Top spots to watch sunsets - Part 3

Valle Gran Rey is the 'sunset capital' of La Gomera and I want to introduce you to some of the best and most popular locations from where to watch the spectacle over the Atlantic ocean with a cool or hot drink in your hand. The order in which they appear does not intend to give a ranking and my suggestion is that you'll try them all for the sake of variety. If you've got any further proposals please let me know, or even better send me your own post with your snapshots.

Today it's the turn of La Puntilla, the area around the statue of Hautacuperche. It is situated about halfway between La Playa in the west and Vueltas harbour in the east of lower Valle Gran Rey. There you'll have a fantastic view across to El Hierro and even the southern end of La Palma can be seen. Sometimes there are parties on the beach behind the statue and irregularly there's live music outside Manolo's Bar Teguerguenche in the large blue building across the road from the statue which houses several more inviting bars and restaurants. For a special treat you could go to Hotel Gran Rey, take the lift up to the top floor and sip a cocktail in the rooftop bar or on the terraces from where you can not only observe the sun going down over the horizon but also enjoy the view to the north up the green valley to the mountains. 

Sunsets don't come much better

Valle Gran Rey could be called 'The Sunset Capital Of The Canary Islands', but that may be just local pride. I've seen many an Atlantic sunset in the West of Ireland and sunsets over the rest of the world's oceans. They all have one thing in common: There's always he odd one that takes your breath away and makes even the most stressed and hurried and cynical people stop in their tracks just to ...waaaaaatch. The good ones tend to last for much longer than the rest and no camera will ever do justice to them. In Valle Gran Rey on La Gomera sunsets have become a focal point for all, almost a ritual, often with drummers, fire jugglers, musicians and dancers - but more about that another time. Today I'll just give you a few photos of a rare, long lasting sundown which I took last night while munching a tasty cosmopolitan falafel.

...and please do find out more about the monument man Hautacuperche with his broken bowl, 'The Last of the Independents' as Rory Gallagher sang in a different context.

The island of El Hierro in the background  

Hautacuperche

There are many bars and restaurants that offer vantage seats for viewing. Photo was taken from the
'Bar Estacion de Guaguas' (Bus Station Bar) near the only petrol station (La Calera) just a week ago

Hautacuperche last night. There are several bars, restaurants and the Hotel Gran Rey within 100 yds.