San Sebastian de La Gomera: Explore Gomera’s Capital, San Sebastian de La Gomera, Spain

San Sebastián de La Gomera is a town in the Canary Islands that demands you slow down and wander aimlessly in its historic quarter.

No turn is wrong because you want to get hopelessly lost in La Gomera’s capital. Pause at a public square to look at the city’s steeped walls and imagine yourself sipping coffee at sunrise. Look up at the open wooden balconies and pretend to flutter your fan. Bend down to pet the black cat you discovered lazily sleeping in the Spanish sun.

If your spirits rise when you see bold colors, then San Sebastián de La Gomera will delight you. Residents paint their houses in bold shades, including lemon yellow and rose.

But the traditional style is the standard—beige and brown. I marveled at the butcher’s business. He painted his storefront in purple!

I don’t know anything about the people who lived in these houses more than 500 years ago …. nor do I know the stories of today’s residents.

But San Sebastian’s colorful houses made me imagine what it must be like to live here, enclosed in a time capsule. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).