Weather on El Hierro: When is the Best Travel Time?

El Hierro is the smallest and coolest of the Canary Islands. However, the climate is spring-like, pleasant, and mild all year round. Here comes the practical weather check for El Hierro.

El Hierro, the smallest island of the Canary Islands, is located south of La Palma and southwest of the larger islands Tenerife and Gran Canaria. While the island is not large, the weather is diverse, as there are climatic differences due to the Canary Current and the structure of El Hierro.

From travel weather and bathing temperatures to the ideal travel time: Here comes the weather check for El Hierro.

The reason for the wonderful climate of the Canary Islands is the location of the archipelago between the 27th and 29th parallel. Politically, the Canary Islands belong to Spain, but geographically, they are part of Africa. Due to the proximity to the equator and because of the trade winds, the hot air from the Sahara is tempered in the Canaries. The result is a spring-like climate year-round and picture-perfect weather for a vacation.

El Hierro holds a special position among the Canary Islands. Compared to the other islands, it is on average 3.4 degrees cooler on El Hierro. Nevertheless, the climate is very mild: July, August, and September are the warmest months of the year with daytime highs between 77 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit.

The average daytime highs range between 64 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit. It is coldest during the winter months from December to February with temperatures of 70 degrees during the day and 59 degrees at night. Rain is rare on the island, and when it does occur, it's mostly in winter.

From February to September, the sun shines for seven hours a day on El Hierro. On average, it is about 4.9 hours a day throughout the year. Again, this shows the 'coolest' side of the Canaries: the sunshine duration on El Hierro is on average 2.3 hours shorter than on the other Canary Islands.

El Hierro is small, but climatically, the weather differs between the north and south of the island - two climate zones are noted on El Hierro. In the north, due to the northeast trade wind, high humidity, and mountains up to 4,921 feet, rain showers are more frequent. The south, on the other hand, is flat and volcanically shaped and therefore drier and warmer. Rain is rare. Along the coast, strong winds often blow.

The Atlantic is known to be much cooler than the Mediterranean. However, swimming is certainly possible. The water around El Hierro doesn't warm up as much as it does around the other islands due to the Canary Current. During the warmest months, the water reaches a maximum temperature of 73.4 degrees Fahrenheit, with an average water temperature of 69.3 degrees Fahrenheit.

The best time to travel to El Hierro is from spring to fall. Since the island is not a classic beach destination, but rather attracts many visitors for hiking, biking, or diving, El Hierro is a year-round destination. Especially in spring, when everything on the island is in bloom, an active vacation is worthwhile.

The best months for swimming are June to October, and you can still go in the water in November and December. Those who wish to cycle have the most pleasant and coolest temperatures in winter, while it can get quite hot in the summer on a bike. Spring and autumn are the most beautiful for hiking.

Of course, the weather in the winter months is different than in the summer, but it's clear: T-shirt weather is definitely possible. It might rain, though often on only a maximum of seven days per month. The coldest month in the Canaries is January, with six hours of sunshine per day and up to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. In winter on the Canary Islands, the warmest is in January on Gran Canaria and Lanzarote, where there are maximum temperatures of up to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Travel Reporter