Valle Gran Rey: Guide

Valle Gran Rey (Spanish language|Spanish meaning the "Valley of the Great King") is located on the southwestern coast of La Gomera in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife of the Canary Islands. The Guanches|Guanche name of the area was Hupalupa. The seat of the municipality is La Calera since 1930, before it used to serve at Arure which was also a municipal name that time. Valle Gran Rey is linked with a main highway encircling every part of the island. Valle Gran Rey is linked by hydrofoil to Play Santiago, San Sebastian and Los Cristianos (Tenerife).

The population is 4,745 (, 2004), its density is 144.22/km² and the area is 32.9 km² up from 32.36 km² in 2004. The elevation is 100 m. San Sebastián de la Gomera is the largest municipality in population and area. Valle Gran Rey is entirely surrounded with Vallehermoso to the east, while the Atlantic Ocean lies to the west offering a panoramic view of La Palma and El Hierro during clearer days.

The coastline and the valley areas are made up of farmlands, while the mountainous areas are forested or grassy. Its main industry are agriculture which features mainly of banana cultivations and palm productions and fishery and is followed by tourism which existed since the 1970s, most of the tourists comes from Germany and other parts of the Canary Islands. Tourism had brought hotels with 1,500 beds in since 1990. The island has restaurants and bars as well as hotels and apartments even a sandy beach named Playa de Vueltas or Vueltas Beach. The area also features small homes and palm trees around the area.

In 1989, Lanzarote's and Canary Island's famous architect César Manrique constructed a panoramic restaurant named Mirador del Palmerejeo that offers a view of its great valley, including from the toilets. By the mirador built a Manrique-type windmill as well.

Subdivisions