When offering a better future implies changing paradigms, every gamble is worth it. Taking advantage of environmental conditions and knowing the value of biodiversity becomes a priority. In El Hierro Biosphere Reserve, the transition to clean energy exemplifies ongoing efforts to live in harmony with nature.
Listen to the sounds of the biosphere reserve and discover the work of scientists Patricia Arranz and Yurena Pérez.
101 endemic species
At least 2,604 species of flora and fauna have been recorded on the island, 642 of which are endemic to the Canaries and 101 to El Hierro, such as the El Hierro giant lizard (Gallotia simonyi machadoi), which has been saved from extinction.
El mar de las calmas
This reserve is a safe-haven for treasured species of friendly sea-faring mammals, such as Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris), Blainville's beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris) and the Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus).
From 1684 to 1885, European navies used El Hierro as the original meridian or meridian 0° in cartography. Another name of El Hierro is 'Isla del Meridiano' or Meridian Island.
The culture of water
'Guácimos', small holes carved into trees, and 'eres', clay-crafted canals and cisterns, were used by the Bimbache people in pre-Hispanic times to harvest water from the island’s lush forests and sea-mists.