El Hierro Island.

 

EL HIERRO

Did you know that the Canary Island of El Hierro is the last European point that sailors see before reaching America?

HISTORY:

The island of EL HIERRO is the youngest island and until recently, the smallest. It was created only 1,100 million years ago, in fact it is still growing, as evidenced by the underwater volcano that formed in 2011, the result of which small pyroplasts called “restingolitas” sprouted to the surface.

 

CURIOSITIES:

- Currently, the Island of El Hierro holds the award of "World Biosphere Reserve" and Geopark due to the geological wealth of the Island.

-The La Restinga area is considered one of the best seabeds for diving in the world due to the great variety of both marine fauna and flora and because of the crystal clear waters.

-The Island of El Hierro is a pioneer in a hydro-wind system (Gorona del Viento) that makes it energy self-sufficient through renewable energies.

- It is the only one of the Canary Islands whose capital is not located on the seashore, Valverde is 550 meters high.

-It is also known as "Island of the Meridian" because in the past it was thought that the Meridian 0 passed through there.

- The Bajada de la Virgen de Los Reyes is celebrated every 4 years as a promise made by the shepherds in gratitude for what she had done: in a year of drought, when they took her to Valverde asking for rain, she granted that wish.

 

PLACES OF INTEREST:

If you want to know more about this Canary Island, You will visit these places of interest that I’ll be showing you now:

Museums: 

The island has numerous museums that collects the ways of life of the islanders in the past and today. We’ve got..

- The Ecomuseum of Guinea (This tourist center includes El Poblado de Guinea and El Lagartario):

The guided route through their houses shows us the evolution since it began to be inhabited and the evolution of the houses with their belongings since the seventeenth century (XVII) to the twentieth century (XX). Each of these houses is a sample of the Popular Architecture of Herreña, where stone and straw are the basis of some houses that, together with their traditional crops, today represent a monument to the History of the Island.

Also, it’s possible to visit the volcanic tube, a tourist attraction.

- House of Las Quinteras.

The center houses part of the important collections that make up the ethnographic funds of the Cabildo de El Hierro.

- The Garoé Tree Interpretation Center.

That includes “El árbol Garoé”, the symbol of the Island, that condenses the water from the clouds of the trade winds from which men and animals drank to quench their thirst. It was a vital element, especially in times of drought. This Source Tree of legends has become a symbol for the smallest of the islands of the Canary. Sample of the capacity of its inhabitants to take advantage of the scarce resources that it offered.

- El Julan Interpre tation Centre

This centre ubicated in the southwest of the island, includes numerous engravings of the ancient culture of El Hierro, which makes it a place of incalculable historical value.

- Interpretation Center of the Biosphere Reserve.

Located in Isora, it contains different rooms that show the evolution of its inhabitants since the 1st century. It also presents an exclusive room to the underwater eruption of 2011.

- Geological Studies Interpretation Center.

It is on the south, surrounded by volcanoes.

It is shown visually and through digital screens how and what is the evolution of volcanoes.

- Geopark Interpretation Center.

Makes an overview of how the 2011 volcanic eruption was experienced.

 

You can also visit:

-Faro de Orchilla:

Is the westernmost point of Europe that offers a natural location to contemplate the sky against the tranquility of the Atlantic Ocean in a place with little light pollution.In addition, in the 17th century this point was chosen as a reference to establish the Meridian Zero, until it was relocated to the English town of Greenwich in 1885.

-The “Sabinar”

It is a forest in which the “Sabina” predominates: a tree that adopts different forms due to the effect of the wind dragging on the land itself.

-Ermita de La Dehesa

It is the place where the patron virgin of El Hierro is found, in the municipality of Frontera.

-Mirador de La Peña

From where you can see themunicipality of Frontera, including the "Roques de salmor". It was designed by the artist César Manrique, from Lanzarote.

-Punta Grande Hotel.

This hotel is considered one of the smallest in the world, in it you can find nautical decoration such as divers or lifeguards. Fun fact, it was designed by my own grandfather.

GASTRONOMY:

In El Hierro you can eat good fish and meat, which you will accompany with a delicious wine. Peaches, grapes and tropical pineapple are also excellent, but there are two products that stand out above the rest: the”rosquillas”, which are basically made with ground almonds and honey; and, above all, the famous quesadilla, made with cheese, flour and eggs. Mmm… I love them!

 

TYPICAL CLOTHES:

The typical clothing of the woman from El Hierro consists of a white shirt, a long blue skirt, blue sleeves, a brightly colored bodice (green, red, yellow,...) and handkerchiefs around the neck and head, on which they place a small straw hat.

The men wear a white shirt, black or brown pants below the knee and a vest of the same color, the pants and the vest end with a small red or green stripe on the edge and a woolen hat of the same color as the pants.

But when the people of El Hierro accompany a virgin or saint in a procession, they wear what is known as “ropa de bailarín”. It consists of pants and a white shirt, over a red and white skirt, a small apron, a cape and a tie (all of them red). They wear a brilliant white cap (except Sabinosa's, which is red), round in shape, adorned with jewels and ending with large bows of different colors that move to the beat of the dance. The adornments of the hats allow us to differentiate the town to which each dancer belongs.

 

LEYEND OF THE ISLAND:

As for the legends of the island of the Meridian, we can highlight that of the "Árbol Garoé".

This Legend tells that a young bimbache named Garza (called Guarazoca or Agarfa), fell madly in love with General Gonzalo Baeza, who at that time had the mission of locating an enclave that would ensure Spanish sovereignty over the island. Blinded by the love she felt for Baeza, "supposedly" faithful defender of the rights of the natives, she revealed to him the best kept secret of the islanders, the location of the main source of water on the island, the Garoé tree.

 

Baeza shared the secret to the conquistadors. And they captured the bimbaches and took over the island. When the islander learned of Guarazoca's betrayal, they took revenge by killing her.

 

The sacred tree stood for many years until, unfortunately, the hurricane destroyed it in 1610.

In its place, the locals planted a lime tree in 1957, to remember it’s importance.