Valle Gran Rey: psychedelic La Gomera
"How will I tame her?" she asked. "The yerba del diablo is tamed by the root. Step by step, you must learn the secrets of each part of the root. You must take them to learn the secrets and conquer power," answers the other.
This is one of many conversations between the shaman and the pupil who star Don Juan's teachings , book published by the Mexican Carlos Castaneda in 1968 as his master's thesis in Anthropology. A story in which the author toured Mexico in search of shamans and magical herbs that would open the consciousness of its young readers , so eager for new experiences. It was him twilight of the hippie movement , but the search for new stimuli was still insatiable.
Great King Valley
It was like one of the plants mentioned in the book, the datura , similar to the jimson weed, became the object of hippies and travelers in the early 1970s. However, young Europeans did not have enough money to travel to Mexico. Until the alarm went off (perhaps through this curious Polish stamp) that a similar elixir existed on the island of La Gomera.
Known as the Devil Fig Tree , this plant already popular in the Ancient Greece for its medicinal properties, it also grows in the Valley of the Great King . The main reason why during the years 70 this corner of La Gomera it became a hippie haven for German rebels and young Americans who fled to the far reaches of Europe fleeing being drafted into the Vietnam War.
Nevertheless, What remains of the most psychedelic essence of La Gomera?
Devil Fig Tree
DRUMS SOUND IN THE CONFINES OF THE CANARY ISLANDS
“I did not find out if there were any deaths in La Gomera, but yes I was aware of many poisonings , some of which ended with urgent transfers to medical centers and the blind intervention of the Civil Guard, who probably did not know of the existence of this hallucinogen. Several cases of Devil's Fig poisoning They were widely discussed in Valle Gran Rey, such as that of a German girl who entered La Puntilla Restaurant (now disappeared), dressed only in a small vest, to buy a box of matches, to the astonishment of the large group of merchants, farmers and fishermen who they gathered there every evening to chat, drink beer and express their nostalgia for Francisco Franco”.
This is one of the testimonies of the Canarian writer Manuel Mora , one of the visible witnesses of the hippie explosion that the Valle Gran Rey experienced in the decade of 70's . A time when this land of fishermen and volcanic slopes was conquered by the massive arrival of young Europeans who found their particular escape from civilization on a narrow stone path from the little town of Arure.
Especially in front of the restaurant house mary , icon of this valley, young people admired the sunset , moment that gave the starting gun to the drums, the sacred songs and the presence of ephemeral shamans who brought the extract of the famous fig tree . The rest remained between the island and its visitors in a dance that lasted until dawn the next day, at least. Perhaps because they felt safe here. Because what was once known as lucky islands , the paradise to which the spirits flew according to ancient Greek scholars, made more sense here than anywhere else in the archipelago.
Casa Maria, in Valle Gran Rey
The influx of this type of public, which did not need large hotels or complexes to stay, allowed the aesthetic charm of the valley to be maintained, unlike other tourist places in the Canary Islands. The best excuse to travel in space and time discovering the secrets of what is one of the best bases to discover the rest of La Gomera.
THE PERFECT OASIS
Devil's Fig Tree It is a good anecdote to introduce the traveler to the Valle Gran Rey, the second largest municipality in La Gomera (after the capital, San Sebastián de la Gomera) and located to the west of the Canary Island.
From the great ravine that precedes the old capital of the municipality, arure , a valley of beauty as cosmic as it is exuberant unfolds: small towns of white houses in the armpits of the mountains, solitary palm trees on crop terraces and a horizon of fine black sand that contrasts with the blues of the Atlantic. The best refuge in which to enjoy its ecological accommodations and dive into beaches like the Charco del Conde, Vueltas or Playa del Inglés , next to the port, which still evokes the hippie spirit that once conquered this land of simple people.
In addition, the Valle Gran Rey is the perfect oasis from which to make excursions to other emblematic places on the island. For example, the Garajonay National Park, famous for the presence of its iconic laurel forests , is located just 18 kilometers.
On the way back, you can always continue exploring the vestiges of the history of the 70s between doses of almogrote, a typical aged cheese pâté; brand new booties in the natural pool Count's Puddle ; either enjoy bohemian nights on terraces under skies of a thousand stars.
maybe even taking tours of the various tropical gardens of the valley to finish with the hands in an aloe workshop. To sit in a hammock surrounded by the aroma of a stew simmering in the kitchen.
Or even, wait for sunset to listen to the murmur of those who once believed they had reached their particular end of the world.