El Hierro – a Canary Island Jewel

Sole Occupancy Supplement

The sole occupancy supplement of £35 per night is already included in the cost of this holiday. – as shown at the top of the page.

You purchase your own flights for this holiday.

The price you pay to Secret Hills Walking Holidays is a land only price.

When you reserve your flight, our policy is to enable you to fly from your local airport, wherever possible.

This means that clients will arrive at the destination airport at different times and we will arrange the onward transfers to the hotel, and return you to the airport at the end of the holidays.

Flights to Tenerife South from most local UK airports.

We take the ferry from Tenerife to El Hierro, and you will be met at the ferry terminal for transfer to our hotel

The walks we offer you will enable you to see the best of the heart of El Hierro. Each walk is different and very varied.

We enjoy five full day walks on the island.. You have a free day after the first three days of walking.

We take transport to walks start and from walks finish

We cover all points of the island on our walking days- to give you a full flavour of the different geology and scenery of El Hierro..

We use a local guide to lead the walks with support from our UK tour guide.

 Our guiding partners in Montenegro- 3ETRAVEL – organise and lead the walks.

 Walks planned

Walks may vary dependent on your abilities and weather conditions.

Here are a sample of walks we choose from – there are many others.

Day 1

Meet and Greet with the walking guides before dinner. General information about El Hierro.

Walk 1, Raya Llania – Raya Llania (circular walk):

An easy beginning walk in the evergreen area of the center of the island which is dominated by tree heather and bayberry trees, passing very mystic woodlands and the witches ballroom

Walk 2, Hoya del Morcillo – Cruz de los Reyes via Malpaso:

A fresh walk through the enormous pine trees up to the highest peak of El Hierro (1.501m) and following the lava ashfields of the old procession route

Walk 3, Mocanal – Echedo – La Caleta:

The island`s north is a walk mainly downhill through contrasting landscapes. There are some road walking, but these are very quiet lanes in a pleasent environment. Target of the walk is the bathing spot La Caleta with sea water swimming pool

Walk 4, San Andres – La Cuesta – Isora

A botanical route passing the green meadows of the central island with many historical sites. Visit of an old weaving work shop before reaching the stunning viewpoint of Mirador de Isora which flows the crest of the escarpment overlooking the eastern coast which is 1.000m  below us.

Walk 5, Ermita Virgen de los Reyes – Los Bascos – Sabinosa:

No trip to El Hierro can be done without visiting the twisted trees of El Sabinar in the far West of the island. Starting point after the transfer is the sanctuary of El Hierro where the holy virgin statue is kept. From the Phoenician juniper trees to a breath-taking viewpoint and a long ascent to Sabinosa, a traditional shephard’s village.

A fantastic island paradise- enjoy it’s unique offering

• the sun in our winter
• small but perfectly formed – walking as good as any other Canary Island
• Five star hotel- superb location, super food and services
• fantastic sunrises and sun sets – rooms designed to take these in.
• walking in superb scenery all over this iconic island
• local cuisine- different yet delicious
• our relaxed, social approach
• experienced and knowledgeable guides

Grades and Difficulty

• Great care has been taken selecting our routes to ensure our guests enjoyment and safety. However, due to the challenging nature of the mountainous terrain there will be some steep climbs and descents so a good level of walking fitness is strongly recommended, this will greatly enhance the enjoyment of this walking holiday (a suggested kit list will be issued).
• Overall we rate the walking as moderate with some challenging steep ascents and descents.
• On good paths, the ground can be hard, dusty and very dry, we stop often – taking on water is obligatory, and not every day will be the same – we may take transport higher up, and walk quite a bit of the walk on a reasonably level terrain, then descend.
• Sun protection cream is a must. We do not want any one with heatstroke so prepare well beforehand.

It’s all about meeting new friends. Each holiday is designed to be a friendly, relaxed and stress-free occasion. Talking is as important as walking on Secret Hills Walking Holidays. We don’t go in for discos, we may use an event that is taking place in the area we are in to boost the weekend’s activities – but it’s good, old fashioned chat that makes our short breaks successful.

