Everything about Garajonay National Park totally explained
Garajonay National Park is located in the center and north of the island of
La Gomera, one of the
Canary Islands (
Spain). It was declared a national park in
1981 and a
World Heritage Site by
UNESCO in
1986. It occupies 40 km
2 (15
sq mi) and it extends into each of the municipalities on the island.
The park is named after the rock formation of Garajonay, the highest point on the island at 1,484 m (4,869
feet). It also includes a small
plateau whose altitude is 790-1,400 m (2,600-4,600 feet) above sea level.
The park provides the best example of
laurisilva, a humid subtropical forest that in the
Tertiary covered almost all of
Europe. It is also found on the
Azores and the
Madeira Islands.
Laurus azorica, known as Azores Laurel, or by the Portuguese names
Louro,
Loureiro,
Louro-da-terra, and
Louro-de-cheiro, can be found in the park, as well as
Laurus canariensis, known as Canary Laurel.
The forests are made up of laurel-leaved
evergreen hardwood trees, reaching up to 40 meters in height. Many of the species are
endemic to the islands, and harbor a rich biota of
understory plants,
invertebrates, and
birds and
bats, including a number of
endemic species.
Two species of reptile,
Gallotia gomerana (Gomeran lizard) and
Chalcides viridanus (Gomeran skink), can be found. Amphibians include the stripeless tree frog,
Hyla meridionalis.
The park is renowned as one of the best places to observe the two Canarian
endemic pigeons,
Laurel Pigeon (
Columba junoniae) and
Bolle's Pigeon (
Columba bollii).
Gara and Jonay
The peak and park are named after the doomed
Guanche lovers Gara and Jonay, whose story evokes those of
Romeo and Juliet and
Hero and Leander. Gara was a princess of
Agulo on La Gomera. During the festival of Beñesmén, it was the custom of unmarried girls of Agulo to gaze at their reflections in the waters of Chorros del Epina. If the water was clear, they'd find a husband; if muddy, some misfortune would befall them. When Gara looked at the water, she saw her reflection clearly. However, she gazed too long and the sun's reflection blinded her temporarily. A wise man named Gerián told her that this meant that she needed to avoid all fire or it would consume her.
Jonay was the son of the
mencey or king of Adeje on
Tenerife who arrived on the island to celebrate these ceremonies. Jonay's participation in the ensuing games attracted the attention of Gara, and the two fell in love. Unfortunately, when the engagement was announced, the volcano
Teide, visible from La Gomera, began to erupt as if in disapproval. This was interpreted as a bad sign and the couple’s respective parents broke the engagement. Jonay was made to return to Tenerife, but one night, he swam across the channel that separated the two islands and rejoined his beloved. Their respective fathers ordered that the two be found. The lovers were soon trapped on a mountain, where they decided to take their own lives.
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