El Hierro

El Hierro is the smallest island of the Canary Islands. Despite this, the island is a tiny planet, where you can find all the possible climates and landscapes (except the polar), from the desert around La Restinga to the most exuberant tropical in the Valverde area, without forgetting the beautiful and shocking volcanic landscapes. == Understand == It is the westernmost island of Spain, and in pre-Columbian times it was considered the end of the known world, where the zero meridian went through. Longitudes for locations were given as degrees east of the Ferro meridian. It was home to about 11,700 people in 2023, and covers 278 km². The remoteness has meant that development has arrived later to El Hierro than for instance to the other Canary Islands. The island got an electrical grid in the 1970s, still in the 1980s there were hardly any cars, and most roads were paved only in the 21st century. The shortcut between the island's two biggest villages, the 2,240 m long Los Roquillos tunnel was built in 2003. As such, visiting the island can feel like going back in time. In 2000, El Hierro was declared a Biosphere Reserve (the status was upgraded to geopark in 2014) by UNESCO which implies that most of the fauna and flora are protected. Also the coast is included in the Reserve, all the underwater life is protected. But being a Biosphere Reserve has some inconveniences, like the prohibition of camping or collecting fruits and fish from the nature. === Talk === The main language is Castilian Spanish, more exactly Canarian Spanish. As the Canary Islands have been a tourist destination for a long time, you can mostly get by in English. === Flora and fauna === El Hierro's size and geography supports entirely endemic species including the critically endangered El Hierro giant lizard (Gallotia simonyi), for which there is a captive breeding programme, allowing its reintroduction. The non-barren parts of the interior rely on relief precipitation, not much more than the average of 19 rainfall days per year, high relative humidity and geothermal springs. This non-arid parts have thermophilous (geothermal heat-liking) juniper clumps and a pine forest with other evergreens. Several species of lesser known beaked whales live around the island. === Landscape === Like the rest of the Canary Islands chain, El Hierro is volcanic and sharply mountainous. The highest summit is Pico de Malpaso, 1501 m ASL. One eruption has to date been recorded on the island: from the Volcan de Lomo Negro vent in 1793, lasting a month. Between 2011 and 2012 a volcano was bubbling in the ocean south of El Hierro. Except as landscaped at its harbour towns the shore is rocky and in places precipitous. Across the island goes the Cumbre, a forested volcanic mountain range. In the northeast is another plateau, in the northwest the El Golfo valley and in the southwest the slopes of El Julán. The landscape shows great contrasts: on one hand much of the island is high above the sea and steep cliffs make up most of the coastline, though on the other hand the highland is quite even and composed of fertile farmland. === Climate === The climate is generally defined as semi-arid, however it varies a lot for such a small island. The higher inland has a subtropical Mediterranean climate, whereas the coasts have a desert or semi-arid climate. The island's Atlantic location makes it the first breaker of the trade winds, and due to this fog and abundant cloudiness is common in the island's northern part, especially in the capital Valverde and its surroundings. Sudden weather changes can make outdoor activities risky, see Stay safe below. === Tourist information === 1 Touri-Info Valverde, Calle Dr. Quintero, 4 (Valverde), ☏ +34 922 550302. (updated Jan 2023) === Towns === 2 Valverde. The capital of the island, green around the year, true to its name. It's the only island capital on the Canary Islands that's not on the coast. The island's cultural events such as concerts, presentations and performances take place here. The island government buildings are here, as are the island's hospital and tourist information centre. Attractions include the church and the wind power farm and hydroelectric plant providing the island with electricity. 