Valle Gran Rey is a municipality on the island of La Gomera, located about an hour’s drive from the capital, San Sebastián de La Gomera. If you visit La Gomera by boat, you’ll see a roundabout outside the port that indicates the road to Valle Gran Rey. Before you know it, you’ll be going uphill and leaving the urban area behind.
Sunsets in Valle Gran Rey
Every bend on the road and each of its viewpoints holds a surprise. So, if you’re travelling with time to spare — something we recommend if you want to unwind — you can stop off at the various viewpoints that provide vistas of Los Roques. As with all good hosts, they treat visitors to the very best they have to offer, and you’ll marvel at the magnificent panoramas they’ve kept just for you.
Today, we’d like to tell you about the sunsets in Valle Gran Rey, so we’ll continue on our journey to this charming corner of the island. About 20 minutes after entering the Garajonay National Park, you’ll come to a sign indicating the first turn off, which is the descent towards Valle Gran Rey through the hamlet of Las Hayas. You can also continue along the main road for a further 3 kilometres or so to a sign indicating another descent, this time via Arure, another picturesque village on the threshold of Valle Gran Rey. The roads are very well signposted, so you won’t get lost.
And we’re almost there… After Arure, you continue downhill towards the sea, passing through a couple of tunnels that give way to even more natural beauty. You’ll also come across more viewpoints offering breathtaking vistas. Remember how we said this journey will help you to unwind? Well, we recommend you make an almost obligatory stop at the César Manrique Viewpoint, where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the entire valley in all its splendour.
And we’re there! The Valle Gran Rey coast will be waiting to welcome you with open arms. We didn’t mention it before, but the island’s various microclimates make for very pleasant temperatures all year round. And with the sun guaranteed to make an appearance almost every single day, you’ll want to have a front-row seat to watch our star performer’s sunset spectaculars.
Whether you’re sitting in a terrace enjoying one of the island’s fine wines, or on a rock at the side of the beach, or even on the sand itself, you’ll be guaranteed a stunning view.
Would you like a few simple tips on how to make your photographs more impressive? Well, check out the following:
- Make use of silhouettes: Objects that are in front of the sunset will show up black, so you can take advantage of this effect and give your photographs personality by choosing an object that will provide meaning.
- Include the foreground: Sunsets make an ideal frame for any element of the beach that’s photographed in the foreground: a sandcastle, rocks, an evening sunshade or even the shapes made by the sand. You’ll see that it’s possible to tell a story using the simplest of details.
- Pay attention to the horizon: As well as lining your camera up correctly, you should think about what you want to highlight. To help you do this, you can imagine 2 horizontal, parallel lines dividing your photograph into 3 parts. If you want the sky to be the most prominent element, you should position your horizon on the lower line. On the other hand, if you want the land to have more importance, you should align the horizon with the top line.
So, now you really can enjoy the festival of colours! The sunset palette will start to reveal itself in all its splendour, with yellows turning to reds, through every possible shade of orange, in just a few short minutes.
And every day is different. Sometimes the sky will be clear, other times, cloudy. There might be waves or a calm sea. And you may hear the spontaneous beating of drums, or just the sound of the sea itself. But there’s one thing that all these elements have in common: they’ll never fail to amaze you.
