Covering just 33 km2 ofthe western part of La Gomera, Valle Gran Rey is the second smallest municipality on the island. However, the contrasting landscapes of this tiny territory have a powerful impact.
- From the green and misty mountains of Arure and Las Hayas, to the colourful fishing boats resting in Vueltas;
- From the black sand of Playa del Inglés to the paredones that with the help of palm trees scale the cliffs of Guadá or Taguluche;
- From the tropical crops in the lower area to the vineyards spilling through meadows in the upper areas.
The municipality is made up of three large sectors: Valle Gran Rey, the highlands of Arure, and Las Hayas, and Taguluche.
Valle Gran Rey is a deep valley whose mouth stretches to the ocean in the shape of an alluvial fan, which has been settled by scattered population centres: Guadá in the upper part of the valley; Casa de La Seda, El Guro and Piedras Quebradas in the middle; Las Orijamas and La Calera on the slopes at the end of the channel; and La Playa, La Puntilla, Borbalán and Vueltas on the coast.
Arure, which was the capital of the municipality at the end of the 19th Century, is located in the upper part of the municipality, 800 metres above sea level. The hamlet of Las Hayas is very near Arure, closer to Garajonay National Park. Both areas are used for agriculture and to raise livestock and closely tied to the mountain.
The other sector of the municipality is Tauluche, located in the northwestern part of Valle Gran Rey. Enclosed in a small but very steep valley, its hamlet is one of the most representative landscapes of La Gomera: traditional houses, crop terraces and a splendid palm grove.