3 Frontera. The second most populous village, rather new, in El Golfo valley with a sizeable German community. Like in Valverde, there are a few bars and restaurants. The main sight is the bell tower that is prominently perched on a hill. From there you can enjoy great views to the Atlantic and to the banana and pineapple farms surrounding the village. The town of Tigaday is next to Frontera. 4 Restinga. The main harbor in the south of the island, laid out like a chessboard. As of early 2023 ferries don't arrive here, but instead in Puerto de la Estaca near Valverde. It was planned to become a seaside resort, something that didn't materialize. In Restinga you can find many fish restaurants and diving shops. 5 El Pinar. Made up of the villages Las Casas and Taibique, El Pinar mostly is a starting point for trekking. Nearby is Hoya del Morcillo, the only official campsite on El Hierro. == Get in == === By plane === 1 El Hierro Airport (VDE IATA), Camino Cangrejo. A very small airport and is only served by Binter Canarias as of early 2025. Binter operates one daily flight from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (flight time is 55 minutes) and four from Tenerife North Airport (flight time is 40 minutes). Coming directly from outside the Canary Islands, consider flying via Las Palmas. Tenerife North mostly has domestic flights so getting there often requires either an extra transfer in Madrid or Barcelona, or a bus or taxi trip from Tenerife South where most international flights to Tenerife land. (updated Jan 2025) === By boat === Naviera Armas and Fred Olsen Express sail from Los Cristianos in Tenerife to Valverde (2 hours 30 minutes, one sailing a day each and prices range between €50 and €60 (Dec 2025). You can compare prices and crossing time on Ferryhopper). == Get around == The Túnel de Los Roquillos on the HI-5 highway may only be transited by vehicles that have a licence plate; not on foot, by bike, e-scooter, horseback or the like. There are manned control booths at the tunnel openings, and one of the tasks of the guards is to watch that nobody gets into the long tunnel by a slow mode of transportation. If you need to get through, hitchhike or take the bus. === By car === A hire car is the best option for discovering the remote wilderness regions. They can be rented at the airport, in Valverde or Frontera. Reputable companies include CICAR, Cabrera Medina, PaylessCAR. === By thumb === On this small island, it's easy to hitchhike. Locals do it all the time, regardless of age, and you won't need to wait for long for someone to offer you a ride. === By bike === There are mountain bikes, e-bikes and normal bikes for rent. Some rental companies can bring the bike to your accommodation. The island is mountainous but the road tends to stay at the same level, if possible. === By bus === In the Canarian fashion, buses are called guaguas. They're operated by Transhierro; check the route planner on their website to see how to get where you want to go. === By taxi === Taxis run both day and night. Taxi Transhierro, ☏ +34 92255-0729. The bus cooperative also offers taxi services. (updated Jan 2025) Individual taxi drivers listed on the official tourism website of the island: Augusto Benitez, ☏ +34 696 62 91 08. (updated Jan 2025) Gustavo Carballo, ☏ +34 620 63 74 90. (updated Jan 2025) J Manuel Gutiérrez, ☏ +34 679 18 15 51. (updated Jan 2025) == See == The island offers a rough and very varied nature. There is a lot of different vegetation and well-preserved, different volcanic-geological formations, for example huge fields with angular Aa lava and others with bread-like Pahoehoe lava (that's why the island has been a UNESCO since 2014 Geopark). Hiking is therefore highly recommended on El Hierro. Cave hikes or visits to the 50 or so El Hierros caves (often old lava tunnels) are also highly recommended. The island's energy generation using five wind turbines south of Valverde is also interesting El Hierro 1 wind power stations and two water storage basins, 2 Upper reservoir and 3 Lower reservoir, which, in the form of a pumped storage power plant, serve as energy storage for days with little wind. Impressive lookout points include the lookout point 4 Mirador de Bascos the viewpoint with a restaurant, 5 Mirador de la Peña, the lookout point and starting point for a beautiful hike into the valley 6 Mirador de Jinama (a good starting point for a hike into the valley), the lookout point 7 Mirador de Isora, and the highest mountain on the island, the 8 Malpaso. 