El Hierro (Canary Islands): best things to do [with map]

Science fiction scenarios between volcanic roads, trees that live on their knees, viewpoints with breathtaking panoramic views and turquoise blue natural pools that ask you to cross them with a stroke of the arm. And yet, the best of the island of El Hierro can not be transmitted in a guide: the hours are lived in slow motion, the houses are open to everyone, you are not asked what you do but who you are and what time you go to sea tomorrow. You breathe the sea, dive into its depths and finish with a cold beer and some papas con mojo at sunset. Be careful, life in El Hierro is fascinating and despite being the smallest island of the Canary Islands (after La Graciosa), a week is not enough to know it thoroughly, especially if you are going to go diving and enjoy the incredible seabed, considered one of the best in Europe for diving.

The popularity of the island has also skyrocketed with the tv series “Hierro”, bringing more tourists to the island and the local government to add signs at the locations of the series for the most tv lovers (if you are, we give you more info here).

In this post you will find everything you need to organize your trip to our favorite Canary Island, El Hierro: how to get there, things to do, how many days, how to get around, where to dive, where to sleep and even where to eat.

Basic facts for traveling to El Hierro

El Hierro is the second smallest and least populated island of the archipelago of the Spanish Canary Islands (the smallest is, since 2018, the island of La Graciosa, recently recognized as the eighth Canary Island). Declared a Biosphere Reserve in 2000, it is a benchmark in terms of sustainability (it is supplied with 60% renewable energy) and technological progress becoming the first “smart island” in the world (with wifi in almost all its territory). In addition, its Mar de las Calmas Marine Reserve makes it one of the best places to dive in Europe.

Currency: Euro

Language: Spanish

Population: 11,147 (in 2020)

Daily budget: From 50€/day per person (approx.) for a one week trip. More budget information here.

Weather: good all year round but advisable between May and October to enjoy its incredible natural pools with good temperature, learn more about when to go here).

Accommodation: The ideal and most strategic place to get to know the island is La Frontera, but if you are going to dive you will have to stay in La Restinga or in El Pinar. More info on where to sleep here.

Duration: Depends if you dive or not. Minimum 2 days, not counting days of dives. Ideal 5 days. More info here.

Flights: There are no direct flights from the mainland (Spain) so to get to El Hierro you will have to fly first to Tenerife or Gran Canaria, from where you can go to El Hierro by boat or plane (to find out from where it is cheaper we recommend you to use flight comparators like Skyscanner and Kiwi and be flexible with dates). We tell you everything we know about how to get to the island here.

Transportation: The best option is to rent a car. More info here. There are bus lines that connect the different points of the island but the schedules are very limited and it is not an option that we can recommend if you want to take advantage of the time on the island of El Hierro.

Time zone: UTC +1. The time in El Hierro and the Canary Islands is one hour behind mainland Spain.

When to visit El Hierro

Although temperatures on the island are mild all year round, to enjoy its natural pools (one of the island’s main attractions) ensuring temperatures above 25º and little chance of rain, we would recommend visiting between May and October. We visited in July and the weather was very good (it didn’t rain a single day), the waters of the natural pools were very appetizing for a good swim and dips and during the dives in the Marine Reserve of Mar de las Calmas it was about 23º, very pleasant for diving.

In addition, another advantage of visiting an island like El Hierro is that even in high season, as when we went there, you will not find many people. We were enjoying in solitude most of the places that we show you in this guide.

How to get to El Hierro

There are no direct flights to El Hierro from the mainland (Spain) or any other place, so it can only be reached from other islands, flying or by boat.

First you will have to get to Tenerife or Gran Canaria. The fastest way is to fly, as there are many flights between the mainland and other European points with the two main islands. We recommend you to be flexible with dates and use price comparators such as Skyscanner and Kiwi.com.

Once in Tenerife or Gran Canaria, you can reach El Hierro by boat or plane:

Boat from Tenerife South (Los Cristianos)

One of the options to get to El Hierro is to go by boat from the port of Los Cristianos, in the south of Tenerife. The company that offers this service is Naviera Armas, with up to 6 trips a day at different times, and there is the possibility of going with your own car (or your rental one) on the boat.

The price if you go without a car, is about 99€ per person round trip. If you go with a car, the pack of 2 people + vehicle costs 215€ round trip. The trip takes just under 3 hours.

We ruled it out due to price (it was out of our budget).

Flight from Gran Canaria or Tenerife North

The other option to get to El Hierro is by plane, from the airports of Gran Canaria or Tenerife Norte. At the beginning we were about to discard El Hierro because the company we knew for internal flights in the Canary Islands (Binter) had very expensive flights, and it was also out of our budget. Luckily, I don’t even remember how, we found another new low cost company, Canaryfly, with which we got the flights at a very good price.

In our case we flew from Tenerife North, and found flights with Canaryfly for 44€ person (round trip), which is less than half the cost of the ship, and for our specific dates, almost a third of the cost of the flights with Binter.

Both Binter and Canaryfly fly with smaller propeller planes, which have size restrictions for hand luggage (maximum 6kg), so the price always includes a checked bag of up to 23kg. Everything went perfectly and both on the outward and return flights our plane departed on time.

To make the combination from outside the Canary Islands, cheap flights go to Gran Canaria or Tenerife South, so if you don’t care about the island and you want to maximize your time on El Hierro, Gran Canaria is the best option (since October 2018 Canaryfly already has a route Gran Canaria – El Hierro, although only some days of the week). We chose Tenerife because we wanted to return to the island to climb the Teide and visit some areas of the north of Tenerife.

Summary and comparison

We always recommend you to use flight comparators like Skyscanner and Kiwi and to be flexible with the dates. In our case, the differences in prices were big and we ended up paying much less. Example search for July 2019:

• Boat with Naviera Armas: 99€ per person, roundtrip
• Binter flight from Tenerife North: €82 per person, roundtrip
• Canaryfly flight from Tenerife North: 44€ per person, roundtrip

When we were organizing our trip, Binter flights were €130 per person!

How many days to spend in El Hierro

This will depend a lot on if you dive or not and if you want to go to the island of El Hierro to see only the incredible bottom of the Mar de las Calmas Marine Reserve or also its impressive terrestrial landscapes. Why? Because on the days you dive you won’t be able to see much more of the island (apart from La Restinga and Tacorón) due to the altitudes and the decompression syndrome. We tell you more about this in the section “Diving in El Hierro“.

So, if you dive, reserve 2 or 3 extra days to enjoy the island. If you don’t dive, we would recommend you to go at least 3 days, ideally 5 days. El Hierro is an island with a slower pace, which invites you to slow down, so the more days you can dedicate to it, the better.

Things to do in El Hierro

Here we leave you a summary of the things to see and do in El Hierro, and below you have the map and specific information of each place.

Things to see and do in El Hierro

• Natural Pools: turquoise blue waters
• Viewpoints: breathtaking views
• Orchilla Lighthouse: where to contemplate one of the best sunsets in Spain.
• El Sabinar: the juniper tree that inspired Brian May (Queen) is the plant symbol of El Hierro.
• La Llania: a fairy forest in the middle of a volcanic island
• Beaches: black sand contrasting with the blue of the sea.
• Las Puntas and one of the smallest hotels in the World
• Charming villages: such as La Restinga and La Frontera
• Diving in the Mar de las Calmas: one of the most beautiful seabed in Europe

Map of El Hierro

Here you have the map of El Hierro with all the places recommended in this guide: natural pools, viewpoints, beaches, restaurants, accommodations… You can take it on Google Maps on your smartphone to use while traveling around the island (in many areas of the island there is no coverage, so write down or save the places you want to visit as well as the information you need). The places are classified as they appear in the guide, with different colors and icons (natural pools, viewpoints, beaches, restaurants, …).

