Oscar winner filmed in La Gomera

Oscar winner Cillian Murphy in bar and restaurant La Chalana in Playa de Santiago,
La Gomera late 2013.  Guess who's hand is resting on Cillian's shoulder...

Congratulations to 2024 Oscar winner for best actor Cillian Murphy whom I met in La Gomera in late 2013 when we talked mainly about the island and music. Cillian was in Playa de Santiago shooting 'In The Heart Of The Sea' directed by Ron Howard. I had the luck to have been one of only six 'locals' picked out of over 3.000 applicants as picture doubles. The above image was taken in lovely beach bar La Chalana which was closed to the public at the time as only actors and crew had access. Cillian was one of very few Irish involved and we just bumped into each other there at a quiet time after a day's shooting scenes. I still owe you a beer, Cillian, I couldn't have met a nicer guy !

...and yes he looks tired and hungry above, but he's supposed to as he's playing a starving shipwrecked whaler. I looked much worse. 

Loads more posts about the time Hollywood came to La Gomera HERE...

Carnival season 2024

The carnival season 2024 has begun in La Gomera and the island capital San Sebastian's festivities are already in full swing. The main parade will wind its way through the streets tomorrow, Sat. 10th of February 2024, followed as usual by dancing until sunrise, see poster above for the full carnival programme, which is themed 'The Jungle'.

The capital will barely have recovered from the jamboree when the celebrations begin again across the mountains in Valle Gran Rey where this year's theme is 'Hawaii' and the  main carnival parade takes place there on Saturday, February 24th 2024 from 5pm(-ish).

See VGR programme below:

Then carnival and all aficionados move to Playa de Santiago in the deep south of La Gomera where the fun begins on March 28th, themed 'Pirates of the South', see their poster below. 

Agulo and Hermigua in the north of the island will of course have their own distinct carnivals as well, but I don't have their programmes yet. Watch this space...

UPDATE: 

Nice poster (below) out now for the carnival in Vallehermoso (March 7th-9th):

Tuna fair in Playa de Santiago tomorrow

Tomorrow, Saturday July 9th 2022, Playa de Santiago in La Gomera's south will host a 'Tuna Fair' from 10am with cookery demostrations, fish and wine pairings, free tapas, children's events, market stalls, live music and surprises. All is themed around fresh tuna, as Playa de Santiago's port is where most of La Gomera's tuna catch is landed and all along the south coast you can still see the ruins of several tuna canneries.

Playa de Santiago seen from the sea just after sunrise

Another stunning video taken from the air

The above video takes you through the air from Playa de Santiago to Valle Gran Rey (Source: Hotel Jardin Tecina)

Carnival in Playa de Santiago 2020

Playa de Santiago will hold their annual carnival from tomorrow, March 5th 2020.
The main parade will be on Friday from 6:30 pm, followed by dancing to DJs and salsa bands all night...

Fiesta del Carmen 2019 programme

Above the programme for the 2019 Fiesta del Carmen in ValleGran Rey.
Vallehermoso and Playa de Santiago also hold fiestas in honour of Carmen (see below) so there's no shortage of entertainment in La Gomera this week...

The port of Valle Gran Rey

The port of Valle Gran Rey situated in Vueltas handled about 158.000 passengers in 2018, most them using the new high speed car ferry service introduced by Naviera Armas towards the end of 2017 and the smaller Fred. Olsen passenger ferry which arrived in the autumn of 2017. The latter also sails to La Gomera's southern port of Playa de Santiago which handled almost 41.000 passengers in 2018. I took the above image of Vueltas ln late December 2017 when a small luxury cruise ship passed by at sunset.

Folk festival in Playa de Santiago this Sunday

Carnival in Hermigua 2018

Tonight and tomorrow March 3rd 2018 it's carnival time in Hermigua 

Carnival 2018 comes to Playa de Santiago

Playa de Santiago/Alajero will hold their carnival from tomorrow. The main theme there
will be 'Asia' and the parade will start at 18:30 pm on Friday March 2nd 2018.

Two concerts of World Music

Two free concerts of World Music will take will take place this week. The first one in Playa de Santiago on Wednesday January 3rd 2018 will feature three acts: Local musician Juan Mesa and his band, as well as Virginia Guantanamera from Cuba, and Brazilian group Brasileando in the town's square from 7:30 pm. 

The following day the same concert, but without Juan Mesa, will be staged from 8:30 pm in the harbour of Vueltas, Valle Gran Rey.

Large port and marina planned for Playa de Santiago

The existing harbour in La Gomera's southernmost town of Playa de Santiago will be dwarfed if the plans for a large extension of the pier and port will get funding. The plans have been around for quite some time but nothing has happened yet due to lack of financial support. Recently there have been renewed political efforts to have funds for project included in the 2018 budget of the Canarian government and to apply for some EU aid under the cohesion heading.

