately someone was there to help us berth and we happily settled into the lovely environment with big cliffs in front of us and colourful houses clinging onto the hillside, providing a wonderful backdrop to the small marina.  

La Gomera is almost circular in shape and is the second smallest island in the group. It has a population of around 22,000 and has a reputation of being so beautiful that many sailors arrive and never want to leave! It is lush and has its own micro-climate in the upper reaches of the island which is in contrast to the dry, steep cliffs on the coast. Christopher Columbus apparently enjoyed visiting this small island due to the fact that he was, allegedly, having an affair with the islands First Lady and they would secretly meet in the Torre del Conde, an old tower in a park on the waterfront.

Steve and I walked around the small town, visited the museum and climbed lots of steps to look out across the bay towards Tenerife. A dark stripe on the water clearly showed where the acceleration winds started which was fascinating to see from up high and interesting to watch boats approaching the zone, many being caught out in the same way we had been!

Back at the marina, once we managed to find the office to check in (it was not where the sign said it was…!), I was pleasantly surprised when I was able to arrange a space for Take Five to join us so we could spend more precious time with my sister and the Take Five crew.   A number of other boats had been trying for weeks for a space, and failed! Take Five had experienced an exciting passage from Gran Canaria, being hit by 40 knot winds so were really pleased we had been able to secure them a place.

Sadly, despite all our attempts, there were no hire cars available on the island which meant that our exploration had to be constrained to buses which definitely detracted from the full appreciation of the island.   Steve, Bea and I caught the bus to explore an area I had identified as a must see, but we missed the stop and ended up at the end of the bus route in the small town of Vallehermoso on the northern side of the island.   Fortunately the bus ride was beautiful and took us on windy, cliff edge roads around the rocky centre and northern coastline.    We found a lovely walk in the hills, climbing steep slopes following an initially, badly marked path through houses, up steps and then a gravel, dusty path leading sharply up a hill.   As we climbed higher the stone walls that terrace La Gomera’s steep hills became more apparent.   The island is lusher than its neighbours and has an ideal climate for agriculture.  However, the terrain is not so conducive, so from the late 1400’s to mid 1900’s,  the land was terraced to grow mainly tomatoes and bananas.  Sadly, as more people turned to tourism for a living, agricultural-based activities were abandoned so the stone walls started to fall into disrepair.   Recently they have been recognised as a World Heritage site and work has begun to restore and save the many terraces that are found all over the island.    The landscape is beautiful with the mixture of natural and man-made vistas across deep valleys and steep slopes. 

Our time with Bea and Andy was special but short.   We shared some great dinners and, on the last night, Suzi and Candice entertained us with beautiful music and singing.   We felt very privileged to spend time with this lovely, talented family but it was time to go our separate ways again.   We checked out of The Canaries, although were heading to the last island in the group but there were no check out facilities after La Gomera.   The procedure was not very formal and we’re unsure how “legal” it was, but we were given a photocopy of our passport with a date and marina stamp, which seemed to confirm we had the intention of leaving the country!

We said goodbye to Bea and Andy again, and left as Take Five blew their horn and waved us off.    We motored in no wind to the south of the island and anchored in a tiny bay on the South West side of La Gomera in an anchorage recommended us by an intrepid friend who had cruised the Canaries extensively a year ago and said this was one of his favourite anchorages.   We could see why as the bay was only big enough for one boat to anchor and the impressive cliffs rose above us and seemed to hold us close in on both sides.    A cave to the east was tantalisingly close but too far away for us to explore without inflating the dinghy.   As the moon came up we relished the peace and quiet of being alone in a beautiful anchorage and felt it was an apt farewell to another stunning island in this archipelago that has surprised us at every turn.    I felt we had not done La Gomera justice but from the little we had seen of the island, we had loved it and were once again leaving with the wish to see more.