El Hierro's Mar de las Calmas set to become the first marine national park in Spain
This image, acquired on 26 July 2024 by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites, shows the island of El Hierro.
El Hierro is the smallest of the Canary Islands (Spain). It is known for its rich biodiversity and unique marine ecosystems. Recently, local authorities approved the first proposal to designate Mar de las Calmas, an area south of El Hierro, as Spain's first marine national park. Covering over 24,000 hectares, Mar de las Calmas is renowned for its exceptional natural value, including deep-sea species and tropical and subtropical species not commonly found elsewhere in the Canary Islands archipelago.