Casa Rural El Valle

We really enjoyed staying in this typical El Hierro house. It's got everything you need for a few days, plus the owner is attentive and very helpful. Communication with him was excellent, and he gave us information about visiting the island. It was a pleasure to travel with someone like him hosting us. The house is in a peaceful spot on the outskirts of San Andrés, the island's central town, close to other houses. All you hear is birds and wind. There are fruit trees on the property, and we picked oranges straight from the tree for delicious breakfast juice. The sea views are beautiful, with Mount Teide and La Gomera in the distance. There were thoughtful little extras waiting on arrival, too: a loaf of sliced bread, butter, several kinds of jam, and a bottle of water. We'll return to El Hierro as soon as we can, and would be even happier to stay in this lovely house again.

The thing we'll remember most from our few dreamy days here is the silence, one of the most precious things you can find these days. We'll come back as soon as we can. Thanks to Miguel Angel and Elías for guiding us from Valverde to the house and for being so kind throughout. The house is built from volcanic stone in the rustic El Hierro style, with a porch that's perfect for spectacular breakfasts and lunches. On clear days you can see La Gomera and Tenerife. Some days the fog rolls in, bringing what Canarians call "horizontal rain." It's about 250 meters from the neighbors, so it's wonderfully quiet, while the town of San Andrés is only a five-minute drive away, with a supermarket and a few places to eat. Miguel Angel has stocked the house with just about everything you might need, including salt, sugar, oil, toiletries and bath products, spices, butter, and jam. There's even a pair of binoculars for watching birds or local wildlife, and a telescope for looking at the stars.

A lovely bottle of water and carton of milk were in the fridge, along with figs and walnuts. There's also tea and instant coffee, though the coffee is decaf only. The friendly owner is often in Barcelona. Neither he nor the man who picks you up at Bar Casa Goyo speaks English, and there were no instructions for the TV or DVD, which I couldn't get working. It took ages to boil water on the worn-out electric stove. This is a very beautiful, authentically furnished cottage in an idyllic setting. San Andres is a 10-minute walk away, though it's a steep climb and descent. The terrace has a lovely view, the Wi-Fi is very good, and the bed is good. The bathroom is okay too. In the evening the sun goes behind the mountains quickly and it gets cold fast. At 1,000 meters up, that's to be expected. There are two electric radiators that help a bit, plus a small heater.

So peaceful and quiet, just the place to rest and switch off. There's a supermarket and restaurants less than five minutes away. The house is spacious and surrounded by fruit trees, and the owners were incredibly attentive and thoughtful. They even let us pick fruit right from the trees, which was a real treat. We'll definitely come back.