El Hierro is the Canaries' best-kept walking secret. The smallest and most far-flung of the main islands, and a UNESCO Global Geopark, it feels like the edge of the world — a place of twisted juniper woods bent flat by the wind, misty ridge-top forests, lava badlands and tiny terraced hamlets, all crossed by ancient paths and almost no tourists. There are no big resorts and no crowds; just a quiet, dramatic little island made for walkers who want somewhere genuinely wild. If you've done the busier islands and want the road less travelled, this is it.
This is the island detail behind our wider guide to hiking in the Canary Islands. Here's how to walk El Hierro, from its pilgrim path to its wind-carved junipers.
The Camino de la Virgen
El Hierro's great long-distance walk is the Camino de la Virgen, the historic pilgrim route that crosses the island from the shrine of the Virgen de los Reyes in the arid south-west all the way to the capital, Valverde, in the north-east. It traces the path of the island's revered patron, carried across the island every few years in the Bajada de la Virgen festival. Walked in one long day or split into stages, it links almost every landscape El Hierro has — lava plains, high forest, pastureland and ridge — and is the classic way to take the island's measure on foot.
The full Camino is a long, remote traverse with little in the way of services along the route. Many walkers tackle it in sections, or arrange a lift back, rather than doing the whole crossing and return in a day. A hire car makes reaching the start and end points far easier on this trail-rich but bus-poor island.
El Sabinar juniper woods
The island's most photographed sight is El Sabinar, a grove of ancient sabina junipers up on the exposed western heights that the relentless trade wind has bent and twisted almost to the ground — some folded into near-complete arches. Short paths lead out among these living sculptures, with the land dropping away to the sea beyond. It's a strange, beautiful and utterly memorable place, and an easy walk with an enormous sense of the elements.
The Geopark ridges and misty forests
El Hierro is essentially the rim of a huge collapsed volcano, and its high spine — the Cumbre — carries a cool, damp forest of pine and laurel wrapped much of the time in trade-wind cloud. Trails run along the ridge with sudden, giddy views down into the great horseshoe bay of El Golfo on one side and out to the ocean on the other. Viewpoints like the Mirador de la Peña, designed by César Manrique, make natural staging posts, and paths thread down from the heights to the coast and its famous natural pools such as La Maceta. As a Geopark, the whole island is, in effect, an open-air museum of volcanic landforms.
El Hierro also carries a proud green reputation: the island has long aimed to run largely on its own wind and water power, and its small scale and low-key tourism give the walking a calm, sustainable feel that's increasingly rare. You share the trails with goats and buzzards far more often than with other hikers.
Guided or self-guided?
El Hierro's short, quiet trails suit confident, self-reliant walkers happy with a map or app — but its remoteness is the catch: you can walk for hours without meeting a soul, so navigation and self-sufficiency matter more here than on the busier islands. A local guide is worth considering for the full Camino de la Virgen and the more remote Geopark routes, both for logistics on an island with sparse public transport and for the geology and legends that a Herreño guide can share. For gentler outings like El Sabinar and the miradors, self-guided is straightforward.
Difficulty and when to go
| Route / area | Difficulty | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| El Sabinar juniper paths | Easy | The wind-bent trees, short walk |
| Cumbre forest and mirador trails | Easy–moderate | Misty ridge-top woodland |
| Ridge-to-coast descents | Moderate | El Golfo views and natural pools |
| Camino de la Virgen (stages) | Moderate–hard | Crossing the whole island on foot |
You can walk year-round. The high forest is often cool and cloud-wrapped even when the lava coast is warm and sunny, so layers are essential whatever the month. Spring is greenest; autumn is warm and settled. See our best time to visit guide for the seasonal picture, and remember El Hierro is reached by ferry or a short flight, so factor the crossing into your plans.
El Hierro is remote and its trails are quiet — you may walk for hours without meeting anyone, so self-reliance matters. Carry plenty of water (refills are scarce), a hat and sun cream for the exposed heights, and a windproof, warm layer for the cloud forest, which can be cold and wet on the same day the coast bakes. The wind on the western ridges is genuinely strong. Proper boots with grip are essential on loose volcanic ground; tell someone your route and check the forecast before setting out.
Wild, windswept and wonderfully unspoilt, El Hierro is a reward for walkers willing to go that bit further. Go prepared, respect the sun, wind and terrain, and browse more things to do to complete your visit to the edge of the Canaries.