9 La Llanía. If you travel uphill the old road from Frontera, you will arrive to a flat area (llano means flat in Spanish) with a small parking lot and water source. From there, there are two hiking trails. One leads to a rainforest, and the other uphill to a volcanic crater and into a pine forest. 10 Entrance to El Sabinar. El Sabinar is a forest of "sabina" threes - Phoenician junipers - at the western tip of the island. Nearby is the church Santuario de la Virgen de los Reyes. 11 Orchilla lighthouse. At the southwestern corner of the island stands the lighthouse that once marked the point of the Ferro-meridian. Finished in 1933, it's not nearly as old as the Ferro meridian, used as a reference point on 17th-century maps. It's accessible by a rough gravel road through an even rougher moon-like landscape. 12 El Julan archaeological site. Los Letreros. Here you can find traces of the Bimbaches, the first inhabitants of the island. It's in a region with few trees, accessible by foot only. There's a visitor center accessible by car, where you can learn about the people, the settlement and the rock inscriptions. The sites themselves may be accessed by tour only, which needs to be reserved at least one day ahead. 13 Poblado de Guinea, tubo volcánico and Lagartario. Three attractions near each other. The Poblado de Guinea is a museum village where you can see how people lived up until the 1960s or so. This attraction is free and without any guide (a single page with few explanations in English and a map can be requested at the information centre). The two others attractions cost €9.5, last approximately 1 hour and have a Spanish-speaking guide. The tubo volcánico is a volcanic tube (a single page with few English explanations will be given). The Lagartario is a home to giant lizards, looking like small dragons, that earlier were on the verge of extinction (posters are translated in English). == Do == It is the ideal place to take a rest for a few days; relax, enjoy nature, and go on peaceful walks in a quiet environment. More active pursuits include bike or horse riding, hiking, paragliding, and scuba diving. === Hiking === You can hike a lot on Hierro. It is particularly worthwhile in winter and spring, as the island is wonderfully green and not too hot at this time. The hikes in the Pinar forest (Canary pines), through the fairytale Brezal Fayal Fog Forest (cloud-milking tree heaths and Gagel trees) and through the famous Sabinar forest with its curved juniper trees are particularly recommended. It is also worth making a detour to Malpaso, the highest mountain on the island. You should also make a detour to 1 Mercader with its fire watchtower, which stands in the pine forest. You can also go from San Andrés to the holy, water-giving tree 2 Garoé/Arbol Santo hike. A must for every hiker is the ascent and descent of one of the old Mudanza trails from the Golfo valley to the plateau. There are also several hiking guided tours available on-site, at the hotels, or at the Tourist Information in Valverde. === Swimming === There are few proper beaches (see below) and they are small. The locals and also many tourists like to swim in the natural swimming pools, of which La Maceta is the most visited, where you almost always meet other people. Visiting other seaside resorts you (or your party) are often the only one(s) there. ==== Golfo Valley (Frontera) ==== 3 La Maceta bathing area. Walled natural swimming pool, most popular bathing resort in summer, well suited for lap swimming (fitness) 4 Los Sargos bathing area. Wild natural swimming pools, made accessible by stairs and wooden walkways 5 Charco Azul bathing area. Beautiful, blue (azul) seaside resort 6 Cascadas del Mar swimming pool. Swimming pool integrated into nature, particularly suitable for children ==== Elsewhere ==== 7 Charco Manso bathing area. Stony (round stones), remote, impressive rock formations. In Echedo 8 Bathing place Pozo de las Calcosas. With an old fishing village and a large solidified lava flow. Below El Mocanal. 