Storm in the Canary Islands (page 5 of 7)

We finally turn back and take various narrow little roads up to the viewpoint located above Guarazoca.

The village is worth more than the aforementioned view with its well-restored houses.

The panorama over the El Golfo plain from the La Peña viewpoint, on the other hand, is breathtaking!





Like in Lanzarote, César Manrique left his mark here, and the viewpoint isn’t just a paved spot.

Unlike Lanzarote, access to the facilities is free...

I would’ve loved to eat at the restaurant on-site, but it’s way too early!







Not far from the La Peña viewpoint stands a hermitage, the Ermita Virgen de la Peña.

A drivable road leads there, but parking spots are scarce.

We manage to find a small space to squeeze our vehicle in and go for a short walk.







Hikers looking for a challenge will find plenty of trails on El Hierro to satisfy them.

Well, when they’re not closed...

For our part, we’ll settle for a few steps on the reasonably accessible (even if forbidden...) section of the La Peña path, which descends all the way to the ocean.

Hunger starts to kick in, and we head back to the Fiat.

I spot a restaurant in the area, and we don’t waste time taking a seat.





The view is stunning, the dishes hearty—we won’t leave here hungry...

After that, I had the idea of visiting the Garoé Interpretation Center, the sacred tree of the Bimbaches, the first inhabitants of El Hierro.

Not by road, but on foot.

The hike wasn’t unpleasant, but the site turned out to be closed.





Maybe we should’ve gone somewhere else on such a beautiful day?

We headed back to the house through landscapes worthy of the Aubrac.

Maybe not the most exotic scenery in the Canary Islands or even on El Hierro, but what tranquility!

A quick stop in Valverde, the tiny capital of the island,





And we ended the day at the surprising seawater pools of La Caleta.





Access to the site is free, but it was a bit too chilly to enjoy an aperitif here with our feet in the water while watching the sunset...

The hike isn't unpleasant, but the site turns out to be closed.

Hmm, that rings a bell

The landscapes look pretty nice, and with a bit of blue sky, it’s still better

Hi Agnes,

I started your travel journal on My Atlas and I’ll continue here. 🙂

I then thought about visiting the Garoé interpretation center, the sacred tree of the Bimbaches, the first inhabitants of El Hierro.

This little island seems nice. At least, it’s more appealing than Gran Canaria.

Did you go to La Gomera? Apparently, it’s great for hiking.

Hi Carment,

This little island looks nice

Yeah, it’s a great island for those who love landscapes and peaceful hiking. 😛

Have you been to La Gomera?

No, I still have La Gomera and La Palma left to visit in the Canaries.

Like every morning since the start of this trip, I check a weather site.

Like every day since Thérèse has been wreaking havoc on the infrastructure, I check the road-info site for the island I'm on to see which routes are closed.

The entire uninhabited center of El Hierro is still inaccessible.

No big deal, the weather there is awful anyway...

The forecasts aren’t much more encouraging elsewhere, but at least it should stay mostly dry!

After this thorough assessment of the situation, we decide to head toward El Golfo, the plain we looked down on yesterday from 800 meters up at the Mirador de la Peña.

This fifteen-kilometer-wide depression, with a maximum depth of 1,500 meters, was formed by the prehistoric collapse of part of the island.



(Satellite photo found online)

This catastrophic landslide triggered a tsunami about a hundred meters high that swept over the American coasts.

Yikes, let’s hope that doesn’t happen again today...

A new access road has been built to easily reach Las Puntas.

No more hairpin turns—just a modern tunnel!

We soon take the path that runs along the ocean for a kilometer or two.



The green against the black rock is stunning!



And what about that hotel with its incredible location!







I wonder if it’s just as impressive in the sunlight?

The Fiat then drops us off near the natural pools of La Maceta.







A brave swimmer starts his laps—we won’t be joining him! !

Gorgeous colors for such strange landscapes—so close to home! You can really see how each of the Canary Islands has its own unique character. I hadn’t heard of El Hierro before—your photos remind me of Lanzarote!

El Hierro is pretty green, except for the basalt on the coasts. There are even forests. Lanzarote seemed more desert-like to me.

Both are really nice! !😉

Lanzarote has more villages and beaches. El Hierro has more relief and fewer people.

Either way, it’s a far cry from Gran Canaria...

Next stop?

Charco Azul, other natural pools—today, poorly named...

No pain, no gain.







No blue skies, no tropical-colored ocean...

A bar-restaurant in La Frontera will welcome us for lunch.