“Make new friends that turn into old friends” – that’s our motto.

You might be surprised by what fun you’ll have with people who are older or younger than you during a holiday with us, and that’s exactly the sort of atmosphere we encourage; people find it very rewarding. It doesn’t matter what your reasons for travelling with us are, we’ve had people who are single, divorced or widowed, people who have partners that are unable to travel, and people who can’t holiday with their friends anymore as they’ve all got married themselves. There are people who want to make friends, see sights, and experience something completely new. Whatever your reason, we’ll welcome you with open arms and our friendly hosts will help you to get the most out of your holiday.

Don’t worry if this is the first time you have ventured to join a group holiday – its always a bit daunting – but we will look after you and ensure that you get used to being amongst friends again. Trust us to to get you back into the swing of things.

Oh – by the way – it’s not a dating agency – over the years we have had people meet and fall in love – but that’s just chance. Our aim is that you make like-minded friends – just relax and enjoy.

Just arrive and enjoy.

There are other walking holiday companies that cover Europe but we believe we offer the best value for many reasons….

• We specialise in organising guided walking holidays for singles and solo travellers
• We are a small friendly company
• We have a loyal customer base who return again and again (so we must be doing something right) – read our testimonials page on the website
• We offer a lot of flexibility – you can stay extra nights which we are happy to organise for you. We are also very flexible on the walks we provide, adapting to suit walkers and weather conditions
• Our walk leading is second to none. Unlike some other large Walking Companies, we use LOCAL leaders who live in the area and who love their surroundings. They have expert knowledge of everything you need to know to make an area come alive.
• You are safe in our hands – our guides are experts, fully qualified in first aid. Also, because of their local knowledge of the hills, they can respond to any situation that might for example demand cutting short a route. They don’t need to consult maps – they know the hills intimately.
• Our leaders are all easy-going, genuinely sociable people who want to ensure that you have the best time you can with the rest of the group. They make the weekend fun by engaging with all members of a group, and ensuring that everyone feels part of the group experience.
• We give great value for money. Because we recognise that lots of walkers holiday on their own, we have negotiated no single supplement deals with all our hotels to ensure the best possible deal.
• We always use good hotels, selected and constantly reviewed.
• We have smaller groups than some of the larger walking companies because we believe the social experience is much better in a smaller group. People can talk to everyone, especially at dinner where you can all sit at one table in a small group. Our numbers vary from holiday to holiday but an average group size would be 8-12.

You may book online.

Payment is in two parts – you pay a deposit of 25%, payable when reserving your holiday place. You will receive an invoice for the holiday showing the deposit paid, and full amount to pay for the holiday. This acts as your confirmation.

The balance is due 8 weeks prior to the holiday start date. You will be sent a reminder.

About three weeks prior to departure, we will send you holiday joining details, and details of the transfer from the airport to the appointed hotel we have arranged for you.

Once you arrive at your holiday destination

Secret Hills Walking Holidays organise all aspects of your holiday– including guiding, transport to walks start and provide you with an experienced tour guide. You make your own arrangements to get to the airport in the UK, we meet you at the airport you are flying to, and help you with your transfer to the appointed hotel.

It is important to read Secret Hills Walking Holidays Terms and Conditions – click on the tab on our web site – before you complete the booking form.

Insurance – you need to be fully covered

It is a condition of joining any of our holidays that you must be fully insured against travel, medical and personal accident risks (to include repatriation costs and air ambulance or helicopter rescue services where appropriate).

We will ask you to provide us with the details of your insurance prior to the holidays start date and it is a condition of reserving a place.

If you are a UK citizen and travelling in Europe you should obtain the UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) which is available only online from the UK Government website. This gives you medical care at a reduced cost, and some cases for free, in many European countries, but should not be considered a substitute for adequate travel insurance.