Benchijigua is a small village on the island of
La Gomera
La Gomera () is one of Spain's Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. With an area of , it is the third-smallest of the archipelago's eight main islands. It belongs to the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. La Gomer ...
in the
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...
. It lies at the head of a ravine (the Barranco de Benchijigua) at an altitude of 600m below the
Roque de Agando, some 12 km north of
Playa Santiago
Playa Santiago (also known as Playa de Santiago) is a small town on the south coast of the island of La Gomera in the Canary Islands. It is split between two municipalities, Alajeró and San Sebastian. The part within the municipality of Alajer ...
.
Benchijigua is one of the oldest settlements on the island. It was the home of emigrants to
Louisiana
Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
during Spanish rule. The emigrants settled in the community of
Bencheque in
St. Bernard Parish
St. Bernard Parish (; ) is a List of parishes in Louisiana, parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat and largest community is Chalmette, Louisiana, Chalmette. The parish was formed in 1807. St. Bernard Parish is part of the New Or ...
.
The ferry company
Fred. Olsen
Fred. Olsen & Co. is a holding company based in Oslo, Norway. The company was founded as a shipping firm by Petter Olsen sr, Petter Olsen in 1848. Today the company manages the Olsen family's interests in a variety of sectors including logistics, ...
restored some houses here in traditional style and named one of their fast ferries
Benchijigua Express.
Benchijigua und der Barranco Santiago
(in German)
References
{{Reflist
Populated places in La Gomera