If you are looking for a really quiet place to relax, a place with numerous palm trees, warm sun and freshly caught fish, Alajero, a small municipality occupying the southern part of the island of La Gomera, is likely to meet all your needs.
It occupies an area of approximately 49.4 square kilometers, and has a population of just 2,200 people.
Once relying entirely on agriculture and production of bananas and tomatoes, today the region, like any other place in the Canary Islands, experiences tourism boom.
How to Get to Alajero?
Taking the ferry between Tenerife and La Gomera is the easiest way to get to Alajero.
In the south of Alajero, near the coast and next to Playa de Santiago, is the only airport on the island.
Traditionally, it serves mainly domestic flights to neighboring islands, although there are also flights to popular destinations such as London, for example.
Weather
Alajero is one of the most arid, warm and sunny corners of La Gomera.
High mountains stop the clouds that come from the north, and for this reason Alajero enjoys better weather in comparison with the north-facing slopes.
Between 21 and 29°C is the average daytime temperature along the coast throughout the year.
The difference between summer and winter temperatures, however, is quite larger in high-lying areas.
Cold, cloudy and rainy weather is normal in the mountainous regions of Alajero during the winter months, while the shore enjoys a lot of sunshine and higher temperatures.
If you are planning to climb to the mountain forests of the island choose any of the summer months or just wear warmer clothes and raincoat.
Sights to See
Of course, the number of visitors here is incomparably smaller than the leading destinations such as Playa de Las Americas (Tenerife) and Maspalomas (Gran Canaria).
Being less popular, however, doesn’t make it less attractive.
Just on the contrary, the silence and the feeling that you are isolated from the rest of the world is what attracts tourists seeking solitude and pure nature.
Major tourist activities in Alajero are biking, hiking, golf, diving and relaxation.
Ranging from dry and grassy slopes to lush and fresh rainforests, Alajero offers quite a diverse landscape.
Interesting tourist routes criss cross the municipality.
Passing between dragon trees and date palms, you can reach and enjoy interesting and picturesque places, still isolated from the rest of the world.
There are two major towns in Alajero – Playa de Santiago, known for its golf courses and banana plantations, and the homonymous town of Alajero, whose main attraction is the church Iglesia de San Salvador.
Along the coast of Alajero you will find only a few small beaches, and all of them are covered with small oval-shaped stones.
However, you will enjoy really clean, cool and pleasant seawater with typical deep-blue color.
The largest beach is located in Playa de Santiago.
It is also covered with small pebbles, and it has a length of about 60 meters.
Most of the rest of the coast is occupied by the southern slopes of La Gomera that descend steeply into the ocean.