What to Do in El Hierro & La Graciosa: Spain's Two Most Remote Islands
Updated: Oct 4
Two islands, both genuinely strange in the best way. El Hierro is the smallest of the main Canary Islands and the most westerly point of Europe — a volcanic island that was once the edge of the known world (the 0° meridian ran through it on pre-18th century maps). UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Entirely self-sufficient in renewable energy since 2014. The diving is the best in the Canaries. La Gomera next door has the whale watching; El Hierro has the underwater topography.
La Graciosa sits north of Lanzarote, separated by the El Río strait — 27 square kilometres, no paved roads, 700 permanent inhabitants, and water so clear it reads as turquoise from the ferry. It's technically the eighth Canary Island but is usually left off the main tourist circuit entirely. April is the right time: warm, no crowds, the spring desert flowers are out on the volcanic plain, and the fishing boats still go out every morning.
This post contains affiliate links. Some links — including tour bookings, hotel searches, and activity recommendations — may earn us a small commission if you book or buy through them, at no extra cost to you. We only link to things we genuinely recommend. Thank you for supporting Travel-Casa.
Best for First-Timers: El Hierro Diving — Los Organos & La Restinga Marine Reserve
The marine reserve of La Restinga at the southern tip of El Hierro is one of the most biologically productive diving sites in the eastern Atlantic — warm water from the volcanic activity, exceptional visibility (often 30+ metres), and a marine fauna that includes Hierro grouper (endemic), loggerhead turtles, hammerhead sharks in season, angel sharks, and manta rays. The volcanic rock formations underwater (the roques and the lava tubes) add geological drama to the biological interest.
For non-divers: the La Restinga natural pool (the charco azul) is a rock pool fed by Atlantic surge on the north coast — natural swimming in volcanic rock with remarkable water clarity. Free, always open, and one of the better natural swimming spots in the Canaries.
Tours: El Hierro: La Restinga marine reserve guided diving — endemics & sharks · El Hierro: scuba diving and snorkelling tours — volcanic marine reserve · Browse all El Hierro underwater tours → · Search Viator →
Best for Families & Kids: La Graciosa — Beaches, Boat Trip & Nothing Else
La Graciosa is reached by a 30-minute ferry from Órzola in Lanzarote — the smallest and cheapest ferry crossing in the Canaries. The island has two villages (Caleta del Sebo and Pedro Barba), unpaved tracks connecting them, a fleet of quad bikes and bicycles for hire, and beaches (the Playa de las Conchas on the north coast is among the most beautiful in Spain) with no services, no parasols, and no one on them in April.
For families: La Graciosa works best as a day trip from Lanzarote but an overnight stay (small guesthouses in Caleta del Sebo) changes the experience completely — you have the island to yourself after the day-trippers leave on the last ferry. Children old enough to cycle can do the full circuit of the island in a day.
Tours: La Graciosa: ferry from Lanzarote & island guided day experience · La Graciosa: kayak tour around the island coast · Browse all La Graciosa & Lanzarote tours → · Search Viator →
Best if You Only Have a Few Hours: El Hierro — Sabinar Forest & Viewpoint Walk
The El Sabinar is a forest of ancient junipers on the northwest plateau of El Hierro — trees that have been shaped by the constant northeast trade wind into horizontal forms, growing sideways rather than upward, some over 1,000 years old. The walk through El Sabinar to the viewpoint above the La Dehesa plateau takes about 2 hours and is one of the more atmospherically strange things you can do in the Canaries — the wind-bent trees, the silence, and the light make it feel genuinely unlike anywhere else.
Tours: El Hierro: El Sabinar ancient juniper forest guided walk · Browse all El Hierro nature & hiking tours → · Search Viator →
Most Unique: El Hierro Stargazing — The Dark Sky Reserve
El Hierro has a certified Starlight Reserve designation — a protected dark sky area that combines the altitude of the island plateau, the absence of light pollution (there is essentially no industry or major road network on the island), and the extraordinarily clear Atlantic air. The guided stargazing tour on the La Dehesa plateau, with professional equipment and a certified guide, gives you one of the finest night skies available anywhere in Europe.
April nights are warm enough to be comfortable on the plateau (15–18°C) and the absence of summer heat haze means exceptional clarity. The Milky Way core is visible from early April in El Hierro's latitude.
Tours: El Hierro: dark sky stargazing — certified Starlight Reserve guided tour · Browse all El Hierro night sky experiences → · Search Viator →
Best Guided Experience: El Hierro Full-Island Circuit with Local Naturalist
El Hierro's landscape ranges from the volcanic moonscape of the south (the 2011 underwater volcanic eruption created new land) to the agricultural terraces of the northeast, the ancient laurisilva fragments of the Frontera valley, and the trade-wind forest of the plateau. A full-island circuit with a local naturalist covers all of it — the geology, the endemic species (El Hierro giant lizard, Hierro skink, the endemic La Restinga fish), and the human history of the most isolated inhabited island in the Atlantic.
Tours: El Hierro: full-island guided circuit with local naturalist · Browse all El Hierro guided tours → · Search Viator →
Getting There
El Hierro has a small airport with connections from Gran Canaria and Tenerife (Binter Canarias). La Graciosa is reached by ferry from Órzola in Lanzarote (Líneas Romero, several daily crossings). Neither island is a quick detour — plan at least 2 nights on El Hierro to make the journey worthwhile.
Looking for Somewhere to Stay?
El Hierro: Valverde (the small capital) and the La Frontera valley both have accommodation. The Parador de El Hierro is on the south coast above La Restinga — excellent base for the diving. La Graciosa: Caleta del Sebo has small guesthouses; book ahead, capacity is limited. Browse hotels in El Hierro → · Browse in La Graciosa →
More on El Hierro, La Graciosa and the Canary Islands
Spain Has Many Versions. Find Yours.
Northern Spain
Galicia · Asturias · Cantabria · País Vasco · Navarra
Comments