9 La Caleta swimming pool. Sheltered bay, above with a couple of artificial, blue-tiled toddler pools. Near the airport. 10 Tamaduste bathing area. Very well protected deep bay, no waves at low tide, therefore also suitable for non-swimmers and children. Near the airport. === Beaches === 11 Timijiraque - Very flat sandy beach, therefore suitable for children and surfers, the best beach for building sandcastles, ditches and walls in the sand, you can walk 50 m into the water and still stand, there is a bar nearby. Near the Puerto de la Estaca ferry terminal on the east coast (drive through the tunnel). 12 La Restinga - Quiet harbour beach protected from waves by the harbour wall. 13 Puerto de la Estaca - Another protected harbour beach below Valverde, with several floating islands 14 Playa de Arenas Blancas - West of Pozo de Salud, it's the only white beach (washed up bones and shells), looks a bit dirty due to the floating debris (wood, but also nets and plastic parts) 15 Playa Verodal - In the far west, below the juniper forest (Sabinar). This is a remote, steep pebble beach, but with dangerous ocean currents, which is why it is only suitable for sunbathing from autumn to spring. === Boat trips and diving === There are 9 diving schools with their own boats in La Restinga in the summer 2018. Some of them also offer boat tours. The island is advertised as a diving paradise in the travel guide because the southern part of the sea around the remote island is a statutory nature reserve in which the underwater photo competition Openfotosub takes place every year. Because of the reserve, a lot of species live there, and other ones go there to find food (whales, sharks, dolphins, turtles, etc.) You can buy your material or rent it. Each centre has its own boat to take scuba divers out to open water. The instructors, good experts of the underwater spots, will bring you to the most interesting places, passing through lava arches, visiting ballon-fish lairs, and a lot of other fascinating sensations. Extra Divers, Avenida Maritima 2 (La Restinga), ☏ +34 628 849 350, elhierro@extradivers.org. Boat trips for swimming and snorkelling on the calm Atlantic Ocean in Mar de las Calmas between La Restinga and the Faro de Orchilla lighthouse. German, English and Spanish are spoken. (updated Jan 2023) Hierroaventura, Calle San Juan 9 (La Restinga), ☏ +34 692 320 118 (mobile), info@hierroaventura.com. In La Restinga, Fredi offers trips on his boat for a maximum of 13 passengers to the lighthouse (Faro de Orchilla) or to the Roque de Bonanza, if you are lucky, whale-watching (depending on the season) and the setting of the sun on the sea. Fredi speaks Spanish and English. €35 (2017). (updated Jun 2017) === Paragliding === Almost all year round you can see paragliders (Spanish parapente) over Frontera, who plunge into the depths on the steep mountain slope from one of the four starting points at Frontera (about 1350 m above sea level) or at Sabinosa. Tandem flight with Renán (Parapente El Hierro, Flying over El Hierro in tandem), Calle la Corredera, Frontera. Mobile: +34 630 169 253, email: elhierroparapente@yahoo.es . Renán Andrés Morales is a member of the Spanish national team of aerial acrobats. He speaks Spanish and very good English. The main landing point is on the meadow in front of the town hall in Frontera. Price: €90 (2018). === Caves === There are about 50 relatively long and branched lava tube caves on the volcanic island stretching several hundred metres — one is 6 km long — which you can explore. There are also countless living caves in which you can spend the night. There are also guided cave walks in German, Spanish and English. Many different types of caves are offered for exploration: in some, you have to climb, in some