Which edition of the Jornadas Colombinas is this?

The 65th, written LXV by the organisers. Island media put it from 2 to 18 September 2026, under the motto "Tras las huellas de la historia".

What is "Fauna de Canarias protegida" about?

The volume by Luis Herrera Mesa describes, according to the publisher, 101 species and subspecies of Canarian wildlife listed in Spain's register of specially protected species (LESRPE).

Why are the Jornadas Colombinas held on La Gomera?

Because San Sebastián de La Gomera was the Columbus fleet's last Castilian stop before the Atlantic crossing in 1492. The ships were provisioned there and sailed on 6 September 1492.

The available listings do not state admission prices. Lectures and book launches within the Jornadas are usually held in public buildings; the official programme of the Cabildo de La Gomera is the binding source.

LA GOMERA · CULTURE

Jornadas Colombinas 2026 on La Gomera: cinema in Alajeró and a book on protected wildlife

La Gomera is holding the 65th edition (LXV) of its Jornadas Colombinas. According to island media, the programme runs from 2 to 18 September 2026 under the motto "Tras las huellas de la historia" and is spread across several municipalities.

4 September 2026 · By Lucía Medina Reyes · 6 min

Photo: Victor R. Ruiz from Arinaga, Canary Islands, Spain, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Symbolbild).

Today, Friday 4 September, brings two events: a film talk at the town hall in Alajeró and the launch of the book "Fauna de Canarias protegida" at the Cabildo in San Sebastián de La Gomera. This guide sets out what is on, where it happens, and why La Gomera is the setting.

What is on today, 4 September

At 19:00, the meeting "La Gomera a través del cine" takes place in the assembly hall of Alajeró town hall. Local reporting says it is organised by the Aula Cultural de Cine of the Campus La Gomera of the Universidad de La Laguna, with a screening and discussion involving Manuel Díaz Noda, Fernando de Iturrate and Fabián Orán.

At 20:00, the Salón de Plenos of the Cabildo de La Gomera in San Sebastián hosts the presentation of "Fauna de Canarias protegida" by Luis Herrera Mesa. Local reports describe the author as a professor of biology, Hijo Predilecto de La Gomera and holder of the Medalla de Oro de Canarias. According to the publisher, the volume describes 101 species and subspecies of Canarian fauna listed in Spain's register of specially protected species (LESRPE).

What the Jornadas Colombinas are

The Jornadas Colombinas are the cultural programme built around the Fiestas Colombinas of San Sebastián de La Gomera. They mark the fact that in the summer of 1492 the island was the last Castilian port where Christopher Columbus took on water, provisions and timber before crossing the Atlantic.

The 2026 edition is the 65th by the organisers' count. The programme is deliberately not confined to the island capital: island media list San Sebastián de La Gomera, Alajeró, Hermigua, Agulo and Valle Gran Rey as venues. Lectures, exhibitions, concerts, book launches and sports tournaments sit side by side.

The historical link: the 1492 stopover

Columbus reached La Gomera in August 1492, had the ships repaired and provisioned, and sailed west from San Sebastián on 6 September 1492. On 12 October of the same year the fleet made landfall in the Caribbean. That sequence is the basis of the island's description of itself as an "isla colombina".

Some details of the local memory are tradition rather than document. The claim that the caravels' water came from the Pozo de la Aguada beside what is now the Casa de la Aduana, or that Columbus met the island's lady Beatriz de Bobadilla, is locally transmitted but not documented in every particular. The stopovers themselves are taken as established through the early chroniclers.

The wider historical frame

What preceded 1492 is part of the record too. Before Castilian rule, La Gomera was inhabited by an indigenous population organised into four bandos, or territorial groupings; the names handed down are Ipalan, Mulagua, Orone and Agana. The Torre del Conde in San Sebastián, the oldest surviving fortress in the archipelago, was built by Hernán Peraza around 1450.

In 1488 the Gomeros rose in revolt and Hernán Peraza the Younger was killed. The Castilian response under governor Pedro de Vera was severe: historical accounts record that part of the Gomero population was enslaved and others were resettled. The consequences of the 1492 voyage for the indigenous peoples of the Americas belong to the same history. The Jornadas programme is a commemoration, not a historical verdict.

Practical notes for visitors

The two events on 4 September are in different municipalities. Alajeró is in the south of the island and San Sebastián on the east coast; doing both between 19:00 and 20:00 is not realistic on La Gomera's winding mountain roads. Visitors will have to pick one.

The programme continues on Saturday 5 September. According to the published listings, the Torneo Colombino Veterano starts at 09:00 at the municipal football ground in Alajeró, the exhibition "yo, Guirre" by Yapci Ramos opens at 18:30 in the Cabildo exhibition hall, and at 20:00 the singer Josefina Alemán performs with her Mariachi Ensemble on the Plaza de la Encarnación in Hermigua. The 6th of September, the anniversary of the 1492 departure, is traditionally the feast day of San Sebastián de La Gomera.

Tip: La Gomera is reached by ferry from Los Cristianos on Tenerife to San Sebastián. If you want to attend events in Alajeró, Hermigua or Valle Gran Rey, budget for a hire car — the island bus network is only thinly geared to evening events. Journey times between municipalities are longer than the map suggests, because of the mountain roads.

Please note: The times and venues given here come from programme listings published by island media and the organisers, not from on-site verification. Individual items can be moved, rescheduled or cancelled. Check the official programme of the Cabildo de La Gomera or the relevant town hall before travelling.

Key facts

Edition: LXV (65th) Jornadas Colombinas, La Gomera, running 2 to 18 September 2026 according to island media
Motto for 2026: "Tras las huellas de la historia"
Venues: San Sebastián de La Gomera, Alajeró, Hermigua, Agulo, Valle Gran Rey
3 September: lecture "Colón y La Gomera: tejiendo el vínculo canario-americano", 20:00, Casa de la Aduana; Cuarteto Piazzolla at 21:00
4 September: "La Gomera a través del cine", 19:00, Alajeró town hall; book launch "Fauna de Canarias protegida", 20:00, Salón de Plenos of the Cabildo
The book by Luis Herrera Mesa describes 101 protected species and subspecies of Canarian fauna, according to the publisher
Historical link: Columbus left San Sebastián de La Gomera on 6 September 1492

FAQ

Which edition of the Jornadas Colombinas is this?: The 65th, written LXV by the organisers. Island media put it from 2 to 18 September 2026, under the motto "Tras las huellas de la historia".
What is on today, 4 September?: At 19:00 the film talk "La Gomera a través del cine" at Alajeró town hall, and at 20:00 the launch of "Fauna de Canarias protegida" in the Salón de Plenos of the Cabildo in San Sebastián.
What is "Fauna de Canarias protegida" about?: The volume by Luis Herrera Mesa describes, according to the publisher, 101 species and subspecies of Canarian wildlife listed in Spain's register of specially protected species (LESRPE).
Why are the Jornadas Colombinas held on La Gomera?: Because San Sebastián de La Gomera was the Columbus fleet's last Castilian stop before the Atlantic crossing in 1492. The ships were provisioned there and sailed on 6 September 1492.
Are the events free?: The available listings do not state admission prices. Lectures and book launches within the Jornadas are usually held in public buildings; the official programme of the Cabildo de La Gomera is the binding source.

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