10,500.
Puerto de la Estaca.
C/ Doctor Quintero 4, Valverde, Tel: 922 55 03 02 .
Due to a dearth of sandy beaches, El Hierro has escaped tourist invasions. Instead it has caught the attentions of naturalists. Its hilly landscape and unusual fauna and flora are part of its appeal. El Hierro is the smallest of the Canaries, and the furthest west; consequently it is the last place in Spain where the sun sets.
Valverde , the island’s capital; stands inland at 600 m (2,000 ft) above sea level. Canary pines and peculiarly twisted juniper trees cover El Hierro’s mountainous interior, best seen from the many footpaths and scenic viewpoints along the roads. A ridge of woodland, curving east-west across the island, marks the edge of a volcano. The crater forms a fertile depression known as El Golfo.
In the far west is the Ermita de los Reyes , a place of pilgrimage and the starting point of the island’s biggest fiesta, held in July every four years.
The turquoise seas off the south coast are popular with skin-divers, who base themselves in the small fishing village of La Restinga .
Craters on El Hierro, Spain’s most western territory