crawl, in some, you can walk quite comfortably. Cave Walks (Geological Cave Excursions El Hierro with Heidrun and Jörg), ☏ +34 661015635, hoehlenelhierro@gmx.de. 6-7 hour excursions with interesting facts about the geology, volcanology, island formation and exploration of several caves in the languages Spanish, English and German with your speleology team on El Hierro, Heidrun and Jörg. There's also a combined boat and cave tour, in cooperation with the diving school Extra Divers. €45. (updated Jan 2019) CD Bajo Tierra El Hierro, the official cave association of El Hierro, offers visits to the island's lava tubes with its local speleologists. The participant then receives a certificate and documentation on the caves visited. Info by email in Spanish or English: bajotierraelhierro@gmail.com El Hierro cave adventure (Aventuras en las Cuevas de El Hierro, guided cave hikes). Mobile: +34 666 953 587, email: buchung@hoehlenablebnis-el-hierro.com . 4-hour cave hikes and explorations including equipment. Price: €40 (2018) === Festivals === The most important festival of El Hierro is the Bajada de la Virgen de los Reyes, held every four years, on the first Saturday of July (the next will take place in 2025). During the festival, the Virgin of the Kings (Virgen de los Reyes, patron saint of the island of El Hierro) is taken from her sanctuary in La Dehesa (in the municipality of La Frontera) and carried to the capital of the island, Valverde, making a tour of 44 km and running through all the towns of El Hierro. The annual festival of the Virgin is celebrated every September 24. In addition, holidays celebrated elsewhere in Spain and the Christian world like Christmas, Easter, All Saints Day and so on are celebrated. == Buy == The island isn't exactly a shopping destination. Most shops are geared towards the daily needs of the locals, such as supermarkets and hardware stores. 1 Artesanía y Sueños, Carretera Los Jarales 1, Guarazoca, ☏ +34 922 55 16 42. Souvenirs and handicrafts. (updated Jan 2025) 2 Mi Regalo, C. Canónigo Leopoldo Morales armas (Villa de Valverde), ☏ +34 622 027884. M-F 09:00-19:00, Sa 09:00-13:00. Gift shop. (updated Jan 2025) == Eat == There is fresh fish in La Restinga. The rest of the island often features goat (cabrito) and rabbit (conejo) on the menu. A food of the local people is gofio, roasted grain flour (corn, wheat and others) that is given to all children there - stirred in milk, sometimes sweetened with cocoa powder or honey - as a high-energy breakfast. Otherwise, gofio is also eaten with vegetable soups. A typical dish of all the Canary Islands are the papas arrugadas, potatoes boiled in salt. Mojo rojo (hot) and mojo verde are offered as sauces. You should definitely try this, for example as a topping on bread with a little queso herreño (typical El Hierro cheese made from sheep, goat and cow milk). A local specialty on El Hierro is a cake named quesadilla based on fresh cheese. There is a quesadilla bakery in Valverde. There you can buy the small cheesecakes made from the unique queso herreño (a cheese made from cow, sheep and goat milk), flour, egg, sugar and aniseed. There is also a bakery in Frontera that sells quesadillas. The quesadillas, which are only produced on the island, can also be bought in any supermarket. You can buy dried figs, fresh pineapples and bananas from El Hierro all year round, and fresh mangoes from El Hierro in late summer. In the agricultural cooperative near the La Maceta bathing area (near Frontera) there are inexpensive and delicious bananas all year round. === Budget === 1 Fábrica de Quesadillas - Adrián Gutiérrez y hijas, C. Veintidós de Febrero, 2 (Valverde), info@quesadillasadriangutierrez.com. M-F 08:00-20:00, Sa 09:00-20:00, Su 10:00-20:00. Quesadilla bakery. a few euros. (updated Jan 2025) 2 Quesadillas La Herreña, C. las Lajas, 4 (Frontera), ☏ +34 922559230. M, W-F 17:30-21:30; Sa Su 10:00-14:00, 17:30-21:30. Bakery. a few euros. (updated Jan 2025) 3 Bar Pizzería La Paz El Hierro, C. Tr.