We also include here an useful and updated map with the roads and some of the points of interest of El Hierro, which may come in handy on your trip. You can download it in high resolution by clicking on the image or clicking here, it is from the official website of elhierro.travel.

Volcanic natural pools: the pearls of El Hierro

One of the great attractions of El Hierro are its “charcos” or natural pools. It is not an island of large beaches: there are also some (we talk about them below), but what stands out most for a refreshing dip are its natural pools, locally known as “charcos”.

Here we leave you a compilation of the best ones, so that you can organize your “charco-hopping” itinerary (that is, spend the day going from natural pool to natural pool) around the island.

Charco Azul

It is the impressive color of this pool that gives it its name and makes it the best known of the island. This natural pool is sheltered inside a vault that the sea has sculpted over time.

Be careful, it will depend on the tide for you to find it this way, try to go at low tide (this applies to all the natural pools). Being so appetizing and so well known makes it difficult to enjoy it in peace and quiet. Besides, it is not a very big natural pool nor one with a lot of “comfortable” space where to lie down for a while. In any case, it is highly recommended, do not leave the island without taking a dip in the turquoise blue of this natural pool.

Los Sargos

Or how to feel that we are bathing in another world… This natural pool earned the position of our favorite “charco” from El Hierro and as they say that a picture is worth a thousand words, let’s see if you understand why:

The truth is that both the transparent color of the water and the environment of Los Sargos is very special. Even the walk to get to this pool invites you to go down there:

Although when we went there the sea filled the Sargos pools with tranquility, it may not be possible for you to swim there depending on the time of year you visit the island.

We went twice to this natural pool because we loved it but look how the color of the water changes on a cloudy day:

La Maceta

Very close to Los Sargos is La Maceta, which seemed more family-oriented. With good accessibility, parking, picnic area with barbecue grills, bathrooms, showers and even a smaller pool designed for the smallest of the family. It will be, for this reason, one of the most crowded natural pools.

If you keep walking to the right of the La Maceta natural pools, you will find landscapes as incredible as these.

Pozo de Las Calcosas

One of the essential natural pols, in our opinion, and one of the most impressive ones. Not so much for the natural pool itself but especially for the views from the top, before descending the steep stairs and begin to discover the history that houses the Pozo de las Calcosas. Before reaching the natural pool you will pass through a village (considered the smallest village in the Canary Islands) of ancestral houses of traditional El Hierro architecture with volcanic stone walls and colmo roofs. Apparently, these houses were built by fishermen to spend the summer. Walk through some of the narrow streets of the small village and do not be afraid to get lost: all roads lead to the natural pool.

Another curiosity when visiting the Pozo de las Calcosas is that you will see a Neptune statue made of recycled materials, the work of the artist Rubén Armiche:

Charco Manso

It has several bathing areas so it is possible to go to a larger pool with the family or even be in a kind of private natural pool for two if there are not many people around, which is quite likely. If El Hierro is already an island with few tourists (we went in the middle of July and enjoyed many of the sites alone), this pool, which is little frequented, makes it easy to enjoy in peace and quiet. Its volcanic arch is reminiscent of Las Puntas, which we will talk about below, although smaller.

Natural pools of Tacorón

The favourite pools for those who come to El Hierro to dive. As we will tell you better in the section Diving in El Hierro, the days you go to dive the incredible seabed of the Mar de las Calmas, you can not go far from La Restinga because of the altitudes and decompression syndrome, so the natural pools of Tacorón, very close to the favorite village of divers, will be presented as your plan for the end of the afternoon.

These pools are also a little paradise for snorkeling, so don’t forget your snorkel and goggles!

We read that there is a beautiful cove of red sand, difficult to access and only at low tide, which we did not visit but we have noted for our next visit to El Hierro. If you go, don’t miss it!

Natural pools of La Laja

Probably the least crowded and least known of this list, both by visitors and locals, are the natural pools of La Laja, which are located just before the Pozo de la Salud spa. This natural pools must be accessed at low tide, otherwise they can be dangerous. When we went there the day was cloudy, the tide was high and the waves were angry, so it was not at all appetizing. If you are lucky it is a good option to spend the day in peace and quiet because, as in many of the “charcos” Herreños, has a barbecue area.

La Caleta

La Caleta, on the east coast, has options for all tastes: swimming directly in the Atlantic in the open sea where goggles and snorkeling tube are a must (if the tide permits) and three pools of different depths for those who go with children or prefer not to venture too much. These pools, although artificially created, are filled with seawater according to the tides.

Of course, no matter where you swim, you should know that they have showers so, both for the location near the airport and the option to take a freshwater shower before the flight, they were the plan we chose to say goodbye to the island and take the last dip before flying back to Tenerife.

Near the pools of the cove, on the cliffs, there are some interesting archaeological sites with rock engravings (with Libyco-Berber characters, the language of the ancient inhabitants of the Canary Islands).

Tamaduste Natural Pool

Another option close to the airport is the natural pool of the beautiful fishing village of Tamaduste. Like La Caleta, it is more frequented by locals than by tourists but this one has a particularity: it is especially photogenic. We will have to come back soon to give a treat to our photography hobby…

El Río

When you go to Las Puntas and the small Guinness record hotel in Frontera, go to the beginning of the coastal path that connects Las Puntas with La Maceta and you will find a small natural pool: El Río. Being sheltered from the sea and shallow, is where many herreños and herreñas kids learn to swim. Of course, as in most of the pools, to enjoy them try to go at low tide.

Viewpoints in El Hierro

Another of the best plans in El Hierro is to enjoy the spectacular panoramic views from one of its viewpoints. There are several all over the island so if you are a fan of breathtaking views this section is for you.

Las Playas Viewpoint

From this viewpoint you will contemplate from above Las Playas. All the perfectly drawn line of the coast from Roque de la Bonanza (east) to Punta Miguel (south).

The famous Parador de las Playas (of which we speak below) is located just below this viewpoint where the green, shade and coolness of the canary pine forest will make the visit even more enjoyable.

Isora Viewpoint

Although you can see the same coastline as from the Las Playas viewpoint from further north, this has become our favorite viewpoint. From here you will have a panoramic view of the entire coast of Las Playas where the various shades of blue contrast with the dark volcanic rock. It seems to us the best postcard from El Hierro.

At 1075 meters above sea level, from here there is also a steep downhill trail to Las Playas and Roque de la Bonanza (more info on hiking trails). Being a traditional agricultural and livestock place, during the descent you can find several crosses in memory of the shepherds who lost their lives here in search of a lost goat from their herd.

Jinama viewpoint

This viewpoint has a very special feature: you can have a privileged view of the island of La Palma!

In addition, it will also give you an incredible view over the bay of the Gulf and is the gateway to one of the oldest hiking trails on the island: the Camino de Jinama. We tell you more in the section on hiking routes in El Hierro.

The small and colorful hermitage of the Virgin of Charity is located just at the beginning of the path that connects the most fertile region of the island (known for its pineapple, banana and vineyard plantations) with the Nisdafe plateau, the same of the sacred tree of Garoé.

Pico de Malpaso Viewpoint

Nothing more and nothing less than the highest point of the island, this viewpoint rises over 1501 meters above sea level. If you are lucky and the day is clear you can see the silhouette of up to three islands: La Palma, La Gomera and even the highest point of Spain, Mount Teide, in Tenerife.

The Malpaso is also symbolically very important for the people of El Hierro since it is, redundantly, an obligatory step of the traditional path along which the Bajada de la Virgen de los Reyes has been carried out since 1741, which we will tell you about in the Sabinar and the Ermita de Nuestra Señora de los Reyes.

