The area of “El Peñón” on the coast of Hermigua has been an indispensable part in the economic, agricultural, social, demographic and industrial development of the municipality. In the late nineteenth century farming in La Gomera changes again, it goes from hard goods, easily stored as cochineal, to other perishables like bananas and tomatoes. These products need to be transported quickly to receiver markets in Europe, to keep quality and quantity. By this time, both Hermigua – like other farming areas in the north of La Gomera – are connected with each other and with the outside by trails in steep terrain where goods are carried by people and pack animals and small landing points in the rough seas. This made it impossible to dispose of all agricultural production.

So, thanks to this need for rapid communications and the technology of the Industrial Revolution in the northern municipalities of La Gomera: Hermigua, Agulo and Vallehermoso they begin to undertake the construction of a davits for input and output of goods and passengers by sea. These structures were built using stone and mortar prisms, an arm of iron, which was sustained on one or more prisms and ended over the sea where a ship could anchor to be stowed. Furthermore there was a steam engine that was responsible for giving the necessary power for raising and lowering persons, goods and animals. There was also a warehouse and offices to manage the traffic of goods and a conveyor carrying goods from the workshops to the warehouse.

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The technology needed for such infrastructure was well known to the British company “Fyffes Limited”, which was in Hermigua from the early twentieth century to produce bananas and tomatoes in a valley with excellent conditions for agriculture. In 1907 Hermigua wealthy families and returnees from Cuba with deep pockets, who had also invested in agriculture, constitute the S. A. “La Union” to solve the problem of production output. With a registered capital of 60,000 pesetas, divided into 600 shares of 100 pesetas, they start to built the first davit in 1907. After the relevant works and the injection of another 50,000 on the initial budget the davit of Hermigua opens.
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The launch of the davit pushed the agricultural and industrial development of the municipality, while this led demographic, urban and economic growth of the municipality making Hermigua a very prosperous place. Thus, after the new boost to the world economy after the end of World War I, “La Union” plans in the 20s to build another davit next to the existing one to operate at a greater distance from the coast allowing a safer stowing and less dependence on sea state. The work, five times larger than the previous one, would be the construction of six prisms and 150 meters long arm. The work starts to run and four prisms are built, but in 1929 due to the closure caused by the global crisis, that arose from the crash of the stock exchange, the work ends and isn`t resumed in the next decade due to the Civil W ar and World War II.

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In addition to the closure of markets due to the global economic and military turmoil and delay that resulted to the Civil War, which led to a drop in agricultural production and hence the activity of the davit, adding the arrival of a communication by road. In 1949 the construction of the road between San Sebastián de La Gomera and its port is finished, operating since 1955, with the north end of the island. Thus, the davit of Hermigua was dismantled in 1960.