When you think of the Canary Islands, what do you imagine? Possibly well-known resorts like Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote or Gran Canaria… but what about El Hierro?
El Hierro is the southernmost of the Canaries, and one of the smallest – with just 11,000 residents. Its a volcanic hotspot, with naturally formed swimming pools dotted around the coastline, including la piscina natural del Tamaduste, which has an iconic black sand beach.
It also boasts a truly spectacular landscape made up of lofty mountains, beautiful forests and rugged cliffs, as well as a very warm climate. Even in November, you can expect temperatures of 23C.
The official El Hierro travel page says: “The Canary Islands benefit from the trade winds almost all year round, due to their location close to the tropics. This, combined with thermal inversion, means that clouds do not develop and we can see the sun almost every day. So, it rains an average of three days a month. And barely ever in summer.”
The Canary Islands are actually closer to Morocco than Iberia, and benefit from a North African climate rather than a European one.
The capital of El Hierro, Valverde, is a fantastic place to stay as well as a great base for exploration.
As El Hierro is much more of an ‘off-the-beaten-track’ destination than its more famous island siblings, accommodation is very good value too. You can hire this entire seafront holiday home with a seawater pool on Airbnb for just £54 a night, for example.
There are other things to do in El Hierro besides swimming, of course. You can also sample the delicious, fresh local cuisine.
Some of the most famous dishes in the area include Spanish wrinkled potatoes with mojo – a tasty sauce which comes in three varieties: green (made with coriander), red (made with paprika) or picón (spicy, and made with red peppers).
Other delicacies include handmade cheeses, watercress stew, roast goat and puchero – a type of stew made with beef or pork, beans, chickpeas, garlic and seasonal veg.
The top rated restaurant in all of El Hierro is La Tafeña Restaurante in Valverde, which serves local fare. One recent reviewer gave it five stars, writing: “While traditional, the dishes had an updated flare in the presentation with special touches and added flavor accents.”
They also do a popular take on “surf and turf”, Parrillada Mar y Tierra, with cubes of local cheese, Herreño, which is made with goats milk.
Speaking of surf, you could also be sure to check out the small but perfectly formed fishing port of La Restinga, located in the south of the island, described as “particularly lively and full of charm”.
From there, you can take scenic boat trips around the coastline, as well as trying your hand at diving and snorkeling.
The entire island of El Hierro is a protected UNESCO biosphere reserve, as is the sea around it – and the ocean is absolutely bursting with wildlife. The water temperature is also a balmy 18C to 25C all year round with visibility of up to 50 metres.
Tourists can expect to spot sea turtles, Mediterranean parrotfish, tunas, groupers or barracudas and even, depending on the time of year, dolphins, manta rays and whales.
Getting to El Hierro isn’t quite as straightforward as jetting directly from Glasgow to the other Canary Islands.
You’ll need to take a four hour flight from Glasgow Airport to Tenerife, then the ferry from Tenerife to El Hierro, which takes about two hours and 20 minutes and costs €60. Who knows, though – you might spot some interesting sea life along the way. Plus it’s certainly a nice way to arrive at a truly unique destination.
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