The tiny Spanish island yet to have mass tourism that is still hot in January with 20C highs and quiet beaches
THE Canary Islands are one of the most popular holiday destinations for Brits with Tenerife and Gran Canaria being some of the most well-known.
However, there’s one island that most won’t have visited or perhaps even heard of with ragged coastlines, black sand beaches and natural pools.
Unlike its neighbours, the island of El Hierro offers a peaceful, nature-filled break rather than one for parties and cheap bars.
Off the coast of the island are diving reserves, natural pools and further inland, you can hike up volcanic trails.
The island will be much less busy than the other Canary Islands too as it only gets between 20,000 to 30,000 visitors each year.
In comparison, Tenerife attractions around 7million tourists each year, while Gran Canaria welcomes around 4.7million.
As Brits we often seek out sun, and El Hierro is sunny and warm for most of the year as it sits on the Morocco-Western Sahara border.
Temperatures tend not to dip below 15C and in January it can be as hot as 20C – in comparison it tends to sit between 3-6C in the UK.
Timon van Basten has lived in Spain for the last five years and works as a tour guide in the country and he recommends a trip to El Hierro.
Timon told Euro News: “The tiny, remote island has an end-of-the-world vibe with lava flows, volcanic craters, and lush cliffs plunging into the Atlantic.
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“Explore at your own pace, with quaint towns, secluded beaches, and tranquil hiking trails to discover.”
When it comes to popular attractions on the island, a top one is the El Tamaduste Pool.
It’s a natural swimming pool in a sheltered bay in the village of Tamaduste.
Visitors can take a dip in the pool while being protected by the strong sea waves. Aside from swimming, visitors can also enjoy water sports like diving or paddle boarding.
Another natural pool is Charco Azul which is one of the most famous and sits on the north of the island with a huge rock acting as the barrier between the pool and the sea.
Another is the viewpoint called Mirador de la Peña which overlooks a huge landslide valley with views across the sweeping coastline.
Of course there are plenty of beaches, some of the most popular are Playa de Tacorón, which is ideal for families.
There’s also Playa del Verodal, the largest beach the island which has incredible sunset views, but not so good for swimming due to strong currents.
There aren’t any white or golden sandy beaches on the island because of volcanic activity.
El Hierro’s sands are rich in iron, causing it to turn red, and the black granules are created from volcanic glass.
Cala de Tacorón beach is the hidden gem of the island with soft red sands and as it’s in a cove, has much calmer waves.
If you fancy getting a souvenir, there are stalls and street markets dotted around El Hierro where you can buy jewellery, homemade gifts, as well as locally produced honey, wines and cheeses.
To get to El Hierro from the UK, you’ll need to fly to another Canary Island like Tenerife or Gran Canaria and take a connecting flight.
From Tenerife to the neighbouring island, flights take just 40-minutes, or 55-minutes from Gran Canaria.
Another option is to take a connecting ferry which from Tenerife takes just over two hours.
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Robin McKelvie said: “Having first visited the Canary Islands in Spain back in 1998, I’ve been back at least once a year on holiday.
“It’s the world’s most varied archipelago – on Tenerife alone you can party at the world’s second biggest carnival, bash around the world’s best waterpark (Siam Park) and climb a mountain almost three times higher than Britain’s Ben Nevis.
“La Graciosa could be on a different planet. There are no tarmac roads, nevermind an airport.
“It’s a brilliant escape from the modern world, hiking and
cycling around rough tracks, up volcanoes and out to windswept beaches.
“You can still tuck into British comfort food across the resorts, but there is far more to savour today. Lanzarote and Gran Canaria boast Michelin star restaurants and foodies flock to Tenerife to dine at eight Michelin star restaurants.
“Tenerife boasts more Michelin stars than Wales and the Royal Hideaway Corales Resort has more stars than any hotel in Spain with four. And Tenerife just keeps winning stars. This year Il Bocconcino snared a star.
“Tenerife is not my favourite island for beaches – I prefer the third largest isle, Fuerteventura.
“The Parque Natural de Corralejo boasts mile upon mile of Sahara-esque dunes and gorgeous beaches.
“It’s just south of Corralejo, a resort popular with Brits and is
easily my favourite Canarian resort.”
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