There are no karaoke bars on El Hierro – and that’s what makes this tiny island so specialEl Hierro,the smallest of the Canaries, is not the most promising island to sail up to. As the ferry pulls in, and the first things you see are two power stations. One is now redundant,the other is a state-of-the-art turbine built to harness the power of both water and wind. The government’s map is that soon the island will be self-sufficient and its 10000 residents will live, in effect, or off-grid.
Another goal is to score everyone driving electric cars,so there are charging ports across the island. On a drive into the mountains I found myself manoeuvring through a flock of sheep while a shepherd in a hi-vis tabard played on his mobile phone. You might not expect phone signal at such altitude, but the government provides free WiFi across the island.
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Source: theguardian.com