ª del Pino, 61 (Taibique), ☏ +34 822057903. Tu-Su 19:00-23:00. Pizzeria. €6-11. (updated Jan 2025) === Mid-range === 4 Cafetería y Tapas, Bimbache, C. los Cardones, 7 (Tamaduste), ☏ +34 922551286. M Tu F-Su 10:00-17:30. Canarian home-style food. tapas €6-8, mains €10-15. (updated Jan 2025) 5 Mesón Jarera, HI-1, 9 (San Andrés), ☏ +34 922551943. M Tu Th-Sa 07:00-23:00. Barbecue restaurant. €10-20. (updated Jan 2025) 6 Nuevo Brasero San Fleit, C. Santiago, 24 (Valverde), ☏ +34 922554175. M 07:00-16:00, W-Sa 07:00-23:00. Bbq restaurant, also salads and breakfast. €7-30. (updated Jan 2025) 7 Con Fusión, C. Puntas Calle Tres, 3 (Las Puntas), ☏ +34 659094923, reservas@con-fusion.es. W-Su 12:00-16:00, 19:00-24:00. Tapas and a few more expensive meat dishes. small dishes €3-10, mains €20. (updated Jan 2025) 8 Restaurante Sol de España, C. Belgara, 1 (Frontera), ☏ +34 922556089, info@restaurantesoldeespana.es. W-M 08:00-23:00. Mainly Spanish cuisine: salads, meat, seafood. €7-18. (updated Jan 2025) 9 Restaurante El Refugio, La, C. la Lapa, 2 (La Restinga), ☏ +34 922557130. Tu-Sa 13:00–19:15. Fish and seafood restaurant. €12-15. (updated Jan 2025) === Splurge === 10 Restaurante Bohemia, Carretera Las Playas (east coast, along HI-2), ☏ +34 922554806. M W-Su 12:00-23:00. Barbecue restaurant. €10-30. (updated Jan 2025) 11 Restaurante Bahía Timijiraque, Ctra General, Ctra. Timijiraque, 4 (Timijiraque), ☏ +34 922554806. M Tu Th-Su 12:00-22:00. Fish, seafood and meat. €10-28. (updated Jan 2025) 12 8Aborigen, C. Jesús Nazareno, 1 (Valverde), ☏ +34 922694202. Tu-F 14:00-20:30. Fine dining restaurant with tasting menus of many small dishes of the traditional Canarian and Spanish cuisines. menus €55 and €70. (updated Jan 2025) 13 Warapu Street Food, C. Tigaday, 14 (Frontera), ☏ +34 822149550. Tu-Su 13:30-16:30, 19:30-23. Describes itself as an Asian restaurant, though there are foods from all over the world. €10-22. (updated Jan 2025) 14 Asador Padrón, C. Artero, 20 (Tigaday), ☏ +34 638 804 751. Tu-Sa 13:00-23:00, Su 13:00-16:00. Barbecue restaurant. €20-30. (updated Jan 2025) 15 Restaurante Casa Juan, C. Juan Gutiérrez Monteverde, 33 (La Restinga), ☏ +34 922557102. Th-M 13:30-16:00 and 19:30- 21:30. Fish, seafood and traditional Canarian cuisine. €20-30. (updated Jan 2025) == Drink == In addition to the restaurants, there are also "bars" but these too are mainly places where people go to eat. You can find a couple of discos/nightclubs in Valverde. El Hierro is definitely no Playa del Inglés or Los Cristianos but rather a place to experience the Canary Islands without noisy nightlife. In the summer there is a discotheque (El Submarino) in Frontera, which is in the former luxury residence of an alleged drug dealer, son of the builder of the first Spanish submarine, therefore with submarine access, directly on the sea near Frontera. The lion that was kept there until a few years ago no longer lives there. === Bars === 1 Tienda Bar Los LLanillos (Los Llanillos), ☏ +34 922555295. daily except W 07:00-14:00, 18:00-23:00. Bar. (updated Jan 2025) 2 La Pénultima, C. Barlovento, 31 (Mocanal), ☏ +34 922551799. M W-F 06:30-23:30, Sa 07:00-23:00, Su 08:00-23:00. Bar. (updated Jan 2025) 3 Bar Cafetería Turpial, Av. Dacio Darias 17 (Villa de Valverde), ☏ +34 922551672. M-F 07:00-22:00, Sa Su 08:00-21:00. Bar and cafe. (updated Jan 2025) 4 Pub La Lonja, C. San Francisco (Villa de Valverde), ☏ +34 630802112. F 19:00-04:00, Sa 23:00-04:00. Pub and nightclub. (updated Jan 2025) 5 Discoteca Tropicana, C. de la Constitución 4A (Villa de Valverde), ☏ +34 616 35 62 41. Th 10:00-02:00, F 23:00-06:00, Sa 23:00-06:00. Disco. (updated Jan 2025) === Cafés === 6 Nuevo Coffeeplus, Av. Dacio Darias, 60 (Valverde), ☏ +34 676974683. M-F 08:00-14:00, 17:00-20:00; Sa 08:00-13:00. Espresso bar. €1-10. (updated Jan 2025) 7 Coffee Brunch Boomerang, Calle Dr. Gost, 1 (Valverde), ☏ +34 659331026. daily 10:00-13:00, F Sa also 17:00-21:00. Café. €5. (updated Jan 2025) == Sleep == In addition to the hotels, there are a number of individual houses that short-term visitors can rent. === Hotels === 1 Hotel Parador, Las Playas, 15 (Las Playas, around 20 minutes' drive from Valverde), ☏ +34 922558036, hierro@parador.es. The classiest hotel on the island is the state Parador. Rooms are equipped