The town’s handful of shops, restaurants and bars are all within easy walking distance, making it an ideal destination for a light lunch, a revivifying glass of wine, and a spot of people-watching in the central square.

Similarly accessible via the regular ferry from Santiago, Valle Gran Rey to the west offers - on clear days - a panoramic view of La Palma and El Hierro. In addition to a popular beach, the region provides many reminders of Gomera’s fascinating past, not least the hermitages of San Nicolás de Tolentino and La Adoración de los Reyes which – though recently renovated – date back to the early 16th century.

Historically speaking The earliest known inhabitants of the Canaries were the Guanches, a Berber people of particular anthropological interest, who were assimilated by the conquering Castilians in the 15th century. Of the Guanches, little trace remains – which is hardly surprising, as they were illiterate. That said, they did leave a rather unusual legacy on Gomera: El Silbo, the peculiar whistling language used by the farmers to communicate from mountain to mountain. (Alas, El Silbo is slowly dying out, in line with the decline in farming - not to mention the relatively recent arrival of electricity and the telephone.)

By 1495, the archipelago was entirely Spanish. And thus it remains, despite the Canaries’ proximity to Africa - and the islanders’ tongue-in-cheek protestations to the contrary. We are, they protest, Gomerans first - Canarians second. Only given these preconditions, or the onset of a high-profile international football match, do they acknowledge their Spanish ancestry and influence.

Quite unlike the more devout Spain, where Easter is all-important, Carnival is the Canary Islanders’ favourite festival – and the Carnival El Mar is its most popular, taking place usually three days prior to Ash Wednesday.

In reality, the islanders require little excuse for a party, and each town hosts its own annual fiesta. Most notable are those of San Sebastian, which is held in January, and includes street theatre, music and dancing, and culminates in a procession to the local shrine. Other worthy diary-dates include the fiesta of Guadalupe - the Patron Saint of Fishermen - in mid-July; that of Santiago, in late July; and El Paso, in September. (This latter - the largest of Gomera’s fiestas - attracts 100s of revellers from the nearby islands.)

Culinary choice The island’s cuisine – like its music - shares much with the Spanish Caribbean. The local wine is most distinctive, complementing a tapa (snack) of watercress soup, goat’s cheese, fresh fish and roast pork or goat meat. The ‘papas arrugadas’ (salty skinned potatoes) that accompany most meals are quite delicious. As are the ‘mojo’ and ‘almogrote’, two piquant sauces that enrich the hunks of fresh bread that arrive, unsolicited, at your restaurant table, the moment you sit.

Those with a sweeter tooth will appreciate the Canarian specialty of ‘guarapo’ (sap of the Canarian palm tree) – the perfect addition to fruit salads, and other desserts - as well as the many lard cakes, buns, pastries, biscuits and roasted milk that are mainstays of Gomeran confection.

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