General Information
Of the seven islands that form the Canary Islands archipelago, El Hierro is the most westerly and the smallest (278km²).

Until Columbus discovered America, Europe believed that El Hierro was the “end of the earth”. Ptolemy’s placement of the prime meridian (0 longitude) at the island’s most south-easterly point was based on this belief. Here you will find the Orchilla Lighthouse. In 1884, without prior consultation, the home of the Prime Meridian was moved to Greenwich.

The island has a small airport and a port, Puerto de Estaca. From both of these points the capital, Valverde, is easily reached by road. From here, you can take the scenic route to El Pinar, through Canarian pine forests and plateaus, that in winter are reminiscent of Ireland. As this route continues south to a fishing village called La Restinga, it takes you through a dry landscape that is covered in black lava.

From El Pinar you can also drive to La Frontera crossing the fertile valley of El Golfo; the island’s main agricultural area.
The Mirador de la Peña provides spectacular views of El Golfo. This lookout and restaurant was built on the north-eastern slope of the crater by Canarian architect and artist, Cesar Manrique.

Half the island is currently made up of Nature Reserves. The island has an amazing variety of vegetation and landscapes, from Canarian pine forests and cloud forests, to lava fields.
The island is volcanic. It is the “youngest” island of the archipelago, having been formed some 2 to 3 million years ago. For such a small place, the island has quite impressive shifts in altitude. The highest point is Malpaso (1500m), which steeply slopes down to the valley of El Golfo at sea level. The valley of El Golfo is what remains of a huge crater which fell into the sea. There are now no active volcanoes on El Hierro.

The Canaries are known as the “islands of eternal spring”. Due to the constant gentle trade winds, El Hierro’s climate is temperate. In winter the thermometer rarely descends below 17ºC, and in summer it rarely rises above 24ºC. The chance of rain is highest between November and May. 

Transport: If you want to take advantage of everything the island has to offer we recommend that you rent a car. Mountain bikes are also available for rent in El Golfo. There is also public transport, as well as taxis.

Activities and Tourist Routes

The island has much to offer the traveller. Many of the activities on offer involve nature. The flora and fauna is extensive and unique (there are no dangerous animals on the island). There are many impressive walking tracks, along with mountain biking, swimming, paragliding, diving and fishing. Take the opportunity to immerse yourself in nature, and the island’s tranquillity and unique energy.

Those who like walking and trekking will enjoy the island’s intense fragrances of flowers and rocks released by the sun’s rays. There are many tracks that lead through forests, plateaus, lava fields and agricultural areas. Behind El Sitio is a very old track that winds up the Jinama to 1200m. The ascent takes about 3 hours, so appropriate shoes are recommended.

Those who wish take advantage of the excellent diving opportunities on El Hierro will find experts in La Restinga ready to help and advise. They can also assist in organising diving courses. The marine life of the island is protected. Many experienced divers are fascinated by El Hierro’s marine life, which compared to many other places, remains untouched.

The island has very few sandy beaches, but there are many beautiful natural and man-made rock pools. You can also swim in the open ocean, at Punta Grande for example.

We especially recommend that you visit:

• La Ermita de la Virgen de los Reyes, traditionally a site of pilgrimage, located in the secluded landscape of La Dehesa.

• Pueblo-Museo de Guinea, a painstakingly reconstructed village demonstrating how the “Herreños” lived 100 years ago, located on the road to La Frontera, close to the Las Puntas turnoff.

• El Lagartario, a centre dedicated to the maintenance and breeding of the giant lizard of El Hierro, which can reach up to 80cm in length. This is an endangered species. Since 1996 El Largartario’s breeding program has been systematically re-introducing the species to its natural environment..

• Punta Grande, a small ridge at the eastern end of Las Puntas, where you can enjoy the island’s most beautiful sunset views. This point, during calm weather, was where the postal service’s boat used to dock.

The entire island of El Hierro was declared a “Biosphere Reserve” some years ago. In an effort to avoid the irreparable errors made on neighbouring islands in relation to tourism, the Canary Island government has been very firm in its management of land speculation and construction. El Hierro’s community is very conscious of the delicate balance between tourism and environmental and cultural protection.