La Restinga

La Restinga sits on the southern tip of El Hierro, the island’s southernmost settlement and one of its youngest, built up around a modest fishing harbour. Its low, simple houses face the Atlantic across the Mar de Las Calmas, a stretch of water protected as a marine reserve for its clarity and volcanic seabed.

The village has long made its living from the sea, and this is still visible in its working harbour and the diving operators that have grown up alongside the fishing fleet. Calm, sheltered conditions and the marine reserve just offshore have made La Restinga one of the best-known diving bases in the Canary Islands, drawing visitors keen to explore the underwater volcanic landscape rather than any conventional resort scene.

Beyond diving, La Restinga remains a quiet, functional place rather than a polished tourist town, its appeal lying in the raw southern coastline and the sense of being at the edge of the island.