Set in a grassy subtropical park, the distinctive, 1477 stone-and-whitewash Torre del Conde is considered the Canary Islands’ most important example of military architecture. It was here that Beatriz de Bobadilla, the wife of the cruel and ill-fated Hernán Peraza, had to barricade herself in 1488 until help arrived.

The fort was the first building of any note to be erected on La Gomera, and is about the only one to have been more or less preserved in its original state.


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1. Casa de la Aduana

0.08 MILES

Just off Plaza Constitución, this yellow-walled 16th-century building served as both San Sebastián's customs house and the count’s residence. According to…

2. Playa San Sebastián

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The town’s sandy volcanic beach is perfect for relaxing and taking a swim. Unlike on many beaches in the Canaries, the waters here are almost always calm…

4. Plaza de las Américas

0.11 MILES

With a few cafe-bars, San Sebastián's main square sits just over the road from the beach, overlooked by a 2018 statue of Christopher Columbus.

5. Iglesia de la Virgen de la Asunción

0.14 MILES

Columbus and his men supposedly prayed at this ancient church before setting off for the New World. The original chapel was begun in 1450 but destroyed by…

6. Museo Arqueológico de La Gomera

0.14 MILES

Occupying part of the mid-18th-century Casa de los Echeverría (you'll spot the noble/military family's crest on the facade), this worthwhile museum…

7. Mirador de la Hila

0.17 MILES

For a panoramic view of San Sebastián's pastel-tastic streets, head up Calle de la Hila to this lookout showcasing the coast, town and craggy green…

8. Casa de Colón

0.19 MILES

In the style of its 17th-century predecessor, this simple cream-coloured house with handsome wooden galleries and floors is built on the site where…