Descending the Mountain

A couple weekends ago, I went on my first true hike since I got to El Hierro last month. As you may know, Tamaduste is the closest swimming hole to Valverde, the capital of the island where I live, and I love going there as often as I can to soak up the sun and take a dip in the water. Usually, I take the bus, which only takes about 15 minutes and is only €1.16 a ride, but I had heard about a hike to the swimming area and I'd been wanting to do it for a while.

#elhierroisland #tamaduste #hiking #senderismo #outdoors

It was a beautiful day, sunny and brisk, the perfect day to try out a new hike. It took some doing to actually find the trailhead, because it goes directly from Valverde but is not super well marked until you actually get into the trail. It actually leaves from very near my school, and is just a road that turns into gravel then volcanic sand. A couple times, I thought I was walking up someone's driveway! But I found the trailhead, and it was smooth sailing from then on out, with little painted markers along the way that match the official hiking map.

The trail begins pretty flat for a while, and then you get to a beautiful viewpoint overlooking the ocean from the edge of Villa de Valverde, which is about 1,900 above sea level. That didn't seem very high to me (coming from Utah), but it certainly is when you think that you start from the 0 feet at the beach! The first part of the hike is covered with prickly pear cacti (whose fruit is a delicacy in El Hierro).

Next, I started the main descent. First, you use the logs strategically placed to zigzag down the volcanic sand for a while, before just going straight down the hill. Maybe they ran out of logs :) It's a lot of downhill, and definitely a different type of exercise than hiking up a mountain. The view is breathtaking and you can feel the ocean breeze the whole time!

I was the only one hiking, so it was a peaceful walk in the sunshine.

There's nothing like watching the sun glint off the ocean! I also saw lots of farms in these neat ravines!

After descending the volcano, you walk along the rim for a while, and finally follow some steep dirt switchbacks to arrive in Tamaduste after about an hour and a half. A beautiful day of hiking that ended with a refreshing swim!

¡Hasta la próxima!