Ecomuseo de Guinea is a great place to see the life of the original settlers of El Hierro, but also offers guided tours of the lava tunnel and terrarium with local endemic reptiles.
Rather than an actual museum, it is an open-air museum combined with a volcanic cave.
What will you see here?
The Ecomuseo de Guinea is divided into three sections and entry is only possible with a guided tour. The tours are currently in Spanish only, but if you don't speak Spanish, you'll at least get an English written text.
- The outdoor open-air museum - a section you can explore on your own if you arrive before the tour starts. Here you will see authentically preserved houses of the original inhabitants, the so-called Bimbache.
- Lava tunnel - about 90 metres of tunnel, dug by flowing lava, is accessible underground. Before entering, you will be given a free helmet to wear.
- Lagartario - a small building with several enclosures of an endemic species of animal - the Great Lizard of El Hierro (called in Spanish Lagarto Gigante.
The whole tour takes about 45-60 minutes.
Entrance fees and tour times
Tours run all year round, every day at the following times:
- 10:30
- 11:30
- 12:30
- 13:30
- 16:00
Ticket prices are as follows:
- 9,50 eur (children up to 11 years old get in free)
- 17,95 eur - Tourist pass for 7 other attractions, see detailed information: meridianosau.es/pasaporte-turistico-de-el-hierro.
For up-to-date official information, visit meridianosau.es/ecomuseo-de-guinea.
How to get there
Ecomuseo de Guinea is located just off the main road connecting Valverde and La Frontera in the northern part of the island called El Golfo.
The main entrance, with free parking, is just off the road under the monumental 1,000-metre-high Tibataje massif.
There is also a bus stop "Poblado de Guinea" right next to the museum, where the following lines stop:
- Line 3 - El Frontera, Valverde, Mocanal
- Line 4 - El Frontera, Las Puntas
Detailed information including timetables, ticket prices and links to the official website can be found in the Transport section.
What to see around
Discover all the places to see in El Hierro.
