San Sebastian De La Gomera tourist information
The borough of San Sebastián de La Gomera corresponds to the ancient district of Hipalán, together with the valley of Santiago. Hernán Peraza the Elder took possession of the area where the island´s capital is situated, at the mouth of the valley of La Villa, around 1440. It was given the name San Sebastián probably because of the Castilians´ devotion to this saint. The first buildings erected, before the island came completely under their control, were the house of Peraza, where the Pozo de la Aguada is still to be found, the Church of the Assumption, which in those days was just a small chapel, and the Torre del Conde, situated towards the centre of the Valley. The latter is the only one of the three to have maintained its original appearance. The Chapel of San Sebastián has also suffered some changes over the centuries. It dates from the same period and was erected outside the town boundaries by the lord of the island, a great devotee of the Saint. The island capital grew up around two poles: the House of Peraza and the Church of the Assumption. The street connecting the two became the main street, Calle Real, and this in turn continued on to become the beginning of the island´s main highway. The most important buildings were erected around the main square in front of the church but it was some time before the town grew enough to incorporate the Chapel of San Sebastián into the built-up area.
The first map of San Sebastián dates from a century and a half after its foundation and over the following three centuries there was very little change. The town became well-established thanks to the activity of its port and the connected trade: taverns, inns, and craftsmen´s workshops. The passage of Christopher Columbus through La Gomera was well received by the lady of the island, Beatriz de Bobadilla, who gave the necessary assistance and permitted the provisioning of supplies: food, water and firewood. Columbus sailed off on his adventure into the unknown on 6th September 1492. After this first voyage, he also passed through the island again arriving on 5th October 1493, and finally again on 19th June 1498. On his last voyage he did not drop anchor in the bay of San Sebastián. In the years 1588 - 1590 there was a population of 625 inhabitants and 125 houses, arranged around 4 blocks, in addition to the important buildings and a row of houses at the base of the mountain. This distribution hardly changed until the beginning of the past century.
The nineteenth century saw a gradual growth until, in the census of 1802, the population of San Sebastián numbered 1,800. Over the next hundred years the built-up area spread past the "limits" of the Chapel of San Sebastián, reaching as far as the flat area known as El Tanquito.
The present economy of the borough depends largely on its function as the island´s capital and port, with the subsequent development of the sectors such as Public administration, services (especially transport), trade and tourism. Construction is also of certain importance and, to a much lesser degree, agriculture in the "oasis" of the valley of La Villa.
Amongst the places to be visited for their cultural and historical interest, worthy of mention are the Torre del Conde, the Casa de Colón museum, the Pozo de la Aguada well and the Church of the Assumption. Places of natural interest are Garajonay National Park, Majona Natural Park, the Natural Monuments of Los Roques, the Natural Monument of Barranco del Cabrito and the Special Reserve of Puntallana.
San Sebastian De La Gomera aerial map
Please click on any icon on the San Sebastian De La Gomera aerial tourist map, to find close by places, offering hotels and tourist information. You can zoom in and zoom out our touristical map as well as switch between satelite and map view of San Sebastian De La Gomera.
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