La Peña viewpoint

It has its own name because this restaurant-viewpoint was designed in the 80’s by the Lanzarote architect Cesar Manrique. If you have been in Lanzarote or know his work, as soon as you arrive at the viewpoint, you notice it immediately. Considered of cultural interest, it is the most interesting viewpoint (and probably the most visited) of the island, architecturally speaking, built in natural materials of the area (stone and wood), surrounded by gardens.

We recommend you to go and enjoy the sunset that colors everything orange, including the Roques de Salmor in the middle of the Gulf. By the way, access to these two huge rocks that are visible from the entire coast is restricted. It is currently a sanctuary for the colony of endemic giant lizards that were thought to be extinct but happily returned to colonize these two islets about 30 years ago.

The views from the Mirador de la Peña, 700 meters above sea level, are an incredible panoramic view of the valley of El Golfo and the coast, over a cliff.

La Llanía Viewpoint

This viewpoint is ideal for a break during the hiking route through the ancient laurel forest of La Llanía that we talk about below. Take a breath, enjoy the breathtaking views of the Gulf of Frontera (and even the silhouette of the island of La Palma if the sky is clear) and continue on your way through ferns.

El Julan Viewpoint

From this viewpoint we can contemplate the Mar de las Calmas in all its splendor. On this coast, the summit descends in continuous slope from 1500 meters high to sea level, dotted with the occasional green.

This viewpoint is very close to the archaeological site where you can see the petroglyphs left by the Bimbache people (ancient inhabitants of the island) of which we spoke below.

Tanajara viewpoint

This viewpoint is a reflection of the technological progress of the island being that El Hierro has been the first “Smart Island” in the world, that is, with free WiFi access in almost all its territory. For this reason, when you come to enjoy the sunset among the pines of El Pinar, you will forgive the Tanajara viewpoint if some antennas and repeaters slip into your photo, but it is the small price to pay to hold such a title.

Bascos viewpoint

If you take a walk around El Sabinar (which we will tell you about later) you will see more Sabinas and after about 15 minutes walking, you will arrive at the Mirador de Los Bascos. During our visit the truth is that we only came across another couple of tourists, and the road to the viewpoint seemed quite abandoned. Upon arrival, we saw that part of the Mirador de Los Bascos was closed due to danger of landslide.

Even so, from the access area to the viewpoint there are spectacular views of the northern part of the island, don’t miss them!

Parque Eólico Viewpoint

Did you know that the island of El Hierro is a 60% renewable island? That is, it is supplied with 60% renewable energy.

Yes, through the creation of the “Gorona del Viento” wind farm (a project with five wind turbines and a water pumping system), an example of sustainability that is now several years old, it is possible to generate enough energy to supply the island and gradually phase out the use of fossil fuels.

In fact, El Hierro has been able to cover its electricity demand with 100% renewable energy for 24 consecutive days in the summer of 2019!

Lomo Negro Viewpoint

One of the lesser known viewpoints is the Lomo Negro viewpoint. During the formation of the island, the volcanic activity of El Hierro has been moving towards the ends of the three ridges. This viewpoint is located at the end of the western ridge, above the Lomo Negro volcano, in a field of “young” lavas (about 1,800 years old). Most of the eruptive activity of the last stage of formation of El Hierro has taken place here.

As Andy Warhol used to say and as the geosite’s explanatory poster reminds us: “The earth is really the best work of art“.

Orchilla Lighthouse

The Orchilla Lighthouse is another must if you visit the island of El Hierro. Located “in the middle of nowhere”, to reach it today (before it was only accessible by sea) you will have to follow a winding paved road that soon becomes “unpaved” until you reach the lighthouse. It can be done perfectly by car, although in the unpaved part you have to go slowly, which is appreciated to enjoy the views.

In the surroundings of the lighthouse there are other points of interest:

• Monument to the prime meridian (Meridiano Cero). On the island of El Hierro was located for many centuries the imaginary prime meridian, before it was the current Greenwich – that’s why El Hierro is also known as “La isla del Meridiano” (The island of the Meridian). This area of El Hierro was once believed to be the westernmost part of the world. On the way to the Orchilla lighthouse, you can make a detour to see this small but symbolic monument to the 0 meridian. However, the track that leads to it can not be done by car, only by jeep (or walking).
• Embarcadero/Muelle del faro de Orchilla. From when the lighthouse could only be accessed by sea, this jetty was left, which you can now visit and where you can take a bath.

The lighthouse was built between 1924 and 1933 and today it is mechanized. The lighthouse keeper who was there until its mechanization is still in charge of its maintenance. When we were there it was not possible to visit it, unless you are lucky enough to meet the lighthouse keeper if he is there on a visit and he invites you to see it.

The Orchilla Lighthouse on our beloved island of El Hierro is on a special list: it is one of the 10 best places in Spain to watch the sunset according to the master traveler Paco Nadal. So there we went to enjoy a sunset. And although the natural filter of the Saharan haze clouded the entrance of the sun into the sea that afternoon, it was precisely that what made it so magical. It’s all a matter of perspective.

El Sabinar and the Ermita de Nuestra Señora de los Reyes

El Sabinar is one of the most famous spots of El Hierro, because in it we can find several Sabinas (plant symbol of El Hierro) with twisted and unimaginable shapes due to its location, totally unprotected against strong winds; a symbol of adaptation to adverse conditions.

Unfortunately, another adversity that the Sabinas of El Hierro have to face today is us, the tourists. The most famous one is already fenced with ropes and a sign indicating that you can not exceed them, due to the little respect that many tourists had: from climbing on top, tearing branches as a souvenir, engraving their name on it…

As a curiosity we tell you that the sabina herreña appears on the cover of the album “Another World” by Brian May, ex-guitarist of Queen, who purposely “pilgrimaged” there after seeing a picture of the Sabina in a magazine and recognizing in it a metaphor of that phase of his life. He himself published in 2011 a letter expressing his sadness at the lack of respect that tourists were having with the Sabina.

So now you know! Don’t fall for the touristy stuff and be respectful with the Sabinas (as well as with the rest of nature) avoiding touching them, hugging them, cutting them, stepping on them or any other action that may affect their preservation.

On the way to the juniper forest you will pass by the Ermita de Nuestra Señora de los Reyes. It was originally built in the sixteenth century, although the current one is a remodeling of the eighteenth century. It is completely white, contrasting with the surrounding landscape, and has beautiful views of the sea.

Located in a natural park, this hermitage is dedicated to the Virgen de los Reyes, patron saint of the island of El Hierro, who, as the story goes, miraculously brought rain after the worst droughts.

Because of this, El Hierro habitants celebrate every 4 years the “Bajada de la Virgen de los Reyes“, the most important festival of El Hierro. In it, the Virgin is taken from the hermitage to the capital (Valverde), a journey that lasts several days and in which she stops in several villages.

This festival was also used in 2005 as the germ of the separation of Frontera and Pinar de El Hierro as two independent municipalities.

On the way to the hermitage, on the road, we also came across “La Hoya del Gallego” and we had to stop to take a picture of Randomtrip’s own “Gallego” (from Galicia, Spain), of course!

La Llanía: the millenary laurel forest

Would you expect to find something so green among arid mountains and volcanic soil? Welcome to the ancient laurel forest of El Hierro.

You will be able to choose between three paths to get lost and, with luck and imagination, in all of them you will find fairies, forest gnomes, dancing witches and even Alice’s cat! Do you dare to spend a magical morning?

The ancient forest of the Llanía is, in our opinion, a must-see. We chose the Llanía route (the orange one, 2h and something). We give you more details in the section Hiking Routes.

The route is seven kilometers, round trip, where magic and greenery replace the arid volcanic scenery that you have known the last few days.

