Brief summary of El Hierro

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Nicknamed Isla del Meridiano (the "Meridian Island"), El Hierro is the smallest and furthest south and west of all the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean.

The name of the island comes from the Guanche for Hero, which through time became "Hierro", meaning "Iron" in Spanish because of its likeness to that word.
Thus, Ferro (ferrum in Latin for "iron") was and is used as an alternative name for the island.
"Hero" is the original name of what we today call a "cistern", due to the way the bimbaches saved water from trees.
The ancient natives of the island were called bimbaches.


Like the rest of the chain, the island is sharply mountainous.
The highest point of the island is in Malpaso which is 1501 meters high.


El Hierro is home to many unique species, such as the El Hierro Giant Lizard (Gallotia simonyi).

Like all of the Canary Islands, El Hierro is a tourist destination.


It is served by a small airport, El Hierro Airport at Valverde and boasts a ferry terminal, both of which connect to Tenerife.


The island is part of the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife which includes 3 municipalities:

    * Frontera
    * Valverde
    * El Pinar


Valverde is in the northeast and Frontera in the southwest, both contain several villages.
The seat of the island government (cabildo insular) is in Valverde town.