Monumento al antiguo meridiano 0º

Through history the island has been called Ombrion, Capararia, Pluvialia, Eseró and Hero, but the name carrying the most famous story is Island of the Meridian. It is credited to Ptolemy, the Greco-Egyptian astronomer who in the 2nd century placed the prime meridian at the western end of the island, falling exactly on Punta de Orchilla. It stayed there for centuries, until in 1884 the origin of longitudes was moved to the Greenwich observatory. The monument marks that starting point of European cartography on the ground itself.

The Orchilla lighthouse sits on the western side of El Hierro, facing the sea, and until a few years ago this was the reference meridian. It is an emblematic corner of the smallest Canary Island and lies well off the beaten track, though the drive out is straightforward. Two things reward an unhurried visit: the golden sunsets and the sky. There is no light pollution here, so multiple constellations can be admired all year round, with Taurus announcing the arrival of autumn.