El Hierro, the second smallest of the Canary Islands isn’t just a naturally diverse wonderland ripe for exploring, but also so far off the tourist radar that there aren’t any direct flights from mainland Europe (or mainland anything, for that matter). This leaves you with two options to reach the Island:
You can either fly here from one of the bigger islands in the chain, or you can take the more scenic approach and arrive on El Hierro by boat. In my opinion, this is the better option, especially if you’re flying to Tenerife, as international and inter-island fights leave from two different airports at opposite ends of the island, which requires a lengthy bus connection in between.
The ferries, on the other hand leave from the Port at Los Cristianos, which is much closer to the Tenerife South Airport – the destination for international flights. You can find everything you need to know about reaching El Hierro by ferry in this article.
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What’s the ferry schedule to/from El Hierro?
The company Naviera Armas operates ferries from Los Cristianos on Tenerife to the Puerto de la Estaca on El Hierro and vice versa from Sunday to Friday.
The departure times vary slightly day by day. At the time of writing, the boats leave Tenerife at 5.30PM from Monday to Friday and at 7.30PM on Sunday. The ferries from El Hierro leave at 7AM on Monday, at 2PM from Tuesday to Friday and at 3.30PM on Sunday.
The exact schedule can be found on the website of the ferry company.
How much is the ferry to El Hierro?
For non-residents the price is about 55€ one-way. There’s no discount for return trips. People under 26 and over 60 get a whopping discount of 2,50€, while children under 12 travel for about 30€.
Can I take a car on the ferry to El Hierro?
You can – the prices depend on the size, you need to enter the make and model of the car you want to take when booking your trip to find out the exact price.
How long does the ferry ride to El Hierro take?
The trip takes about 2.5 hours, depending on weather conditions.
Where can I book my ticket?
You can book your ticket online here:
There are also ticket counters at the ferry port at Los Cristianos and on El Hierro. We went in the winter and there were only a few people on board but in the Summer the situation might be different, so I suggest getting tickets a few days in advance.
What else to know about the Ferry Ride
In case you feel peckish during your trip, there’s a small café selling snacks and drinks on board. When we went in December, there were a few waves but it wasn’t too rough. Still, if you’re prone to seasickness, you might want to take some medication before your trip.
How to reach the Ferry port of Los Cristianos on Tenerife
There are several public bus routes connecting Los Cristianos to other parts of the island, including the capital Santa Cruz and the two airports. All buses only go as far as Los Cristianos Bus Station (Estación de Guaguas), which is still about 1km from the port. Walking there takes about 20 minutes or you could take a taxi to the port if you have too much luggage to lug around.
You can look for connections on the Tenerife’s Public Bus Website.
How to reach the Puerto de las Estacas on El Hierro
The port can be reached by Bus Lines 7 and 11 from the island’s capital Valverde. You can check the schedules on this website. There’s also an office of CICAR, a car rental company, at the port. Renting a car is a good idea if you want to explore the more remote western part of the island.
What to do on El Hierro
Despite its small size, there are plenty of cool things to do and see on the island.
Check out my Ultimate Three Day Itinerary for El Hierro to find out what not to miss.