Playa de Santiago – Beach, Hiking Trail and Fishing History

Stage 7 between Alajeró and Playa de Santiago is 10.5 kilometres long. A section of this stage follows Route 22 of La Gomera’s hiking trail network on the way to Playa de Santiago. The route passes through valleys and hills that were once characterised by extensive cultivated areas. Via Calle Santiago Apóstol, the stage reaches the beach. At the end, hikers can swim in calm waters; the beach is washed by calm bathing waters.

The different local references make Playa de Santiago a comprehensible day-trip destination: landscape, settlement history and maritime life today do not represent the same experience, but complement one another. The town can therefore be viewed both through its coastline and through the traces of its development.

Coast and Beach

Playa de Santiago beach lies between a rocky massif and a slope covered with terraced fields. Directly on the beach there is a tourist information office, litter bins, a cleaning service and a sports area. The coastal landscape therefore combines striking rock formations, agriculturally shaped slopes and the open beach area. The transition between the slope, rocky massif and bathing waters gives this coastal section a clearly structured landscape.

History and Townscape

Playa de Santiago emerged at the beginning of the 20th century as a settlement of a small group of fishermen on the beach. Two canneries were built in this early fishing settlement. The Casa Cultural de Playa de Santiago houses a permanent exhibition about fishing, preserving a central theme of the town’s history in a specific exhibition venue.

In the town centre stands the parish church of Salvador del Mundo, which is a distinctive building with its appealing façade. The church contains a 17th-century statue of Christ. The festivities in honour of the Virgen del Carmen include a maritime procession in the town’s bay. The church, exhibition and procession thus show different public forms in which the history and maritime character of Playa de Santiago come together.

Town Life and Fish

The seafront promenade, Playa de Santiago’s main street, is home to bars, restaurants and terraces offering good fish. The promenade is therefore both one of the town’s main streets and a setting for its waterside gastronomic life.

Harbour and Water Sports

The island’s airport is located in the Playa de Santiago area. The harbour of Playa de Santiago serves both fishing and recreational and leisure boating. Maritime excursions depart from the harbour jetty. Kayaking is one of the water sports available in Playa de Santiago. The harbour area thus brings together fishing, leisure boating and excursions, while kayaking provides another way to access the water.

For a holiday apartment in Playa de Santiago, travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions may provide different details relevant to personal travel planning; on the respective offer pages, they can be considered as a separate framework for making a choice.

Underwater World

The Las Gorgonias dive site features a species-rich marine world and an underwater landscape with rock formations consisting predominantly of lava and basalt.

For the overarching travel overview: Alajero.