Faro de Orchilla

The southwest cape of El Hierro — once designated as the prime meridian of the ancient world — drops away into 40-metre walls covered in black coral and sea fans. Open Atlantic upwellings keep temperatures a degree or two cooler than La Restinga and push nutrients that attract large pelagics: yellowfin tuna, oceanic triggerfish, and pilot whales pass regularly. Angel sharks also appear on the sandy terraces at 15 to 22 metres, drawn by the same prey concentrations. The site is exposed and requires a weather window; when conditions align, visibility exceeds 40 metres.