El Hierro
From March 15th 2021 until May 9th 2021 we have been on El Hierro, the smallest island and least inhabited of the Canary Islands.
Read below in our overview and in the specific blogposts what is happening on El Hierro and what we recommend.
El Hierro
On Monday March 15th 2021 we travelled from La Palma to El Hierro. That meant getting up early on March 15th to first take Fred Olsen's 5.15am ferry in the morning from La Palma to Tenerife. To get from La Palma to Tenerife there are actually two possibilities, by boat as described above or by plane with Binter Canarias. In both cases this is not possible directly from La Palma, that must always be done with a stopover in Tenerife. At the end of the afternoon we took the 5.30pm Armas Naviera ferry from Tenerife to El Hierro. Armas Naviera is the only ferry service currently sailing between Tenerife and El Hierro. After we arrived at the port of El Hierro around 8pm it was another fifteen minutes drive to La Caleta, our first location on El Hierro.
La Caleta
The first 4 days at El Hierro we stayed in the small coastal village of La Caleta on the northeast coast. La Caleta is located near the port and the airport and there are about 300 people who mainly live from work in the port and at the airport.
In La Caleta we had picked out a nice and well cared for apartment with fantastic sea views. In the morning we could see the sun rising from the balcony.
From La Caleta we did a first exploration of the island and further among other things we visited Las Playas and Roque de la Bonanza.
After a few days in La Caleta we spent a week in Pozo de la Salud. Unlike La Palma, where we have been to one location most of the time, we have consciously chosen to be at several locations for shorter periods at El Hierro. The island lends itself very well to this because it is a bit smaller and the variation quite large in terms of locations, environment and even climate. Pozo de la Salud is located on the most western side of the northcoast and is actually the last inhabited village on this coast.
Pozo de la Salud is literally the last village on the northcoast of El Hierro coming from the northeast and driving west. After Pozo de la Salud there is still a few kilometers before you reach the northwest tip of the island at Arenas Blancas.
Pozo de la Salud, literally "source of health", is a source of healthy and medicinal water. There are less than 100 people living there but there is a hotel, hotel Balneario, which is currently closed.
In Pozo de la Salud we stayed in a beautiful little house in/on the vulcanic rock with a great terrace with beautiful sea views. From here we visited Punta de Orchilla, La Dehesa and El Sabinar.
The week in Pozo de la Salud was lovely but the spot has a small disadvantage, at the end of the afternoon the sun disappears behind the mountains. And it's only towards summer that the sun is in the sky long enough to get back from behind the mountains before sunset for Pozo de la Salud. Time for a little more sunshine and warmth. And then you have to be in La Restinga on El Hierro. La Restinga is a small fishing village, located at the very southern tip of the island and is the sunniest place on the island.
La Restinga
La Restinga, on the most southern tip of El Hierro, is directly the most southern spot in Spain and Europe as well. La Restinga developed in the 1960’s when people settled and a small fishermen village was created. The village has grown a bit eversince and nowadays there live approx. 500 people in the village.
We have been in La Restinga for 5 days and stayed in a very nice apartment. We enjoyed the village and the surroundings.
There is a beach area in the village and there is a small promenade with some cozy bars, restaurants and terraces. La Restinga is a fantastic diving spot.
Although the weather in La Restinga was really good and we enjoyed the village and surroundings, 5 days were enough. There are quite a lot of people who linger in La Restinga and that's very understandable. The weather is good and the atmosphere is relaxed so that's very tempting. We moved on and went to the north of the island, to the village of Echedo. From there we wanted to explore a number of things on the north coast and that worked out really well in 6 days in Echedo.
Echedo
Echedo is a small village on the north side of the island, close to the coast. It is actually located between Valverde and the coast on the slopes towards the coast. It is a small traditional village with mainly houses built from volcanic stones and rocks. Small vineyards are located in the surrounding area.
From Echedo it is a few kilometers drive on a winding road to Charco Manso. You can also walk there and then it is shorter but also steeper. Charco Manso is a beautiful natural swimming pool surrounded by volcanic rocks from the sea and water caves.
We stayed in Echedo in a traditional house called Las Vinas, made of vulcanic rock overlooking the sea. From the bedroom and terrace we could see the sunrise and in clear weather many stars because there is little light disturbance. Our host Joanna did a wonderful job.
Because Echedo is not at sea level but at an altitude of approx. 400m it is a bit colder than the places on the coast and more sensitive to clouds. During the 6 days we were there this was the case. So we didn't mind the fact that we moved on after 6 days in terms of weather. We went to our last location on El Hierro in La Frontera. In the end, we stayed here for more than 4 weeks partly because we decided to stay at El Hierro for a few more weeks. But La Frontera was the perfect place to do so.
La Frontera
La Frontera is a municipality with several little villages and is located in the valley also called El Golfo. It is a large valley on the north side of the island. The valley was created by a landslide and is quite flat in parts, unlike the rest of the island. Although it is and remains vulcanic soil, the valley is well fertile. There's a lot of fruits and vegetalbles growing.
In the valley there are several villages because the living conditions are good. The closer to the sea, the less chance of cloud cover and the better the temperature. In addition to the capital Valverde, most people live on the island in La Frontera, about 4,000.
In La Frontera we stayed in a beautiful house near the sea, overlooking the sea. As a result, the temperature was always good and we had a lot of sun during our weeks in La Frontera.
El Hierro is a fantastic small, raw, authentic and beautiful island and we really enjoyed it. The island is stunningly beautiful, there is so much to see and to do and to relax. The island of El Hierro deserves more attention and visitors. Visitors that can value the beautiful nature, peace and quiet of this amazing island.
El Hierro Blog Posts
Top Accommodations on El Hierro
Where to stay on El Hierro? Top Accommodations on La Isla Calma: Luxury, Comfort, and Budget Options
The best hikes on El Hierro
El Hierro is a hiking paradise, read this blog about hiking on the island and three of our best hiking experiences on El Hierro
Beaches of El Hierro
On El Hierro we have visited most of the beaches and wondeful natural pools by the sea that are on the island
Paragliding on El Hierro
El Hierro is a fantastic location for paragliding so Geert took the opportunity to perform a tandem flight, a fantastic experience
Pico de Malpaso
We have visited Pico de Malpaso, the highest point on El Hierro, twice so we had clear skies and great views at the second visit
Pozo de las Calcosas
Pozo de las Calcosas is a small village on El Hierro. Enjoy the beautiful views along the coast and have a swim in the natural sea pool
El Sabinar
El Sabinar is a forest of juniper trees. It is distinguished by the formation of trees with curved and drooping branches
La Restinga
During our stay on El Hierro we spent five days in the laidback village of La Restinga on the southernmost point of the island
Punta de la Orchilla
Punta de la Orchilla is the real most southwestern point in Europe with the Faro de Orchilla and the Meridiano Zero as points of interest
Pozo de la Salud
During the 5 weeks we stayed at El Hierro we were in Pozo de la Salud for 1 week, the last populated part on the west side of the island
Las Playas
Las Playas is a semicircular 9km long valley on the east coast of El Hierro with the vulcanic rock Roque de la Bonanza in the bay