DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020 119
IF YOU LIKEOnce considered the westernmost point
of land in the known world, El Hierro is a
world apart from the rest of Spain’s main
Canary Islands, which are more often
famed for sun-and-sand resorts. Small-
est (104 square miles) and youngest in
the Canary archipelago, El Hierro is a
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and a Global
Geopark—and now the setting of an
eponymous Spanish record-breaking hit
television series.
Dramatic thrills extend to the
astounding diversity of ecosystems,
from lush meadows to rugged coastal
cliffs and lunar-like terrain. Walking trails
crisscross the island, some leading to
spectacular Atlantic Ocean view-
points. On the southern slopes, palm
vegetation, fig trees, and vines give
way to endemic Canarian pine forests.
In western El Sabinar, the open slope is
dotted with centuries-old juniper trees,
wind-twisted into bizarre shapes. Off El
Hierro’s southern coast, the crystal-clear
waters of the Marine Reserve of La
Restinga-Mar de las Calmas, or Calm
Sea, is considered one of Europe’s
top diving destinations.NATUREHOW TO GO
From September to June,
self-guided walking tour
specialists Macs Adven-
ture offers a seven- night
“El Hierro: Edge of
Europe” itinerary includ-
ing lodging, luggage
transfers, daily break-
fasts, and route maps.
macsadventure.comWHEN
TO GOSEP-
OCT
WHY GO NOW
Savor a multisensory feastHOW TO GO
Learn how to prepare a full menu (including handmade pasta) based on
local Emilia-Romagna ingredients on the four-day “Chef Mattia’s Kitchen in
Parma” program with Cooking Vacations. cooking-vacations.comParma’s gifts to the world include “king of cheeses” Parmigiano-Reggiano, the operas of Giuseppe Verdi, and the
”Assumption of the Virgin” masterwork by High Renaissance painter Correggio. The surrounding Emilia-Romagna
region produces a bounty of DOP, or protected origin, foods, such as Parma ham, balsamic vinegar of Modena,
and sparkling Lambrusco wines. So no one would be surprised to learn that this northern Italian city has been
named Italian Capital of Culture 2020. Plans call for special programs in local venues, including the Labirinto
della Masone, home to a bamboo maze billed as the world’s largest, and the sprawling Palazzo della Pilotta, an
unfinished 16th-century complex which houses Parma’s premier art museum, Galleria Nazionale.
“Some bigger cities are overrun with tourists, but Parma is still precious,” says Amalfi Coast resident Lauren
Piscitelli, whose company Cooking Vacations offers one- to eight-day Parma culinary classes and tours. “There’s
an old hat shop where the men and women—who are elegantly dressed all the time—still get their hats made.
Come 6 p.m., everyone gathers in tiny cafés for an aperitivo [Italy’s predinner drink-and-appetizer ritual] or a
coffee. It’s all very dreamy.”VISITITALY
PARMA
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A master grader at Italy’s
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Consortium tests the
quality of a wheel of
Parma’s famed cheese.