Roque de Agando
Encyclopedia
Roque de Agando is a prominent rock formation on the island of La Gomera
in the Canary Islands
. It is one of La Gomera's most striking features and is frequently used as a symbol for the island.
Roque Agando is the most prominent of a group of four volcanic plug
s called simply Los Roques, near the centre of the island. The others are named Roque Carmona, Roque Ojila, and Roque Zarcita. It rises directly above the main road between the island's capital San Sebastián
and Garajonay National Park
in the centre, which makes it a popular tourist sight.
The summit is not accessible by foot. During the 20th century, some easy rock-climbing routes were established on the peak, but climbing is now banned there, and hiking is restricted to established paths in its vicinity, as it forms part of a protected area.
Remains of aboriginal Guanche
sacrificial shrines have been found on the summit. These were in good condition until the 1980s, when they were looted
by a German group making a documentary film.
La Gomera
La Gomera is one of Spain's Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. In area, it is the second-smallest of the seven main islands of this group.- Political organization :...
in the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
. It is one of La Gomera's most striking features and is frequently used as a symbol for the island.
Roque Agando is the most prominent of a group of four volcanic plug
Volcanic plug
A volcanic plug, also called a volcanic neck or lava neck, is a volcanic landform created when magma hardens within a vent on an active volcano. When forming, a plug can cause an extreme build-up of pressure if volatile-charged magma is trapped beneath it, and this can sometimes lead to an...
s called simply Los Roques, near the centre of the island. The others are named Roque Carmona, Roque Ojila, and Roque Zarcita. It rises directly above the main road between the island's capital San Sebastián
San Sebastián de La Gomera
San Sebastián de la Gomera is a town and also an administrative district on La Gomera in the Canary Islands. Its population is 2,176 , its density is 47.6/km² and the area is 114.78 km²....
and Garajonay National Park
Garajonay National Park
Garajonay National Park is located in the center and north of the island of La Gomera, one of the Canary Islands . It was declared a national park in 1981 and a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986...
in the centre, which makes it a popular tourist sight.
The summit is not accessible by foot. During the 20th century, some easy rock-climbing routes were established on the peak, but climbing is now banned there, and hiking is restricted to established paths in its vicinity, as it forms part of a protected area.
Remains of aboriginal Guanche
Guanches
Guanches is the name given to the aboriginal Berber inhabitants of the Canary Islands. It is believed that they migrated to the archipelago sometime between 1000 BCE and 100 BCE or perhaps earlier...
sacrificial shrines have been found on the summit. These were in good condition until the 1980s, when they were looted
Looting
Looting —also referred to as sacking, plundering, despoiling, despoliation, and pillaging—is the indiscriminate taking of goods by force as part of a military or political victory, or during a catastrophe, such as during war, natural disaster, or rioting...
by a German group making a documentary film.