The first forest you will come across is El Brezal, a damp and dense forest where we recommend wearing a sweatshirt because the temperature will drop considerably here. We continue walking among ferns and arrive at the viewpoint of La Llanía with its breathtaking views over El Golfo and, with luck, if the weather is clear, you will be able to see the silhouette of the island of La Palma.

Go back into the laurel forest and you will arrive at the Bailadero de las Brujas. Legend has it that here, during the Middle Ages, witches used to light the bonfire, dance and perform their covens. Apparently, their chants and laughter could be heard all over the island…

El Julan

El Julan is an archaeological area where you can see the petroglyphs left by the bimbaches, ancient inhabitants of the island. It has an interpretation center (whose entrance is included in the tourist passport of El Hierro) and the possibility of a guided tour, which must be booked in advance (minimum one day in advance).

The route lasts about 4 hours, leaving at 8:00 or 9:00 in the morning (depending on the mode, as it can be done by Jeep, on foot, or a mixture of both), includes a guide and a snack of local products on the way back. It is recommended to bring plenty of water, sun protection, hat and closed shoes (sandals are not allowed).

The price of the guided tour is 20€ per person for non-residents (15€ for Canary Islanders) and 7€ for children under 11 years old. Payment must be done in cash (credit cards are not accepted). To book (at least one day before) you have to contact by email eljulan@gmail.com or by phone +34922558423 (we wrote by email and they told us it would be better by phone). The interpretation center is closed on Mondays, and can be visited from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. Here you have more information about the Julan and the route.

We were left with the desire to go, because we left it for the last days of our trip and the day we had chosen the route was canceled because there was an orange alert for high temperatures. One more reason to return to El Hierro!

Beaches

Although as we said El Hierro is characterized more by its natural pools, that does not mean that it does not also have beautiful beaches. Here we tell you about them.

Las Playas, El Parador, Timijiraque and Roque de la Bonanza

“Las Playas”(Natural Monument of Las Playas) is an area in the east of El Hierro originated thanks to several massive landslides. There are 9 kilometers of black volcanic sand beaches and callaos (small stones), with semicircular shape, with excellent access by car but with hardly any constructions or overcrowding.

A curiosity is that to access the area you have to go through a tunnel that is not very wide and where only vehicles are allowed in one direction, which is controlled thanks to the traffic lights. So when you get to the tunnel, you will probably have to wait a little while until the traffic light opens, even if there is no car coming from the other side (most likely, this was our case both on the way there and on the way back).

The beach has 3 different accesses or areas: at the exit of the tunnel (Bonanza beach); in the central part (more familiar with tables and barbecues) and the third area, where the Parador is located.

In the beaches, where stone boulders (callaos) predominate, is the cove of Timijiraque where sand predominates. Timijiraque was officially declared in 1994 as a protected Natural Area of the Canary Islands (and has since 2021 with blue flag). You will find an unspoiled landscape with the remains of the old salt pans and a very special and rare flora, such as the “lengua de pájaro”. In addition, the cove of Timijiraque has space for picnics and barbecues (something that, by the way, is quite common on the island of El Hierro).

Less known is the beach just in front of Roque de la Bonanza. When you leave the tunnel (through which you reach the area of Las Playas), park the car and find the beach, most likely, to enjoy in solitude. At 15 meters from the coast is the Roque de La Bonanza, where you can swim there with your goggles and snorkel and watch the marine life swirling at the bottom.

The Parador de Las Playas is an ideal place to treat yourself and spend the night.

Arenas Blancas Beach

As the name itself indicates, it is the only white sand beach of the whole island. It is a virgin beach, not very crowded and surrounded by an impressive lunar landscape. It does not have any type of services.

The white sand is the result of the crushing and decomposition of shells and marine mollusks. This, as we say, is the only place in El Hierro where we will find a beach of these characteristics.

Tacorón Beach

In addition to its natural pools, perfectly signposted and accessible by car, Tacorón also has a small and impressive cove of red sand, Playa de Tacorón.

To reach it, you will have to do a small stretch on foot not signposted (we leave the exact location on our map). In the last part you have to be careful (better with closed shoes).

It is a wild, lonely and totally out of the way beach. It is best to visit at low tide, as it is inaccessible at high tide.

Verodal Beach

Another red sand beach, more famous than the previous one, although let’s not forget that we are in El Hierro, where there is no overcrowding, is Verodal Beach.

It is a large and incredibly beautiful beach, with the contrast between the red sand, the Atlantic blue and the orange volcanic cliffs.

Unfortunately there are strong currents so swimming is not advisable (unless the sea is calm), but it is worth a visit if only for the views. It can also be a special place to watch the sunset.

La Restinga Beach

The town of La Restinga has a small beach in its port, very quiet and sheltered. It is an “urban” beach, with all the necessary services and very calm waters due to the protection of the pier.

It is one of the only two blue flag beaches of El Hierro (the other is Timijiraque), adapted for disabled people and recommended for children.

Sacred Tree of Garoé

The Garoé tree was a sacred tree for the Bimbache people, the first inhabitants of the island of El Hierro. It is a very symbolic and important tree for the island and in fact appears in its coat of arms.

It is said that the tree saved the bimbaches from dying of thirst, thanks to the water that came out of its leaves. The original Garoé tree was destroyed by a hurricane in the 17th century and another one was planted in its place, which we can still visit today, in 1949.

Before reaching the tree we have the Garoé Interpretation Center where we can learn more about the past of the island, about the archaeological richness of the area and about the phenomenon of horizontal rain.

Next to the tree is a tribute from the people of El Hierro: “The herreños, 400 years after a hurricane knocked down the mythical ‘Garoé’ tree here, we keep its memory intact and look to the future with the same illusion that our ancestors did. We will continue to search in nature for water: source of life. “

The road to Garoé is an unpaved track and it takes a while because you have to go slowly. In addition, on the way there we found a huge flock of sheep so we had to wait a few minutes until they all passed, hahaha. The detour to access Garoé (for us going by car it seemed a bit confusing) is exactly here (we include the point on our map to make it easier for you to locate it).

The entrance fee is 2.50€/person and is included in the tourist passport of El Hierro.

Charming villages

La Restinga

La Restinga is a village-paradise for diving lovers. You can breathe the sea, talk about the sea and dive in its seabed.

As we told you in the section dedicated to Diving in El Hierro, La Restinga has most of the dive centers on the island and is where you will stay to dive in the Marine Reserve of Mar de las Calmas.

It also has a small and quiet beach with blue flag in the port to relax but, as we mentioned above, for us the best place to take a swim nearby is in Tacorón.

In the village there are a couple of supermarkets, an ATM, and several small restaurants and bars.

If you want to try scuba diving or snorkeling for the first time, La Restinga is the place:

• Book here a scuba diving baptism in El Hierro
• Book your snorkeling boat trip here

Las Puntas and its guinness record hotel

Las Puntas is a small coastal village, very close to Frontera, which today is famous for having a hotel that was once the smallest in the world.

One more wonder that the island of El Hierro gives us is this volcanic arch over a small natural pool in Las Puntas and the open sea.

The charming little hotel, one of the smallest in the world (in 1984 held the title of the smallest in the world), has 4 rooms (No. 2 has a terrace) decorated with shipwrecks. A whim that we tell you more about in the Where to Sleep section.

In this area we also recommend a cultural plan: the Ecomuseo de Guinea Cultural Park, where you can learn about the historical evolution of the island, through a tour to a settlement of aboriginal Canary Islanders.

Next door is the Recovery Center of the Giant Lizard of El Hierro, an endemic species of the island in danger of extinction, which can reach a size of up to 80 centimeters. In fact, it was believed that they were extinct but happily they returned to colonize the islets of the Roques de Salmor about 30 years ago.