Here, no fuss—we eat simply, choosing from the day’s specials or the straightforward options on the menu.

The widowed and lonely middle-aged men seem to have adopted the place as their regular spot.

More sociable than staying in front of the TV, nothing to prepare, and great prices!

My paella will cost me less than 10 €. Who can beat that?

A coffee, a quick check on road conditions (no change since this morning...), and we head toward Pozo de la Salud via the scenic cliffside road passing through the village of Sabinosa.





We were lucky—this same road was closed the next day due to a landslide...

The HI 500 is, as expected, blocked after the village of Pozo de la Salud.

So we won’t be able to reach the El Sabinar site or the sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de los Reyes, whether by the inland route or the coast!



We leave the car and decide to walk a little past the barrier.

A trail does indeed start from the road 1.5 kilometers away, leading to Arenas Blancas beach, the Punta de la Sal viewpoint, and the Puntas de Gutiérrez viewpoint.

The road runs along a crumbling cliff where the fence has proven effective.

Rocky blocks are wedged in the mesh, but how long will it hold?

(During the following night, a small piece of the cliff actually ended up on the road...)

We’re only half-reassured and walk as far away from the danger as possible.

Once past the bottleneck, the landscape combines wildness and beauty.











The force of the elements has once again sculpted the basalt.

Arches and caves line the ocean side—I’ve never seen so many in such a short distance!

The background isn’t bad either...



Alright, time to turn back now! The car’s still nearly 4 kilometers away!

Rain is crashing on our windshield—we made it back just in time!

But it kindly pauses to let us climb up to the bell tower built behind the church of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria.







At this point in the trip, you might be wondering how we came up with the idea to go to El Hierro.

Well, the answer is simple: this series!



A great ad for this island.

I hope this crime drama hasn’t been bought by Chinese TV networks—it’s the island’s seclusion that gives it all its charm...

...

It was that same Spanish TV series "Hierro" that got me interested in this island. For me, it's still a platonic dream for now!! I’m *very* interested in your story—thanks so much.

...

Yes, this place is super photogenic! 😉

We’d been keeping the idea of going there in the back of our minds, and now that desire is partly fulfilled.

The inland roads are still closed, so we’re opting for a “discovering the southern part of the island” day.

Just before arriving at La Restinga, we make a little detour to the natural pools of Tacorón.



Driving beyond the viewpoint is prohibited, so we have to leave the car and finish on foot.



It’s only a kilometer, sure, but it’s quite a descent!

And what goes down must come up—tiring climb ahead...

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves and enjoy the view!



We’re almost at sea level when a trail on the right catches my eye.



Despite a sign telling walkers to move along, we venture down...

The cliff seems to have collapsed—the red beach marked on MapsMe no longer exists.



We wisely turn back!

The pools of Tacorón haven’t suffered the same fate but look pretty gloomy in this rather dreary weather.









That climb worked up my appetite—shall we grab lunch in La Restinga?

This fishing village is the southernmost village in Spain. It's famous for its marine life, which attracts divers from all over the world.



Today, the village is sleepy, and the restaurant owner is waiting for customers.

We try the local specialty, limpets—*lapas* in the original language.



I’m not sure if the cook messed up the recipe or if it’s just not our thing, but I don’t really feel like giving it another try...

After finishing our coffee, we leave La Restinga without any regrets!

On the way back, the village of Taibique turns out to be much cuter.









That said, if you're into lively vibes, you won’t find what you're looking for here...

A few kilometers later, we stop at the Las Playas viewpoint.

The Parador looks tiny from this incredible vantage point!



Then we make a fatal mistake. Instead of hiking in the area, we decide to take our chances inland.



Who knows—maybe the HI400 is finally open?

Miles flying by, no barriers!



Yes!!!

But why is that municipal worker waving at us?

Trees have fallen a little further ahead and haven’t been cleared yet...

Goodbye El Sabinar, damn Thérèse!

A good hour lost, a bit of frustration in the vehicle, but serenity regained at the Mirador de Isora, located 800 meters above sea level.

Once again, what a breathtaking view!





While the sun is now shining here, the next viewpoint, Mirador de Jinama, is completely fogged in...

We’re on the other side of the island—explains it all...





We’re heading back now to pack our bags before dinner at a restaurant in Valverde.





Bon appétit! !

From what I understand, you guys couldn’t explore the center of the island at all (thanks a lot, Thérèse! 😠). Guess we’ll just have to go back 😉

In the end, it wasn’t so bad in Gran Canaria—the center was accessible, sometimes with long detours, but still doable 😏

The closed road serves quite a few spots on the island. It’s not necessarily in the heart of things, but you have to go through there to reach them.

