Visit La Restinga
La Restinga is on the island of El Hierra in the Western Canary Islands.
La Restinga is a small fishing village which is becoming a popular resort especially with visitors wanting to scuba dive.
Explore La Restinga
La Restinga is the most southerly point of Spain. It is a small fishing village on the southern tip of El Hierra one of the smallest of the Canary Islands. Due to the fantastic Mar de las Calmas (Sea of Calm) this has become a major scuba diving destination. If you look at the sea from a high point it is quite strange as you can clearly see where the Sea of Calm ends and the choppier waters of the open seas begin.
If you like scuba diving or want to try it there are lots of scuba-diving outfitters here and whether novice or experienced you will be able to find something to suit you.
In order to protect the waters part of the Sea of Calm has been made into a Marine Conservation area and is off limits to both divers and fishers. This is still good news for divers as it means fish numbers and diversity should remain good in the surrounding waters too.
La Restinga has a couple of volcanic beaches with black sand and quiet waters if you wish to do some sunbathing.
The village is now more of a town with appartment buildings for holidaymakers and a few shops and restaurants.
Take the time to drive around the local area which is full of weird volcanic shapes
La Restinga is close to an active volcano whose cone lies 88 meters deep in the Sea of Calm. The volcano is called Tagoro.
It last errupted in 2011 when activity forced the village to be evacuated. Volcanic activity continued until March of 2012.
There is a small museum dedicated to the erruption. The museum has interesting information about the La Restinga eruption and about volcanoes in general.
It is also located on a lava field and with views all along the southern coastline and so is an interesting destination in itself.
Places to visit nearby
La Frontera is a charming town with a good few bars and restaurants and some lovely 'charcos', natural pools. It is a good base for a visit to El Hierro.
You can find more local travel ideas in the Western Canary Islands guide.
Map of La Restinga and places to visit
...or see all our recommended places to visit in Western Canary Islands