Valverde

Valverde is the capital of El Hierro and the only municipality on the island that is not by the sea, as it is located on a hillside at an altitude of 700m, due to which its streets are steep. Perhaps for this reason we did not spend too much time here…

Highlights include the Church of Santa Maria de la Concepcion, built in the eighteenth century and baroque style, and the town hall, just in front, with a typical Canarian architecture.

You can also take the opportunity to visit (and taste) the Quesadillas de El Hierro Factory.

El Pinar

The village of El Pinar, considered “the gateway to the south of the island” is located at 800m altitude and is an area rich in fruit trees and surrounded by large pine forests, contrasting with the volcanic landscape. As a municipality (which also includes La Restinga), it is the southernmost municipality of the Spanish territory.

El Pinar maintains the traditional lifestyle of El Hierro based on livestock, agriculture and handicrafts. It is an option to stay where rural tourism stands out, since there we can find a wide range of rural houses, in a peaceful and quiet environment. We recommend several accommodations here.

The village formerly belonged to the municipality of La Frontera (initially El Hierro had two municipalities, the minimum to become a “Cabildo”, Valverde and Frontera), but since 2007 it is an independent municipality due to a conflict originated by the most important festival of the island, La Bajada de la Virgen de los Reyes.

La Frontera

La Frontera is the second most populated municipality of El Hierro, and the place where we believe it is ideal to make a base to visit the island (except if you are going to dive, in which case you will have to stay in La Restinga, at least the days you are going to dive).

The descent by road from the viewpoint of Jinama, on H1-1, offers incredible views of the village and surrounding area.

Tamaduste

Tamaduste is a small and beautiful village, which belongs to the municipality of Valverde, ideal to rest due to its tranquility. It has colorful houses, all together in a small bay, where you will also find some natural pools open to the sea and ideal for family bathing.

Volcanological Interpretation Center

An essential visit if you want to know and learn more about the origin of the island of El Hierro and its evolution in recent years.

The Canary Islands are of volcanological origin, and on the island of El Hierro, in 2011, there was a submarine volcanic eruption. During several months of that year there was strong seismic activity: the eruption started in October 2011 and ended in March 2012. La Restinga had to be evacuated several times.

Paragliding in El Hierro

Although we didn’t do it, the island of El Hierro is ideal for paragliding at any time of the year. If you are up for it, you can find out more about the best spots according to the season and companies that offer this service at:

• Tourism website of El Hierro
• FlyElHierro
• ParaglidingElHierro

From what we saw, the prices range from 100€, although the ideal is that you contact the companies so that they can inform you of the prices and what is included.

Locations of the “Hierro” series

The series “Hierro”, which we saw after our visit (and which we recommend, both for the beauty of its landscapes and for its quality and plot), has led to an increase in interest in the island and a tourist boom, especially in the locations that appear in the series.

So much so that the Cabildo itself (the local government) launched a map/route with all the locations of the series (download here the brochure with the locations), as well as including informative posters in each of the places explaining which scene(s) of the series take place there and photographs/dialogues of them.

If you are also fans of the Hierro series and want to have the locations closer to hand, we make it easy for you by including all the locations on our map that you can see here.

Where to dive in El Hierro

Being this island the best diving area in Spain and one of the best in Europe, because of the underwater volcanic canyons and the biodiversity of the Mar de las Calmas Marine Reserve, all the diving centers are concentrated in La Restinga, the small village in the south from where the boats leave with people eager to dive

The recent underwater eruption in 2011 also fostered an explosion of biodiversity where tropical fish, species from more temperate seas and even populations of cetaceans that live here permanently coexist. Apparently, iron emissions from the Tagoro submarine volcano naturally fertilized the Atlantic waters, which has led to an explosion of life.

Factors to take into account when diving in El Hierro

• Choose the season: in El Hierro you can dive all year round with very good visibility (30 to 40 meters) but keep in mind that in winter the water temperature will be around 18º and in summer around 24º so if you are a cold diver like Inês, it’s better in summer. Consider, however, that the probability of seeing large pelagics (devil rays, whales or sharks) may be lower at this time. The good thing about diving is that every day is a surprise, you never know!
• Be aware of your diving capabilities: Some of the dive sites or some of the dives at that site may only be suitable for divers with advanced experience or a minimum number of dives done, due to depth or currents. Please confirm with the dive center before signing up.
• Choose a reliable dive center. The guide must be certified and experienced. The boat must have trained personnel. The equipment must be in perfect condition. Don’t forget that together with your inseparable dive buddy, the equipment is your best friend under the sea so you must check that everything is perfect. The regulators must be clean and working at 100%; the wetsuits must be without too many holes… (you will probably go to the center to test them the day before the dive); the BCDs must close well; the tanks will have the revisions up to date: check the date of the last revision). In El Hierro Inês dived with El Tamboril for several days and recommends it. We tell you more about it below.
• Hire a diving insurance. Inês has AxaSub and is very happy. If your trips are shorter, the ExtraSub is also a good option.
• El Hierro and decompression sickness: keep in mind that when you return from dives, due to the residual nitrogen that you accumulate in your body, you should not go to high altitudes that same day. When we dive, we accumulate a certain amount of residual nitrogen in the body that we will have to eliminate through breathing and as the hours go by, so we should not go up to high altitudes that same day because our body will still have excess nitrogen in the tissues. It is for this reason that divers are recommended not to fly a minimum of 12 hours before the last no-decompression dive, 18 hours if they were dives of several days and up to 24 hours if they were deep dives.

This means that you have to keep in mind that you should not leave La Restinga and go to other parts of the island for sightseeing on dive days (at most you can go to Tacorón or El Pinar) because to get to any other part of the island, the road passes through points of too high altitude and you can put your health at risk (the road from La Restinga forces you to climb too high in altitude).

Fortunately there is Tacorón and its natural pools next to the village of La Restinga, at low altitude so that divers can explore more. We decided to combine the diving days together because the days we dive we can’t leave the island and the other days we can continue discovering the island.

So the best option to stay if you come to dive is precisely in La Restinga or, at most, in El Pinar. More info in Where to sleep in El Hierro.

If you want to learn how to dive in El Hierro, book here a diving baptism. If you don’t want to but you know someone who does, this is an ideal birthday present…

If you do not dive but want to enjoy the seabed anyway: opt for this boat trip with snorkeling, also from La Restinga.

Immersion Points

Most of the dive sites are close to the dock of La Restinga so you never spend too much time on the boat. Also, the Mar de las Calmas is sheltered from the trade winds so the probability of not going out for a dive one day is very low.

I remember our dive to Baja Bocarones (with its two volcanic towers) and also what is considered the best dive in El Hierro: El Bajón . Around this sharp underwater mountain of vertical walls is concentrated a lot of marine fauna where we saw the largest grouper we had ever seen and with lots of colors! We also saw beaked whales, lobsters (huge) and an incredible seabed with black and yellow corals.

If you’re lucky you might see some devil rays or even ….. a whale shark!

There are also some dive sites on the east coast of the island such as La Caleta, Roques de Salmor, Roque Bonanza or Baja Nacon.

Recommended Diving Center

Inês dived at El Tamboril for several days (two dives a day) and loved it. Antonio is a very experienced guide who knows the bottom of La Restinga like the palm of his hand and you have a great time with him and his crew. On all the dives we complied with the rules imposed by the Mar de las Calmas Marine Reserve.

In short, professionalism, very good treatment, good facilities of the center, boats and equipment and, above all, good humor.

In Tamboril the prices of the dives vary between 20€ and 27€ approximately, the more dives you do, the cheaper it gets. Equipment rental is included in this price. You can check the prices of the dives here. Tamboril also has dive packages that include accommodation in La Restinga.