So, we were really only able to explore the coastal areas of this island.

The difference with Gran Canaria is that there’s still quite a bit to see outside of what was closed.😛

Gran Canaria without the center doesn’t leave much...🤪

This trip will be a taste of El Hierro. We’ll definitely go back at the same time as we visit La Palma and La Gomera.🙂

(It’s not just in Gran Canaria and El Hierro that roads have been closed, preventing access to "must-see" sites. But we’ll get into that later...)

We chose the boat to leave El Hierro.

The crossing is scheduled for 2:00 PM, we have to return the car around noon, so we’ve got a few hours left for one last spin around the island.

I notice that all the roads seem to be open today.

Too late for El Sabinar, but why not head to Malpaso Peak, the highest point on El Hierro at 1,501 meters?

Good idea on paper, but that didn’t account for the weather...

Sunshine at sea level, fog in the mountains!

The road turns into a drivable track.



Despite the awful weather, we head up there.

It’d be wiser to park here—there’s a huge puddle ahead, and the summit isn’t far!



We soon walk up to the viewpoint.

The wind’s howling, it’s cold, and we can’t see a thing...





With a bit of luck, we would’ve admired this:

We still wait for long minutes, hoping for a very hypothetical break in the clouds.

No such luck...

Alright, let’s head back down!



The sun’s mocking us at La Escata port.

It’s even warm enough to have a picnic outside while waiting for the ferry to depart.



Fred Olsen’s catamaran is now docked.

It unloads its stream of vehicles and passengers, then it’s our turn to board.

There’s no shortage of seats—this crossing is almost empty.



We decide to sit in the front row.

Here we go!

Uhhh, it’s moving quite a bit, isn’t it?

A hostess advises us to move to the back and hands out paper bags to anyone who wants them...

Faces are pale, no one’s moving—take some motion sickness pills if you’re doing this crossing in rough seas!

La Gomera acts as a windbreak, and the sea calms down.

The coast of Tenerife and then the town of Los Cristianos come into view.

We’re happy to disembark and stretch our legs to the nearest bus stop for the airport.

For a few euros, the bus takes us there in just half an hour.

Since I’m the cautious type, we didn’t book a flight right after the ferry.

If we’re here, it’s to pick up a new rental car!

The key handover is quick, and we soon head toward the rented house.

Our base for the last two nights of this trip is up in the hills, a few kilometers from Granadilla de Abona.

Far from the hustle of beach resorts but close enough to one of the access roads to Teide!

It’s super cute, the owners are friendly—a great spot to recommend for those who like secluded places.



But, like in Gran Canaria, the nights turn out to be quite chilly.

Thérèse again, Thérèse always...

We settle in quickly and plan the next day.

The weather’s great, but the roads to Teide are still closed after the storm!

Well, we’re still thinking of hiking in Teide, and we’ll see tomorrow if it’s not possible!

Just a quick look at the sky—it’s all blue as expected!

A quick check on Tenerife’s road-info site, and all the access routes to Teide are red...

Maybe the info hasn’t updated yet?

We have a relaxed breakfast and get ready for the day.

Picnic in the bag? Sunscreen?

Okay, one last look at that cursed road-info site!

Phew! It’s green!

We rush toward the caldera for a volcanic day.

Teide is still dressed in white—what a contrast to our last visit at its base!

Just one more kilometer, and we should reach the Parador, where the hike I’d scoped out begins.



The Parador hasn’t moved, but there’s construction all over the area.

Half the parking spots are unusable.

The problem? We’re not the only ones who noticed the roads reopening after days of being blocked.

Everyone on the island—tourists and locals alike—must’ve been waiting for the moment they could finally see the snow-covered giant, and now it’s a free-for-all to park...

We soon have to face the facts: parking here is impossible.

We passed a parking lot about a kilometer back—it seemed way less crowded!

We won’t be able to do the hike we planned since it adds too much elevation and distance to an already long route, but we can consider a new option!

No sooner said than done—we find a small spot at the Mirador del Llano de Ucanca parking lot.

Good thing we rented a Fiat 500 and not a limo...

From here, we can easily access the hike around Los Roques de Garcia.

We’d already done this walk on our last trip, but when you can’t have thrushes...

I also remember we struggled a bit on the way back. How about we do it in the opposite direction this time? It’ll climb more gently!

Now I’ll let the photos do the talking...















As we get closer to Roque Cinchado, the crowd gets noticeably bigger.