Árbol Garoé

El Hierro


According to legend, the Bimbaches' ancient holy tree, the Garoé, miraculously spouted water, providing for the islanders and their animals. Today we know it’s really no miracle – mist in the air condenses on the tree’s leaves and produces fresh water. The original tree was felled by a hurricane in 1610 and wasn't replaced with the current lime tree until 1949. It's 2.6km down a signposted track off the HI10 (800m north of San Andrés), with some steep, rocky sections.

From the small visitor centre, several appealing walking trails head off into the hills, including the PREH7 to/from El Mocanal (3km), Pozo de las Calcosas (6km) or, in the opposite direction, San Andrés (3.5km), and the 16km PREH11 San Andrés–Valverde loop.