El Hierro inaugurates its cruise season with seven calls in November and a total of 22 throughout the season. The El Hierro Island Council, through its Department of Tourism, Transport, and Communications, announces the start of the 2025-2026 cruise season at the port of La Estaca, which will run from November 2025 to May 2026.
This campaign includes 22 planned stops, with an estimated 5,500 to 7,000 passengers, representing a 70% increase compared to the previous year.
The season was inaugurated this Sunday, November 2nd, with the arrival of the AMADEA, from the German company Phoenix Reisen, followed by the Club Med 2, the MS Hamburg, the Sea Cloud II, Le Bougainville, Hebridean Sky and Le Laperouse, which will complete a particularly relevant month of November with seven stops in the port of La Estaca.
These ships, managed by agents such as Fred. Olsen, Miller & Co. and Hamilton & Co., are part of Atlantic routes that connect the Canary Islands with Madeira, Cape Verde and the Iberian Peninsula, consolidating El Hierro as a boutique destination within the premium maritime tourism circuit.
“El Hierro is positioning itself as a unique destination, where visitors find authenticity, nature, and hospitality. Our goal is not to grow in volume, but in value and in the experience that those who visit us take away,” highlighted Davinia Suárez, Island Councillor for Tourism, Transport, and Communications.
A season of consolidation for the port of La Estaca
Cruise traffic in El Hierro has shown sustained growth since the post-pandemic recovery.
For this season, the planned ships —including the Amadea, Le Laperouse, Europa 2 or Hebridean Sky— belong mainly to European expedition and medium-sized companies, which include the island in their Atlantic routes between the Canary Islands, Madeira and Cape Verde.
The stops will last an average of 10 to 12 hours, allowing visitors to discover the island's main natural and cultural attractions, such as La Restinga, the Mirador de La Peña viewpoint, the Gulf trails, or the inland villages.
The estimated economic impact is around 1.2 million euros annually, generated through excursions, gastronomy and local consumption.
Davinia Suárez emphasized that “each cruise ship stop is an opportunity to showcase the uniqueness of El Hierro to the world. Maritime tourism, when well managed, can be an engine for economic growth and international projection.”.