as upscale hotel rooms in first world countries in general. A/C, Wi-Fi, restaurant on premises, conference facilities. €100-200. (updated Jan 2025) 2 Hotel Balneario (Sabinosa), ☏ +34 922559561, reservas@hotelbalneariopozodelasalud.es. Another great hotel is the Balneario at Pozo de la Salud. Wi-Fi in public areas, rooms have tv, private bathrooms. There's a restaurant, bar and wellness area and free parking. from €100. (updated Jan 2025) 3 Hotel Punta Grande, Calle las Puntas (Frontera), ☏ +34 611285983, info@hotelpuntagrande.com. The smallest hotel on the island (and in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records of 1984 as stated on the hotel's website) is in the northeast of the El Golfo Valley near Punta Grande, but it is expensive and usually fully booked. It's an adults-only hotel, and there are no "disturbing" amenities (however also no air conditioning) and activities such as swimming pools but a place to enjoy the landscapes and the ocean. The hotel has a restaurant, a cigar club and a small museum with maritime equipment. rates from €400 for two nights (minimum stay). (updated Jan 2025) 4 Apartment complex El Sitio, C. la Carrera, nº 26 (Frontera), ☏ +34 922559843, info@elsitio-elhierro.es. You can live very cheaply and nicely in Frontera in El Sitio, a small apartment complex with a German owner, who built in a vineyard and has small houses with a kitchen, bathroom and their own terrace. rates from €236 for four nights (minimum stay). (updated Jan 2025) 5 Hotel Ida Ines, C. Belgara Alta, 2 (Frontera), ☏ +34 922559445, info@hotelidaines.com. The hotel is owned by a very open-minded gentleman. Breakfast included in the rates, free Wi-Fi, private parking. Closed for vacation until 17 January 2025. rates from €70. (updated Jan 2025) === Tent and caravan === During the summer months, campervans/RVs can be seen all over the island, especially at the many swimming areas. In addition to the official campsite, there are, however, many opportunities to pitch your tent in a hiding place, be it in the forest, or secluded at Charco Manso (bathing area), or on one of the many abandoned, walled-in property that is heavily overgrown with hedges. It is important to leave the place in the same condition it was when you arrived. 6 Hoya del Morcillo. The only official campsite with fire pits, firewood, sockets, showers and toilets is in the pine forest a little above El Pinar == Stay safe == The greatest danger is when swimming in the sea, especially in winter when the Atlantic is often very agitated even in good weather. On the beaches (e.g. Playa del Verodal) there is a strong undercurrent away from the land. Also the bathing pools created by lava barriers (e.g. Charco Azul, Pozo de las Calcosas) are repeatedly (and surprisingly!) overrun by several breakers in winter. Hiking can also be dangerous because of changes in the weather. Fog can rise suddenly and make orientation difficult. Rainfalls lead to falling rocks and often cause entire slopes to slide down, making steep stretches in particular impassable. Rockfalls can also block roads, meaning drivers and other traffic will have to take a detour. Speaking of traffic, there's little of it and people often drive slowly. Locals sometime park in the middle of the street, blocking the traffic, when going to a shop or something so watch for this. Crime is hardly an issue on El Hierro. It's a rural area where "everyone knows everyone" and cars and homes are often left unlocked. == Connect == Mobile coverage on El Hierro is not on par with the more touristy/populated Canary Islands, let alone mainland Spain. All four Spanish carriers have a network but they cover mainly La Frontera with surroundings, major roads in the central north of the island and small spots here and there elsewhere. In the south and west of El Hierro there are large areas without any mobile coverage. Accommodations generally offer free Wi-Fi. There are post offices (Correos) in the villages of Valverde and Tigaday. == Go next == To Tenerife or Gran Canaria by scheduled ferry or flights. If you're sailing your own ship, also other destinations would be possible.