Hiking Routes in El Hierro

Due to the variety of landscapes that the island of El Hierro has, there are many possibilities for hiking, so if you like walking in nature, and also in solitude, since you probably will not cross many people, be sure to include some route in your travel itinerary.

• Camino de Jinama: one of the oldest trails on the island that connects the fertile area with the plateau of Nisdafe, the same one that hosts the Garoé sacred tree. This was the route taken by the population of El Hierro twice a year for the so-called “Las Mudadas”, when the island’s population moved to the Gulf Valley and took with them all their belongings and animals, in order to tend to the crops and so that the cattle could calve in more pleasant temperatures. Here you have the route in Wikiloc

• Route through the Laurisilva Forest in La Llanía: it was the only route we did, which is very easy and we highly recommend it. It is the orange circular route, with 3 possibilities of length (short, medium or long) where you will enter a green oasis that contrasts with the rest of the landscapes of the island. It looks like a fairy forest! Remember to always carry plenty of water. Here is the route on Wikiloc. This is the starting point of the route, where you can leave the car parked.

• Trail from the Isora viewpoint to Las Playas: this was another route that caught our attention. If the views from the Isora viewpoint were our favorite views of the island, imagine going down from there to Las Playas, always with those views, and then taking a well-deserved dip. This route is much more demanding, due to the slope: on the way down your knees will feel it, and then the climb must also be quite hard. During the descent you can find several crosses in memory of the shepherds who lost their lives there in search of a lost goat from their herd. The ideal would be to leave the car in Las Playas and have someone take you to the viewpoint of Isora, to avoid having to return and climbing all the way up. Here is an example of a route going down and up the other way, on Wikiloc. Here more info about the route.

• El Julan: the visit to the archaeological site with petroglyphs includes a small optional route on the way down (the ascent is by Jeep, and can be done round trip in the Jeep). More information in the El Julan section.
• Sendero Litoral from Las Puntas to La Maceta: route between basaltic cliffs along a stretch of the Gulf coast. More info about the route on Wikiloc here.

More information about hiking routes on the island of El Hierro:

• Downloadable map with all routes in PDF format
• Hiking trails on the official tourism website of El Hierro
• Hiking trails on Wikiloc
• Hiking routes in Senderosdelhierro.com

Where to stay in El Hierro: best areas

Depending on the amount of days you are going to be on the island and your plans/interests, there are different options to stay. The best and most strategic if you want to go all over the island is Frontera but if you want to go diving, you will have to stay in La Restinga or, at most, in El Pinar if you are looking for a less urban and more rural option.

Here are the accommodations that we stayed in, that were recommended to us or that we had listed as alternatives.

Where to stay in La Restinga

We stayed in one of the Tanajara Apartments (30€/night) and found it to be the perfect and affordable option to stay in La Restinga. The studio has an excellent location, close to everything in La Restinga. It is exactly as in the photos, our apartment had sea views, so for the price it’s great! It has a balcony and a clothesline to dry the clothes we washed by hand. It also has a kitchen so several nights we had dinner at home (there are two supermarkets next door).

Another option is the Restinga Apartments ( 35€/night) or for the same price Los Saltos (35€/night):

A little more expensive but also of superior quality, the Ecorestinga apartments (50€/night) with terrace:

Find more accommodations in La Restinga here

Where to stay in El Pinar

Another option to stay in El Hierro if you come to dive in the Mar de las Calmas Marine Reserve is the village of El Pinar, whose altitude (800m) allows you to sleep there despite the decompression sickness.

Here the accommodations are more “rural” so if you prefer rural tourism, we recommend Casa Tanajara ( 66€/night): a charming house with 2 bedrooms and wonderful views of the city and the sea.

Find more accommodations in El Pinar here

Where to stay in La Frontera

Our “home” in La Frontera was Los Verodes (55€/night). Everything is just as in the photos, the bed is very comfortable, everything is clean and the apartment is large, spacious and bright. It had sea views from the living room window, and we were greeted with a delicious quesadilla. Best of all, the common terrace on the rooftop, where you can enjoy the views, relax a while reading, etc.. We took advantage of it and went up there for breakfast.

Another cheaper option is the Sabare apartments (40€/night), perfect for 1 or 2 people. Very good location with restaurants and supermarkets nearby and easy parking.

Find more accommodations in La Frontera here

Where to stay in Valverde

As we said, unless you are only going to spend a few days here, we would discard the small capital of the island to stay because it does not seem to us the best area to be connected to other points.

In any case, if that is what you are looking for, Casa el Lomito (50€/night) has 2 bedrooms and from the terrace you can not only see the sea but on a clear day you can even see La Gomera and even Mount Teide in Tenerife!

Find more accommodations in Valverde here

For a whim

In Las Puntas: the Puntagrande Hotel

If you want to treat yourself to a one-night stay, the Hotel Puntagrande (from 270€/night) that we told you about in Las Puntas, was declared of Cultural Interest. Known as “El Hotelito” for the local population, in 1984, the Guinness Book of Records decorated it as the smallest hotel in the world. Now, that privilege falls to the Hotel Central & Café, in Copenhagen, with only one room and 12 square meters of extension.

Inside, the hotel keeps marine relics and many objects of long nautical tradition as well as some shipwrecks. It is expensive yes, but apart from the views you will wake up with, you will be able to say that you have slept in one of the smallest hotels in the world.

If you can’t or don’t want to indulge yourself at the lodging, you can treat yourself to a gastronomic treat at the Hotel’s restaurant, as we tell you below in Where to Eat.

Las Playas: Parador de El Hierro

You can also stay at the Parador de El Hierro (from 95€/night): A few days here are perfect to relax and recover the lack of “iron” in the body, with one of the best beaches on the island where you can take a dip in the sea.

Pozo de la Salud: the health spa

The Pozo de la Salud Spa (from 75€/night) with spa, outdoor pool and ocean views is ideal for a romantic getaway where you can recharge your batteries in a candlelit Jacuzzi.

Best restaurants in El Hierro

On the island of El Hierro you can taste typical specialties of the Canary Islands (such as mojo picón and mojo verde with some good papas arrugás, something we could eat every day) but also dishes of traditional El Hierro cuisine such as berros or baraza stew, puchero, rancho with potatoes, escaldón or limpets. Of course, being an island, sea-flavored dishes are present in every corner as this tasty arroz caldoso that we tasted in La Restinga:

We did not try many of the other dishes of the traditional gastronomy because they are meat dishes and we are not carnivorous people, but rabbit, goatling or goat are typical elements of the El Hierro cuisine.

Most of the time, El Hierro restaurants will surprise you for good: delicious and abundant food and very friendly service.

Best restaurants in La Restinga

Here are some of the recommended restaurants in La Restinga:

• Zumeria La Restinga: 2 delicious arepas and 2 freshly made juices for 9.60€.

• Bar Mar de Las Calmas and Bar Tasca Pizzería La Avenida – Two terraces next to each other on the pier. We had some beer and tapas, 23€ in total.
• Tasca la Laja (apparently closed for good :(. In its place is Tasca El Rincón, which we do not know if it maintains the quality of the previous one): We went a couple of times, the first time for dinner, we shared some clams a la marinera, with wine and beer, for 12 €. It had been recommended to us at the dive center El Tamboril, and they commented that the best thing to do was to order a rice dish, so we did so the second time. It was spectacular, 30€ for 2 with drinks.

• La Restingolita: fresh fish and professionalism on the seafront. We went for lunch with our diving buddies Borja and Tania on our last day in La Restinga and we liked it very much.

