Overview
If you want to explore one of the quietest Canary Islands, then walking in El Hierro for eight days ticks a lot of beautiful boxes. This is a mountainous, volcanic island, steeped in ancient and religious heritage, with sacred trees and remote chapels, laurisilva forests and clifftop caminos. Stay in small, locally-owned hotels and guesthouses, walk on trails through rugged inland landscapes but also to the dramatic coast at Las Playas Natural Monument, a natural amphitheatre of 1,000m cliffs that stretches for 9km. As well as to the cliffs at El Golfo, both created by landslides from centuries ago.
- Bosque de las Sabinas
- Mirador de Las Playas
- Mirador de Bascos
- Mirador de Jinama
- Las Playas Natural Monument
- Pico del Malpaso (1,502m)
- Arbol del Garoé
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in El Hierro
Arrive at El Hierro Airport where you are met and transferred to the hotel in Valverde.
- Accommodation: Hotel Boomerang or similar in Valverde
Day 2: Valverde circular walk | 12.5km
Start the walk by heading towards Tiñor and then, a few kilometres later, take a turn to the right and continue to the Garoé Tree Information Centre. The Garoé Tree, considered sacred by the indigenous Bimbaches people, has now become a symbol of the island. The tree was said to weep water and supplied the whole island. Continue back to Valverde where you spend a second night.
- Walking for the day: 12.5km, ↑585m ↓585m
- Accommodation: Hotel Boomerang or similar in Valverde
Day 3: Mirador de Jinama – Mirador de La Peña | 8.8km
Start the day with a transfer to Mirador de Jinama, where the route starts. Follow the rural path to San Andrés and continue towards El Golfo cliffs on a gentle descent through green meadows. The walk continues to Mirador de la Peña, a superb viewpoint, where you are met and transferred to your accommodation in Los Llanillos.
- Walking for the day: 8.8km, ↑6m ↓594m
- Accommodation: Geko Hotels or similar in Los Llanillos
Day 4: Hoya del Pino – La Frontera | 12.9km
Begin with a transfer to Hoya del Pino, where the walk starts. From Hoya del Pino, the path ascends towards the summit of Pico del Malpaso (1,502m) where, on clear days, you can see the island of La Palma and also the the top of Mount Teide, the highest peak of Tenerife and in Spain. The route then starts a slow descent towards Ermita de San Salvador, followed by a steeper descent to La Frontera, where you are met for your transfer back to Los Llanillos.
- Walking for the day: 12.9km, ↑508m ↓1,262m
- Accommodation: Geko Hotels or similar in Los Llanillos
Day 5: Camino de la Ermita and Mirador de Bascos | 12.4km
Start the day with a transfer to the west of El Hierro. The trail starts next to a volcanic crater and ascends through lava flows to Bosque de las Sabinas Embrujadas (which translates as the forest of haunted junipers), an area shaped by the island’s strong winds. After reaching Mirador de Bascos, with views over El Golfo Valley, the path continues towards Ermita de Nuestra Señora de Los Reyes, the island’s patron saint. From here, the path zigzags down the cliff to Sabinosa, where you are transferred to your accommodation in El Pinar (800m).
- Walking for the day: 12.4km, ↑621m ↓579m
- Accommodation: Hotel Lua Boutique or similar in El Pinar
Day 6: El Pinar – La Llanía – Las Casas – El Pinar | 13km
From El Pinar, walk through the pine forests of Hoya del Morcillo as far as the viewpoint at La Llanía. Continue along the Camino de La Virgen, a pilgrimage route that people follow during La Bajada de la Virgen de los Reyes, a festival that takes place in July every four years, the next one being 05 July 2025. The path then descends towards Las Casas to return to El Pinar for the evening.
- Walking for the day: 13km, ↑578m ↓577m
- Accommodation: Hotel Lua Boutique or similar in El Pinar
Day 7: El Pinar – Las Playas | 8.7km
After leaving El Pinar, the path follows the cliff before arriving at the first viewpoint, Mirador de las Playas. Continue along to the next viewpoint, Mirador de Isora. From there, descend via the zigzagging path towards the sea, where the route continues along the coastal path to Las Playas, where you spend the night.
- Walking for the day: 12.6km, ↑102m ↓1,152m
- Accommodation: Parador de El Hierro or similar in Las Playas
Day 8: Departure
You are transferred to the airport after breakfast.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of mostly small, locally-owned hotels and a parador. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms.
Click to view default hotels
- Hotel Boomerang (Valverde)
- Geko Hotels (Los Llanillos)
- Hotel Lua Boutique (El Pinar)
- Parador de El Hierro (Las Playas)
Hotels are subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included on all days. When no restaurant location is available en route, lunches and snacks can either be bought from local shops or packed lunches can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. Dinner is available either at the accommodation or from restaurants in the local area.
Difficulty and terrain
This holiday is rated moderate and suitable for experienced walkers in good physical condition. As there is some steep terrain, this walk may not be suitable for those who suffer from vertigo (read more about difficulty grades).
The island of El Hierro is a rugged island, with a mountainous outline. In general, all trails have steep slopes, mostly stony and have zigzagging paths along the cliffs.
When to go
This trip is available throughout the year. The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates, and you can start your trip on any date.
El Hierro is warm all year round. The cool season lasts from December to March, with temperatures between 17C and 21C, while from July to October, they are between 20C and 26C. It rains around 24 days a year, usually between November and April. The coast is the least rainy area, while the highlands and humid forests have the most rainfall. For more information, see our blog post Best times to go to Spain.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
Our recommended airport for this tour is El Hierro Airport (VDE). This is not an international airport, but there are daily flights from international airports, Tenerife Norte-Ciudad de La Laguna (TFN) and Gran Canaria Airport (LPA). You can also take a ferry from Los Cristianos in Tenerife. Private transfers from/to El Hierro Airport are included in your package.
Inclusions
Included
- 7 nights accommodation
- 7 breakfasts
- Video briefing with our local representative on arrival
- Airport transfers at the start and end of the tour
- Transfers on days three, four and five to the start of the trail
- Luggage transport between accommodations
- Digital route descriptions and GPS tracks
- Printed map of El Hierro
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and transfers not explicitly listed as included in the programme
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers
- Extra nights available on request
- Pole rental
Spain’s legal requirement for personal information
Please note: in December 2024, the Spanish government introduced a new law making it a legal obligation for all visitors to Spain to share personal details with their accommodations and car rental companies. Consequently, as we book your accommodation for you, we are obliged to pass these on to our local partners on the ground. After booking your holiday, we will send you a form to complete requesting all the legally-required information, including: name, nationality, gender, passport number, DOB, address, phone numbers and email address. This applies to all travellers aged 14 and over. If you are travelling with people under 14 years old, you need to declare your relationship to them. We apologise for any inconvenience. For more information, see here.
