WE’VE all heard of the classic Canary Islands of Tenerife, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, but El Hierro often flies under the radar.
The tiny island off the coast of Africa welcomed just 20,000 people in 2023 – compared to 16million that visited Tenerife.
The island of El Hierro one million years old making it the youngest of the Canaries[/caption]
This hiking trail goes 600 metres above sea level[/caption]
You’ll find El Hierro on the Morocco-Western Sahara border, making it a prime destination for early or late-season sunshine as temperatures tend not to dip below 15 degrees.
It’s also the youngest Canary Island having emerged 1.1 million years ago – that seems like a long time ago, but to put it into context, Fuerteventura is over 20 million years old.
It’s not necessarily a party island unlike some of its neighbours.
In fact, El Hierro is the perfect place for a peaceful holiday with spectacular scenery, including the red and black coloured beaches.
Due to the volcanic activity, the sand is rich in iron causing it to turn red and the black granules are created from volcanic glass.
For anyone wanting a picture-worthy background, head to the Playa del Verodal on the northwestern coast of El Hierro.
It’s the largest beach with red and black volcanic sand.
The only downside is you have to stay out of the water on Playa del Verodal because of the strong currents.
Anyone wanting to take a dip should go to Las Playas where the beach is covered in tiny black rocks and has clear waters that are perfect for swimming.
For the best of both worlds, the Cala de Tacorón beach is the hidden gem of the island with soft red sands.
It’s location in a cove means the sea is generally calmer but is still easily accessible from the coastal town of La Restinga.
Make sure to visit some of the natural pools too[/caption]
Playa de Tacorón is also one of the best destinations on the island, with a quiet cove, deep-blue waters and black volcanic rocks.
Visitors on TripAdvisor say to bring a snorkel because of all the “beautiful fish” to look at in the cove.
The El Hierro is also known as a diver’s paradise thanks to its 40 dive points across the island.
And there are lots of natural pools to explore including pool of Charco Azul which is one of the most famous.
You’ll find Charco Azul is in the north of the island with a huge rock acting as the barrier between the pool and the sea.
One attraction that visitors say gives “breathtaking views” of the island is Mirador de la Pena.
The trail is around 10 miles long and goes up to 642 meters above sea level leading to a lookout point that was designed by Lanzarote-born artist César Manrique in 1989.
Reaching the top, there’s a restaurant that offers formal dining to quick snacks and drinks with tables outside looking out to the ocean.
There are plenty of villages to explore on the island[/caption]
El Hierro has beautiful red-black sandy beaches[/caption]
When it comes to food on the island there are a few specialities like patatas arrugadas which translates to wrinkly Canarian-style potatoes dipped in mojo sauce (made from olive oil, garlic, and various spices).
Another not to be missed is the aniseed quesadillas, which aren’t your typical taco – instead they’re soft, lemon-flavoured cakes made with local cheese.
In terms of getting there, there’s no direct route from the UK to El Hierro.
But, if you fly directly to Tenerife you can hop on a 40-minute flight or a 55-minute flight from Gran Canaria.
Both flight paths are operated by Binter and Canaryfly and prices start from £38.
There’s also the option to take the ferry from Tenerife, but this can take up to three hours and will set you back £42.
The island may be small, but there are still around 300 hotels.
One of the top rated on TripAdvisor is the Parador de El Hierro in Valverde with visitors praising its “world class” beach front location.
We found a deal on Stay for Long for £74 a night based on a seven night stay.
For anyone looking to bag a bargain, there are options at other accommodations for as low as £33 per night.
This is the best Canary Islands location according to Brits
This fishing village in Gran Canaria caught the attention of British holidaymakers…
Puerto de Mogán on the southwest coast of Gran Canaria, is a much-loved favourite resort by Brits.
The fishing village has a quaint marina dotted with white-washed houses and has a beautiful old town to explore.
According to Which? who ranked the Canary Islands locations on the quality of the beach, scenery, food and drink, accommodation, and value for money.
Puerto de Mogán scored five stars for accommodation and four-star ratings for food and drink, scenery and value for money – the only resort in the survey to do so. It also received three stars for peace and quiet.