The project when first drawn up had a price tag of around 106.5 million Euros and will involve massive movement of rock and concrete, of which the municipal region of Alajero, in which Playa de Santiago is situated has more than plenty. The new port, if built, will provide berths for ships and ferries of up to 340 ft in length, a marina with berths for about 350 pleasure craft of various sizes, a dedicated comercial fishing section and ancillary works. 

If only they would finish the port of Valle Gran Rey, which badly needs a marina and has been awaiting the final 'phase two' for many years, first...

Below an impressive animated introduction to the ambitious plans for Playa de Santiago

Carnival now moves to Playa de Santiago

Playa de Santiago (Alajero) carnival poster The theme tis year is 'music'

Drowning on Christmas Eve

Playa de Santiago 

Yet another drowning happened on La Gomera's coast, this time in Playa de Santiago on La Gomera's south coast around 4:30 pm  on Christmas Eve. 

A male Swiss national, 71 years of age, was brought ashore apparently dead from the sea at the generally safe beach where he had been swimming.

The doctor and nurses from the nearby health centre with the assistance of the crew of an ambulance tried to revive the man but their efforts proved fruitless.

Only a few weeks ago a 77-year old Austrian had drowned at another beach on Gomera's south coast and a 45-year old man drowned at a dangerous beach west of Valle Gran Rey last week.

Ferry connection viability to be studied

The director of the Canarian ferry company Naviera Armas, Antonio Armas Fernandez, has publicly stated recently that his company will study the economic viability of the so-called 'interior ferry line', connecting the ports of La Gomera's capital San Sebastian, Playa de Santiago and Valle Gran Rey. His company runs ten ferries, connecting all the Canary Islands  and also intends to run a ferry from Fuerteventura to Tarfaya in Morocco soon.The announcement came after his meeting with the Canarian minister for transport and other officials at which various other options for this route were also discussed.

The 'interior ferry line' ceased operations early 2012 despite having been declared an 'obligatory public service' by the Canarian government some years previously and the decision to subsidise resident's tickets further.

The ferry route had been operated by three different companies over the years and attracted 150.000 passengers per year on average before it ceased operating.It is worth remembering that by taking the now sorely missed ferry  it took just about 30 minutes to travel from Valle Gran Rey to the capital San Sebastian, while the public bus needs about 110 minutes to get there. The route by sea would also reduce the amount of traffic that currently has to squeeze through the centre of the national park, and that Valle Gran Rey only has one access road which is very narrow in places and prone to rockfalls.

Let's hope that the outcome of the study will be positive, leadiing to a renewed connection between the southern ports of La Gomera.
Click for latest UPDATE

Drowning on La Gomera's south coast

A  77-year-old Austrian named as Richard Liedolter and thought to be a tourist was swimming in the sea off Playa del Medio near Playa de Santiago on La Gomera's south coast at around mid-day last Saturday when he apparently to get into difficulty.  Other swimmers in the area came to his assistance and he was brought ashore but found to be unconscious. The ambulance was sent from the health centre in Playa de Santiago but the accompanying doctor's efforts to revive him proved unsuccessful and it was established that he had suffered a heart attack.

Market and music

Playa de Santiago in La Gomera's south will host a market today in the town's square by the sea with activities for young and old, wine tasting, plus live music from bands and artists such as 'Almogrote Band', Reblujina (Rock), and more. DJs will also perform and the event will last from this  morning long into the night. 

All are welcome and the event is free of charge.

Car racing and temporary road closures

Competitor in the last 'Subida Degollada Peraza' on
La Gomera in 2011.    Images: gomeraracing

A stretch of five kilometres of the main road GM-2 starting near the sewage treatment plant  of the capital San Sebastian in the direction of Playa de Santiago and Valle Gran Rey will be temporarily closed at times  tomorrow Saturday, May 24th 2014, from 8:30 am until  about lunchtime to allow motor racing during the ''III Subida Degollada Peraza''. These hill climb trials are part of the Canarian championships and 28 entrants will race their cars in 4 different categories. Spectators will be shuttled free of charge from the bus station in San Sebastian  by the Mesa bus company to the viewing stands  from 7 am.

Carnival on La Gomera 2014

Above: A 'murga' from Tenerife visiting a pre-carnival event in Playa de Santiago on Saturday

It is carnival time on La Gomera and the three main towns are celebrating their events as follows:
---In the capital San Sebastian de La Gomera carnival has begun already and the main event, the parade is on Sat. March 1st. Festivities close with the 'funeral of the sardine' on Sat. March 8th this year. The main theme is 'Myths and Legends':

---The carnival of Playa de Santiago begins on March 1st and closes with the 'sardine funeral' on Sun. March 8th this year. The theme this year is ' Feasts of the Empires':

---The Valle Gran Rey carnival will have the festival stage in the harbour of Vueltas this year and takes place from the 5th of March, with the parade on Friday Mar. 7th and closing with the 'sardine' the following day. Theme: 'Horror'

Poster for VGR's 'fancy dress run' on March 5th.