El Hierro Biosphere Reserve Visitor Center

El Hierro is the smallest and westernmost of the main Canary Islands, and the whole island is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, a status granted in 2000 in recognition of its landscapes, wildlife and the way its people have lived with them. The El Hierro Biosphere Reserve Visitor Center, the centre that provides information on the reserve, is the place to start for anyone who wants to understand why this quiet island, with fewer than twelve thousand inhabitants, has become a model for conservation. It is the main information point for the reserve, so check locally for its location and opening hours before going.

The island is a young volcano, and its shape is distinctive: a triangle with steep cliffs, a great horseshoe-shaped valley called El Golfo, formed by an ancient landslide, and a spine of volcanic cones and lava fields running through the middle. The landscapes vary widely. The northern slopes are covered in laurel forest, laurisilva, which survives in only a few places in the world, and the high plateaus carry pine woods. In the west, ancient juniper trees, sabinas, grow bent by the wind into twisted shapes, and the lowlands have vineyards, fig trees and small farms. The island also has the Mar de las Calmas, the marine reserve off La Restinga, famous for clear water and diving. UNESCO also named El Hierro a Global Geopark.

The centre explains the importance of this biodiversity. Among the many endemic species is the giant lizard of El Hierro, Gallotia simonyi, once thought extinct and now the subject of a breeding programme. The island is also known for its efforts in renewable energy. The Gorona del Viento station, which combines wind turbines with a pumped-water reservoir, was built to supply most of the island’s electricity from clean sources, and El Hierro is often presented as a pioneer of self-sufficient energy, though the share supplied by renewables varies from time to time.

Culture is also part of the picture. Traditional farming, shepherding and cheese-making remain alive, and the smoked cheese of El Hierro has a protected designation. Local dishes include papas arrugadas, small wrinkled potatoes cooked in salt water and served with mojo sauce, and a sweet called quesadilla herreña. A famous legend concerns the Garoé, a sacred tree whose leaves were said to collect water from the mist for the ancient inhabitants, the Bimbaches.

Most visitors use the centre as a starting point for walks and drives. The Lighthouse of El Hierro, El Golfo and its palm grove, the pine forest of El Pinar and the canyon of Malpaso are among the main stops. Valverde, the capital, is on the island’s east side. The island is reached by ferry from Tenerife or by air.