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El Hierro is the most westerly and smallest island in the Canaries Archipelago. It has abrupt landforms with steep slopes and most of its coastline comprises cliffs. The mountains reach a maximum altitude of 1,501 m. The climate is conditioned by its proximity to the tropics and influenced by the trade winds that combined with the altitude give riseto various climatic zones, with rainfall ranging from 150mm in the southern coastal areas to 750 mm in the northern divide.The distribution of the main ecosystems is staggered: coastal scrubland with succulent plants including different kinds of Spurge, thermophile forests of Spanish Juniper, evergreen Laurel forests together with Myrtle and Tree Heath and finally, the Canaries Pinegrove.There are numerous endemic species of flora and fauna, among the latter theEl Hierro giant lizard (Gallotia simonyi) that was thought to be extinct. However, recently residual populations have been found that have enabled its rehabilitation. Other endangered species are the White-tailed Laurel Pigeon (Paloma rabiche), the European Storm Petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus) and Bulwer’s Petrel (Bulweria bulwerii).The wealth of marine life is exceptional and much visited by submarine divers from all over the world.