The best traffic-free bike rides around Isla De Hierro

Not all areas are suitable for swimming at all times.

For centuries, people didn't come here for the landscape. They came for the water. Legend has it that the mineral waters that spring up in this corner of western El Hierro had healing properties and that many people traveled long distances to drink them or bathe in them. Thus, the name Pozo de la Salud was born. Today the place still has something special. Between the cliffs, the ocean, and the isolation of this part of the island, it's hard to imagine a more remote place to find a spring that would become one of the best-known spots on El Hierro. Some come looking for the spa, others for the sunset or the views over the Golfo. What many discover is a hard-to-explain feeling: that of being at the edge of an island that seems to end right here, between rock, sea, and silence.

La Dehesa is not simply a field with cows. It is one of the most important historical territories of El Hierro and for centuries has been used communally by the island's inhabitants. While much of Europe divided land among owners, here a huge shared space for grazing was maintained. Generations of shepherds from El Hierro with sheep, goats, cows, and horses have passed through these plains. The wind, the fog, and the isolation have shaped both the landscape and the way of life of those who worked here. Very close by is also the Sanctuary of the Virgen de los Reyes, the patron saint of El Hierro. Every four years, the famous Bajada de la Virgen is celebrated, one of the most important traditions in the Canary Islands. The image travels around the island accompanied by thousands of people, following paths that precisely cross part of La Dehesa. The curious thing is the contrast: on one side appear the junipers twisted by the wind and the pastures; on the other, the lava fields that fall towards the Atlantic. Few places show the two souls of El Hierro so well: the volcanic and the pastoral.

The landscape that extends towards Punta de la Sal is formed by ancient lava flows that descended from the eruptive centers in the west of El Hierro. Although many of these eruptions are prehistoric and do not have an exact known date, they were what built much of this coast. What today appears as an immense expanse of black rock was once lava slowly advancing towards the Atlantic. Erosion has done the rest, creating one of the most spectacular and best-preserved volcanic landscapes in the Canary Islands.

Very close to the Mirador de Lomo Negro is El Sabinar, probably the most emblematic landscape of El Hierro. Here grow the famous "sabinas" (juniper trees), trees shaped for decades by the trade winds into twisted forms that seem impossible. The curious thing is that none are twisted by chance. The constant wind has slowly bent the trunks over generations, creating one of the most spectacular examples of nature's adaptation in the Canary Islands. The area also has a very special atmosphere: low fog, open pastures, stone walls, free-roaming livestock, and enormous views towards the Atlantic. There are days when it looks more like Ireland or Scotland than a volcanic island. It is one of those places where it is worth getting off your bike, walking for a few minutes, and simply observing. The sabinas have been resisting for centuries the exact same wind that is hitting your face at that moment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp9gEMFyryk A large natural pool in El Golfo Charco de los Sargos is, along with Charco de La Maceta and Charco Azul, one of the most popular bathing areas in El Golfo, in the municipality of Frontera. It owes its peculiar shape to a high cliff, and the attacks of the sea have shaped different spaces that have been enabled for bathing. Its volcanic landscape creates an ideal atmosphere to spend a different day at the beach. After walking a few minutes down the cliff, we found this area that is very frequented by the locals. Its orientation on the island guarantees good weather practically all year round, and one of the best sunsets in the entire Canary Archipelago. In addition to a well-kept recreation area, there are several restaurants where you can try the popular El Hierro cuisine. https://www.holaislascanarias.com/piscinas-naturales/el-hierro/charco-de-los-sargos/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akTUipMCRJsEl Mirador de El Julan opens to intoxicating panoramic views over the hillside, where we can appreciate its vertiginous slope, which advances in search of the cliff that kisses the Mar de Las Calmas. We observed incipient ravines and scarce vegetation, on a slope of young soils with the La Restinga volcano field blocking our view. It is made up of piles of volcanic materials of intermediate age. The eruptive centers carried out an important mixed activity during the second interval of this series, in such a way that the emitted products superficially covered the entire slope, burying the primitive relief that in some points emerges as islets, and imprinting a particular morphology on the whole. .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM4H4tzh-IA Its distinctive red sand, caused by the erosion of volcanic rocks, especially basalt, which contains iron minerals. This unique feature makes it a popular tourist destination, offering stunning scenery with rocky cliffs and turquoise waters. Although its sea is often rough and not ideal for swimming, the beach is a calm and serene place, perfect for photography and nature appreciation. Its remote location contributes to its peaceful, non-commercial environment.