El Hierro - The Luscious Legendary Isle

Set on the very edge of the Atlantic, the first man crossed the Island at Punta de Orchilla, marking the furthest point of the known world before the Europeans discovered America. El Hierro still retains its mystery. The smallest of the Canary Islands conserves its environment as nature first created it. This is the hidden island. This little island of only 268 square kilometres and an altitude of 1,501 m, offers a landscape of great beauty, more than half of which is protected by the Natural Spaces Act. Spectacular cliffs of up to 1,200 m high and twisted lava formations contrast sharply with the gentle rolling hills at its centre. The abundantly lush vegetation is another of El Hierro‘s treasures.

Despite its size there is a great natural diversity to be discovered. This is owed to the volcanic origin that has decorated the island with rugged rocky areas in the south, green fields and an almost 5,000 ft. peak in the middle. In the north there is a large forest of Canary Island pine, wax myrtles, tree heath and thousand-year-old Canary Junipers that have been twisted into different whimsical forms by the wind. In the west you will find the old lighthouse, for centuries illuminating the westernmost point of the known world.

The rest of the Island is characterised by gently rolling hills that offer visitors an incomparable view. Amidst the calm landscape, the enormous depression of El Golfo suddenly appears. This broad semi-circle drops off into the sea from a height of 700 metres in places. El Hierro's spectacular sea beds undoubtedly make it an underwater-paradise.

The coastal shelf drops off sharply to nearly one hundred metres in many places close to the coast. The marine life found in these waters is rich in tropical species like the spiny globefish, black coral, trumpet fish and large shoals of black sea bream, among others. In summer, you can see groups of big rays, hammerhead sharks, tuna and grey triggerfish. The Marine Reserve also has a large variety of caves, arches and volcanic tunnels, with abundant vegetation cover and species of ocean fish of great interest.

Climate

The temperate climate of the island is caused by the interaction of the sea currents off the banks of the Sahara and the constant and gentle trade winds. The temperatures on the coast vary between 19°C and 23°C, however, in the Valverde area, temperatures area bit cooler due to its altitude and northerly location.

Climate Table