BORGES VIEWPOINT

From this viewpoint, we can see the entire lower part of the Hermigua Valley. To our right are the neighbourhoods of Borges, Las Nuevitas, Los Gomeros, Llano Campos and Los Pedacitos. To our left are the neighbourhoods of Ibo Alfaro, La Vecindad, Callejón de Ordaiz, La Piedra Romana, El Tabaibal, El Palmarejo, La Punta, La Castellana and, near the sea, Santa Catalina. We can also see the Barranco de Monteforte ravine running down to the sea. Opposite the viewpoint is the imposing Camacho mountain range, which separates the municipality of Hermigua from that of Agulo. The different neighbourhoods are concentrated in areas far from large ravines and on land unsuitable for agriculture, leaving the rest of the valley for agricultural plantations.

The viewpoint offers splendid views of the banana plantations. At the end of the 19th century, banana plantations were introduced in Hermigua for export to European markets. The good climatic conditions of the valley, together with the municipality’s abundant water resources, led to a significant increase in the area under banana cultivation from the 1940s onwards. Today, thanks to banana plantations, Hermigua offers visitors a green blanket that adorns its landscapes.

From this viewpoint, on the left, we can see the church of La Encarnación. The origins of this religious temple date back to 1611, when we know that there was a small chapel near the current site. The parish was founded in 1642, but collapsed in 1711. The new building dates from the early 20th century and was commissioned from the architect Antonio Pintor, who gave it a neo-Gothic style. He is the same architect who built the church of San Marcos in Agulo. Inside, there are still works of art from the old churches, such as a 19th-century image of the Virgin of La Engarnación, created by the sculptor Fernando Estévez in a classicist style. The Virgin gives her name to the church.