Best restaurants in El Pinar

• La Sabina (recommended by Miguel Angel who we met at Monsters Divers in Pulau Weh), local restaurant where to eat goat meat.

Best restaurants in Frontera

• Restaurant El Guanche, Frontera (22€, salad and salpicón de peto)
• Il Pomodoro Restaurant, Italian with recommended pizzas
• La Taguarita, a place for snacks. We ordered arepas, tequeños and a couple of drinks for 15€.
• La Bodeguita de Fa (recommended by our friend Joana Lima): risotto, beef carpaccio and fritura mixta are outstanding.
• Las flores del mar (seems to have closed for good :( ) – without a doubt our favorite restaurant on the island, 44€ buying a bottle of wine to go, with two courses and dessert. We went twice and if we stayed more days, we would go again.

Best restaurants in Las Puntas

• Puntagrande Restaurant: a gourmet experience in a magical enclave, in one of the smallest hotels in the world. A delicious and original menu with a taste of the sea and exquisite service.
• Lays Restaurant (recommended by our friend Joana Lima): traditional food, fish of the day and good wines from El Hierro (they even have their own). They recommend the fried octopus, limpets and fresh fish.

Best restaurants in Mirador de la Peña

• Mirador de la Peña: we went up there to have dinner and watch the sunset (dinner was 55€ for the two of us, cocktails included). In our opinion, considering the value for money, better to go for a drink at sunset and dinner elsewhere, we didn’t think the food was spectacular when we went. Better to go watch the sunset there but then go for dinner at La Pasada, which is nearby,
• La Pasada: great alternative to Mirador de La Peña for dinner, it has excellent food and service and is cheaper.
• Quesadillas Guarazoca: this is where they make some of the famous quesadillas of El Hierro, in a wood-fired oven, so you can stop to buy some.

Best restaurants in Echedo

Although in the end we did not go, we were recommended La Higuera de La Abuela restaurant.

Best restaurants in Valverde

We barely spent any time in Valverde so we didn’t get to eat there, but these two restaurants were recommended to us:

• La mirada profunda: Considered one of the best restaurants on the island. Good opinions of the stewed octopus with wrinkled potatoes and very good mojo, and salad with avocado and melon.
• La taberna de la villa: Recommended to us but we didn’t get to go (and it seems to have closed permanently :()

Best restaurants in La Caleta

Before returning to the airport, we decided to take a last dip in La Caleta, and have a light lunch (a chicken sandwich) with a couple of summer reds (11€ in total), in a coffee shop that had just opened and whose owner was charming, Cafetería & Repostería La Osa Mayor (it seems that it has closed :()

El Hierro Itineraries

As you have seen, El Hierro has a lot to offer! Here are some suggestions of itineraries based on the amount of days you have available to visit “the island of the meridian”.

Things to do in El Hierro in 2 or 3 days (a weekend)

Although El Hierro is one of the smallest of the Canary Islands, we believe that a weekend is not enough to explore it and, very importantly, enjoy all it has to offer.

If you just want to “check” the sites if might be enough, but if you want to relax in several of its natural pools, do some hiking or enjoy the views from its viewpoints, you will need more time.

As time is not always available, if you only have 2-3 days to visit El Hierro we recommend the following itinerary, quite tight, based in Frontera.

• Day 1: Arrival in the morning, pick up the rental car and charco-hopping (you choose how many stops you want to make). From the airport to Frontera you have La Caleta, Tamaduste, Charco Manso and Pozo de las Calcosas. You can stop for lunch at Las Puntas, and in the afternoon continue Charco-hopping (you have La Maceta, Charco Azul and Pozo de la salud). You can return before sunset to see it from the Mirador de la Peña and either have dinner there or La Pasada, next door.
• Day 2: we start the day of viewpoints; from Frontera we drive up the HI-1 towards the viewpoint of Jinama, continuing to the viewpoints of Isora and Las Playas. We go down to La Restinga (you can eat there or on the way back, in La Sabina – El Pinar). Then you stop in Tacorón and undo your way to El Sabinar, stopping on the way at the viewpoint of El Julán. We visit the Sabinar and if there is time, the viewpoint of Los Bascos. Before sunset we have to be on our way to the Faro de Orchilla (the distance is not much but you have to go very slowly because of the state of the road), where we will see the sunset. We return by the route we want to Frontera, to have dinner and sleep.
• Day 3: Last day! Depending on the time of your flight, you can still visit more or less spots. We recommend you to go to Las Playas in the morning, stop in Timijiraque on the way back and depending on the time you have, you can take the opportunity to visit a natural pool that you did not know the first day before returning to the airport.

Things to do in El Hierro in 4 or 5 days

In our opinion, if you do not dive, 4 or 5 days are ideal to get to know the island of El Hierro. It gives you time to visit several of its most impressive places but also to relax without rushing in one of its natural pools. Here is our recommended itinerary:

• Day 1: Arrival in the morning, pick up the rental car and charco-hopping (you choose how many stops you want to make). From the airport to Frontera you have La Caleta, Tamaduste, Charco Manso and Pozo de las Calcosas. You can stop for lunch at Las Puntas, and in the afternoon continue Charco-hopping (you have La Maceta, Charzo Azul and Pozo de la salud). You can return before sunset to see it from the Mirador de la Peña and either have dinner there or La Pasada, next door.
• Day 2: Hiking route through El Julán or La Llanía in the morning, visit El Sabinar, Verodal beach and Faro de Orchilla in the afternoon (with sunset at Faro de Orchilla). Dinner in Frontera.
• Day 3: Route of viewpoints: Jinama, Isora, Las Playas, in the morning, Tacorón and La Restinga in the afternoon.
• Day 4: Relax in the natural pools that you did not see on the first day, and visit to Las Playas and Timijiraque.
• Day 5: Garoé tree in the morning and if you have time before the plane, you can visit a missing natural pool (for example La Caleta or Tamaduste are next to the airport).

Things to do in El Hierro in one week (7 or 8 days) with scuba diving

We spent 9 days in El Hierro, 3 of which Inês dived (as we told you above, the days you dive you cannot leave La Restinga and surroundings because the road forces you to climb above 1000 meters of altitude).

We have adapted our itinerary for 7 or 8 days (one week), which we hope will serve as a guide for you.

• Day 1: Arrival by plane and travel by rented car to La Restinga
• Day 2: Diving in the morning, natural pools of Tacorón in the afternoon.
• Day 3: Diving in the morning, Tacorón and volcanological center in the afternoon.
• Day 4: In the morning hiking route through the laurel forest in La Llanía, and in the afternoon route by car along the west coast of the island: viewpoint of El Julán, Santuario Virgen de Los Reyes, El Sabinar, Mirador de Los Bascos. Sunset at the lighthouse of Orchilla and continue to Frontera, where we will sleep the rest of the days.
• Day 5: Natural pools (La Maceta and Los Sargos), beach Arenas Blanas/El Verodal and sunset again at Faro de Orchilla or return to Frontera.
• Day 6: Mirador de Las Playas, Mirador de Isora, Mirador de Jinama, Charco Azul, Charco Los Sargos, Charco Manso and its arch, Mirador de la Peña
• Day 7: Las Puntas, Las Playas, Timijiraque, Pozo de las Calcosas, Mirador de la Peña
• Day 8: Garoé tree, La Caleta pools and airport.

Transportation: rent a car in El Hierro

Although there are public buses, the best way to tour the island and enjoy it to the fullest is by renting your own car, so you can save time on travel, get to places where the bus does not reach, and at the times you want (to enjoy those spectacular sunsets).

