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Agulo is a Spanish municipality belonging to the island of La Gomera, in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, autonomous community of the Canary Islands. It is located to the north of the same, between the valleys and municipalities of Hermigua and Vallehermoso, being with its 25.39 km² surface area the smallest municipality on the island. With a population of 1085 inhabitants (INE 2022) it is the least populated municipality of the four islands that make up the province.

Toponymy

Various theories attempt to explain the origin of the name of the municipality. One of them maintains that Agulo derives from an aboriginal word that meant "Water that falls from above in the form of a waterfall or waterfall." Sabino Berthelot related it to the Berber place name "Angulu" which gives its name to a cape and town in Morocco.

Another version points to a different Berber voice «a-wal-u», which would mean «cut place».

For his part, the historian Viera y Clavijo suggested that the colonizers gave the name Agulo to this place "because it is a valley that only has two narrow entrances".

Symbols

Shield

The heraldic shield of the municipality was approved by Order of May 27, 2002 of the Government of the Canary Islands, its description being: «In a field of azur a passing winged lion and gold halo. At the bell the Royal Crown of Gold".

The winged lion is the symbol of the patron saint of the town, San Marcos Evangelista, while the gold of its nimbado is related to the most important agricultural product of Agulo, the banana.

Flag

The Agulo flag was also approved by Order of May 27, 2002, being a «rectangular cloth of silk, taffeta, satin, fleece or synthetic fiber, depending on the case, whose length is one and a half times greater than its width, the color blue; with a diagonal stripe, yellow in color, that goes from the upper corner of the pole to the lower corner of the flap, and a width of one fifth of the total width of the cloth. If the flag bears the heraldic coat of arms of the municipality, it must be placed in the center of the cloth."

Physical geography

Location

It is located in the northeast of the island, bordering the municipalities of Hermigua and Vallehermoso.

It has an area of 25.39 km², with a coastline of 8.55 km.^{[citation required]}

The altitude of its urban center is about 200 meters above sea level, with the municipality reaching a maximum altitude of 1360 m s. no. m. at the central summit of the island.

Climate

Average climatic parameters of Agulo (1991-2021)
Month	Ene.	Feb.	Mar.	Open up.	May.	Jun.	Jul.	Ago.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Annual
Average temperature (°C)	17.6	17.4	18.1	18.7	19.9	21.8	23.4	24.2	23.7	22.4	20.3	18.7	20.5
Average temperature (°C)	16.5	16.2	16.9	17.4	18.7	20.6	22.2	23	22.6	21.3	19.2	17.6	19.4
Temp. medium (°C)	15.2	15	15.6	16.2	17.6	19.5	21.2	22	21.5	20.1	18.1	16.4	18.2
Total precipitation (mm)	18	21	21	10	3	0	0	1	4	19	18	44	159
Source: Climate-data.org

Nature

Protected spaces

The municipality has an area of the protected natural spaces of the Garajonay National Park and the Roque Blanco natural monument.

These spaces are also included in the Natura 2000 Network as Special Conservation Areas, to which is added the ZEC called Montaña del Cepo. For its part, the surface of the national park is also considered a Special Protection Area for Birds.

Agulo also owns the Monte de Utilidad Pública denominated Monte Hueco.

History

Church of St. Mark Evangelist.

It was founded on September 27, 1607 by settlers mostly from the island of Tenerife. However, this first attempt at settlement failed after a few years, the owners abandoning the lands given for cultivation. It was not until a few years later, in 1620, when the definitive settlement of the population began in the place. In 1739 the town hall was constituted and the Parish of San Marcos Evangelista was founded; in 1768 the town already had 625 inhabitants.

Thanks to the cultivation of bananas, in the first decades of the xx century the municipality experienced a certain economic boom.

Agulo's society was historically a society divided into two sectors: on one side were the farmers and workers, and on the other, a reduced elite.

Demographics

As of January 1, 2015, Agulo had a population of 1,081 inhabitants, making it the least populated municipality in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the second least populated in the Canary Islands. The relative population was 42.77 inhabitants/km².

Graphic of demographic evolution of Agulo between 1900 and 2021

Official regular residents according to ISTAC population censuses.

Economy

Evolution of outstanding debt

The concept of outstanding debt includes only debts with savings banks and banks related to financial credits, fixed-income securities and loans or credits transferred to third parties, excluding, therefore, commercial debt.

The evolution of the city council's living debt between 2008 and 2021

Living city council debt in thousands of Euros according to data from the Ministry of Finance and Ad. Public.

The outstanding municipal debt per inhabitant in 2021 amounted to €0.0.

Heritage

The municipality is home to the Juego de Bolas Visitor Center, which offers information about the Garajonay National Park. Other places of interest are the Mirador de Roque Blanco, the church of San Marcos and the church in honor of Santa Rosa de Lima

Culture

Parties

The festivities that are celebrated in the municipality are:

• San Marcos Evangelista, patron of the municipality, between 24 and 25 April;
• Our Lady of Merced, patron of the municipality, at the end of September in the hull of Agulo;
• San Isidro labrador, the second weekend of May in the La Palmita district;
• Santa Rosa de Lima, the weekend after 15 August in the unique neighborhood of Las Rosas.

Illustrious people