HPB’s holiday booking service has been rated 4.7 out of 5
based on 14748 customer reviews on Feefo.
Feefo Platinum Award Feefo logo

La Gomera's secret language

Posted by Luci Ackers on 14 November 2016
Related property: El Balcon De Santa Ana
La Gomera's secret language

La Gomera

La Gomera is one of the smaller Canary Islands. Situated in the Atlantic Ocean, this charming little island is of volcanic origin, meaning the landscape is characterised by deep ravines and slopes, steep hills and luscious areas of beautiful forest.

Thanks to the fertile soil and the nature of the land, the island is able to support the Garajonay National Park, 70% of which is composed of rare laurel forest (laurisilva) and protected as a World Heritage Site.

Silbo Gomero

Though the beauty of the island is a huge draw for visitors, it is not the only thing that makes this place so special... La Gomera is the home of an extraordinary form of ancient communication that is still practised by the local people today. Silbo Gomero is an incredible whistled speech that has been spoken on the island for hundreds of years, the technique passed down from one generation to another.

Silbo Gomero is incredibly unique. Although there are a small number of other communities that have a form of whistled communication, silbo has been studied the most and seems to be the only one which is taught in school.

The whistled language has been referred to as 'substituting' the natural language which means it is a representation of the Spanish spoken on the island and uses whistled vowels and consonants. It is adapted to work perfectly with the lay of the land, bouncing and echoing off the deep valleys and can travel up to 2 miles in distance! It was a great form of communication for those living isolated lives with the need to pass messages without travelling.

A little bit of history

It is largely believed that the whistle was originally bought across with the early settlers from Africa, and that it was adopted into the indigenous language of the Guanches, who were the island's early inhabitants.

As the European settlers began to arrive in the 15th century, silbo was adapted into the Spanish language and became reasonably widely spoken. From the 1950s there was a steady decrease in the amount of people who knew this wonderful language; emigration meant those with the skill were moving away and later, from the 70s onwards, the mobile phone robbed silbo of its practicality. There was no longer the need to communicate by mouth over great distances.

More recently, however, there has been a drive to reignite the interest in its practice. Teaching the art of silbo in primary school was an idea put forward in the 90s to reinstate its use to the community. As a general rule, only those born before 1950 or who attended school after 1999 are able to speak the whistle. Hopefully this new generation will rekindle the process and continue to pass the skill on to their children.

Many of the people of La Gomera who do know this fantastic skill are happy to demonstrate their talents to visitors, and in this picture we can see a gentleman sharing his expertise with the holiday makers of El Balcón de Santa Ana. For more information on La Gomera you can receive a brochure by entering your details at the bottom of the page. Discover the interesting culture of La Gomera for yourself!

Luci Ackers

Luci Ackers

Luci loves getting out and about for a good cycle ride or easy-going walks in the countryside, and thoroughly enjoyed the time she previously spent working for the National Trust. Her love of writing started from a young age and on rainy days nothing beats curling up in a secret corner with a good book.

How can I find out more?

The Holiday Property Bond could do as much for your quality of life as it has done for many thousands of families who have already invested. That's why we invite you to get in touch with us in any of these 3 ways and please don't forget our unique 'Money back promise' and 'interest free loan' options.

Request our brochure Speak to a representative Explore one of our UK sites

Please request our fully illustrated holiday property brochure

Please read "How HPB works" and then we will be delighted to send you our brochure, including our property portfolio, and your FREE copy of Insight Magazine. See the beautiful holiday homes and magnificent locations where you can spend your holidays as a Bondholder and learn how impressed Bondholders have been by our handling of the problems caused by coronavirus.

Please complete and submit the form or, alternatively, telephone our FREE brochure request line on 0800 230 0391

Request a brochure
Title *  
First Name *  
Surname *  
Email address *
Postcode *  
Telephone number
How did you hear about us?

We will use the details you provide above to send you our detailed HPB brochure and keep you updated about HPB holiday offers. Details of how we use the information you provide are in our privacy policy.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

SUBMIT SUBMIT
* Indicates required fields
HPB’s holiday booking service has been rated 4.7 out of 5 based on 14748 customer reviews on Feefo.

You can speak to one of our representatives

Your local HPB representative will be happy to call or video call you at a convenient time for an informal chat. Simply fill in your details and we'll do the rest.

Most of our representatives are Bondholders themselves and all have visited a number of Bond sites.

The representative will give you all the information you need and then leave you to make up your own mind. He or she will talk to you about your holiday requirements and what level of investment is needed to secure the kind of holidays you want.

Video chat now available with a local representative

This request is for new enquiries only, if you are an existing Bondholder please contact us via myBond.

How should we contact you? *  
Title *  
First Name *  
Surname *  
Email address *
Telephone number *  
Post code *  
Preferred Date/Time
Preferred Date/Time 2
Preferred Date/Time 3
OR
Please contact me to arrange a date

Your local representative will contact you to confirm the date and time.

Date/Time *  
How did you hear about us?
Chosen date (choose above) *
Chosen time (choose above) *

We will use the details you provide above for a representative to contact you. Details of how we use the information you provide are in our privacy policy.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

SUBMIT SIGN ME UP
* Indicates required fields


See our stunning holiday properties for yourself

Having a Private Tour at an HPB holiday location is an enjoyable way to see the high standards of furnishings and facilities you could enjoy with HPB. One of our representatives will show you around the site and answer any questions you may have.

Alternatively, you are welcome to book a Personal Presentation at a hotel near you. You can chat to one of our representatives, ask your questions and view the complete portfolio of HPB locations.

BOOK A PRIVATE TOUR OR PERSONAL PRESENTATION

This advertisement is issued by HPB Management Limited (HPBM), the main UK agent and the property manager for HPB, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, registered at HPB House, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 8EH. HPB is available exclusively through HPBM. HPB is issued by HPB Assurance Limited (HPBA) registered in the Isle of Man and authorised by the Financial Services Authority there. The Trustee of HPB is Equiom (Isle of Man) Limited, registered at Jubilee Buildings, Victoria Street, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2SH. The Securities Adviser is Stanhope Capital LLP of 35 Portman Square, London W1H 6LR. No medical examination is required.

HPBM promotes only HPB and is not independent of HPBA. Holders of policies issued by HPBA will not be protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme if the company becomes unable to meet its liabilities to them but Isle of Man compensation arrangements apply to new policies.