Car rental companies in El Hierro

In the Canary Islands we usually rent with Pluscar which in general is the one with the cheapest prices, all inclusive and possibility to modify/cancel the reservation easily, although we always compare with the rest of local companies because depending on the demand and the season it can vary. We recommend you to use comparators like DiscoverCars to find the best prices (although we recommend you to check very well the conditions of each company and not only the price).

Other recommended companies in El Hierro are (all of them have fully comprehensive insurance with no excess, second driver included and “return the same” fuel policy):

• Pluscar
• Cicar and Cabrera Medina (they are the same company)
• Payless (the low cost brand of the above)
• Autoreisen

In our various trips through the Canary Islands, we have rented with several of these companies (Pluscar, Cicar, Cabrera Medina and Autoreisen), in all cases without any problems.

As we say, it is advisable to compare prices so it is ideal to use comparators such as DiscoverCars to see what is cheaper depending on the dates.

Important: most car rental companies do not cover damage caused by driving on unpaved roads.

Important 2: since the pandemic, the rental companies had to sell part of their fleet to hold on and now they have difficulties to acquire more vehicles, so with less supply and the same or more demand, prices have risen and it is possible that in high tourist seasons they may be sold out or have extremely high prices. Therefore, it is very important to try to book as far in advance as possible.

Car rental prices in El Hierro and our experience with Pluscar

In our case Pluscar was cheaper and we read good reviews about them, so we decided to give them a try. It was a success! And here we tell you why:

1. Price: 108,90€ for 9 days rental, ALL included (12€ per day).
2. Conditions: at first we thought there was a catch, but there is not. The price includes everything:
   1. Unlimited mileage
   2. Fully comprehensive insurance with no excess
   3. Return with the same fuel level
3. Treatment: excellent in all senses
   1. They gave us a superior model for the same price (a Renault Clio instead of a Fiat Panda).
   2. The fuel was about 7/8 (in these cases they usually give it to you full) and the guy literally told us to try to return it with about the same amount. In El Hierro there are only 3 gas stations, so we didn’t worry if it was a bit lower than it was.
   3. We rented with them also in Tenerife, after El Hierro, and they allowed us to make changes to the reservation on short notice and without surcharge.

Clarification: we have no relationship with Pluscar, nor any agreement for us to talk about them; there are just usually so many problems and small print with car rental companies, that when we get one that exceeds expectations we also have to tell about it.

From what we read, Cicar offers very similar conditions, although in our case the rental price was higher so we chose Pluscar.

Gas stations in El Hierro

As we mentioned, there are only 3 gas stations in El Hierro: one in Frontera, one in Pinar (near La Restinga) and one in Valverde (the closest to the airport).

Although the island is small, its orography makes you spend many hours at the wheel, and you have to make many ups and downs, so it consumes more than it seems and it is better to be cautious if you have little fuel left.

The gas stations are also indicated on the map above, and we leave them here so that you can easily locate them:

• Gas station in El Pinar: https://goo.gl/maps/AyTeFmTyez22
• Gas station in Frontera: https://goo.gl/maps/LiJHvghWnx72
• Gas station in Valverde: https://goo.gl/maps/MbfLLUtkDV22

Where to park in El Hierro

El Hierro is the island of the Canary Islands less visited by tourists, which guarantees availability, good prices, relaxation and good service. Therefore, and so we checked on our visit (in the middle of summer, in July), you will not have parking problems anywhere. Both in La Restinga and Frontera we had no problems parking in front or very close to our accommodations during the 9 days we spent there.

How much does it cost to travel to El Hierro?

Giving a generic budget is complicated because it depends a lot on your travel style. What we can do is to give you an orientation of prices and you can calculate your budget with them:

• Flights: with low cost companies like CanaryFly you can find flights from 40 € round trip (Binter is usually more expensive), from Tenerife North or Gran Canaria. To this should be added the flight to Tenerife or Gran Canaria from where you are. We recommend buying flights on Skyscanner and Kiwi, which can also be found from about 40 € round trip with the best deals, although the most normal, especially in high season, is about 80-100 €.
• Car rental: between 8 and 30€ per day for the cheapest car (depending on the company and the number of days), all inclusive. We rented a car for a week with Pluscar for 12€ per day. Gasoline is cheaper in the Canary Islands, depending on the kms you do, as a guideline a tank of an economic car is about 30-40€.
• Accommodation: from 30€/night for a room with private bathroom or apartment with kitchen, centrally located.
• Restaurant meals: between €10 and €20 per person
• Beach meals (sandwiches) or tapas at a beach bar: between 3 and 10€ per person

If you dive, you will have to add the number of dives you do.

• Dives: 25€/dive, assuming you will do at least 4 dives = 100€.

In total, as a guideline, a 4 or 5 day trip to El Hierro with rented car can cost between 300€ and 400€ per person (with the cheapest options of car, accommodation and restaurants). A one week trip to El Hierro, with rented car and 4 d ives can cost between 550€ and 700€ per person.

Recommendations to enjoy El Hierro

• Respect the fauna and flora. If you see a terrestrial or marine animal, do not touch it, do not harm it, do not scare it, and do not feed it . Do not interfere in their natural processes contributing to the alteration of their behavior.
• Be respectful with the Sabinas herreñas (as well as with the rest of nature), respect the fences and do not touch, hug, cut, step on them or do anything that may affect their preservation.
• Don’t be an accomplice to animal abuse!
• Respect other people and the island: don’t play your music loudly on the beach (if you want to listen to music, wear headphones), don’t leave trash, don’t throw cigarette butts, etc. Leave the beach better than you found it.
• In some beaches bathing is dangerous due to strong currents. Do not be brave.
• Always travel with travel insurance: medical expenses, theft or problems with your plane on a trip can cost you a lot of money, so the ideal is to take out travel insurance. We always use IATI and recommend it. If you hire your insurance through this link you get a 5% discount.

Checklist: what to take in your backpack/suitcase to El Hierro

Here is a list of essential items you can’t forget to take with you on your trip to the island:

• Reef friendly sunscreen, i.e. free of coral damaging chemicals, oxybenzone free, and not tested on animals, such as this one or this one.
• Cap, the sun is very strong
• Sunglasses
• A water bottle like one of these to always carry water with you as you will be on isolated beaches at times and in most of the virgin beaches there is nowhere to buy it. Although in some areas of the Canary Islands you can’t drink tap water, in El Hierro you can as Juan Andres points out in the comments and in fact it is one of the best (you can even drink from the fountains you find on the trails, although in case of doubt better not to do it).
• A neck brace like one of these to protect you from wind and sand.
• Long sleeve lycra T-shirt with UV protection that we wear to protect us from cold water or the sun when snorkeling (or even for diving, underneath the neoprene), such as one of these.
• Snorkel kit/glasses if you want to bring your own, otherwise you can rent. Here you have a kit for less than 20€.
• Waterproof bag, to keep your electronic devices safe on the dive/snorkel boat or on the beaches. This one for example costs 12€.
• Microfiber towel, which occupies little and you will use for the beach. If you don’t have one, you can buy the typical ones from Decathlon or these ones on Amazon
• Camera to record herreña adventures. We carry a Sony A5100 and a GoPro for underwater images.
• Power bank: with so many photos you will spend a lot of battery, so it always comes in handy to carry a good power bank. We travel with these 2 (Xiaomi and Anker), which allow us to charge our smartphones, camera and GoPro.
• First-aid kit: our first-aid kit includes a medicine against seasickness (such as biodramine for seasickness on boats), antibiotics, anti-diarrhea medication (and a probiotic to recover more quickly), antihistamines, painkillers and antipyretics, as well as travel insurance (you can get a 5% discount on your travel insurance through this link).

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This guide will surely increase the desire to know the beautiful island of El Hierro, but for you to understand why it has become our favorite Canary Island, it is essential to step on it…

¡Buen viaje!