Pico de Malpaso, Volcanic peak in El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain

Pico de Malpaso is a volcanic summit on El Hierro that rises about 1,500 meters above sea level as the island's highest point. The mountain displays the classic cone shape of a volcanic formation, offering wide views across the surrounding terrain and coastline from its top.

The summit's rock formed during the Pleistocene, between roughly 145,000 and 2,500 years ago, from basaltic, trachybasaltic, basanitic and tephritic lava flows later covered by lapilli. El Hierro itself is about 3 million years old, the youngest island of the Canary archipelago, and its present outline results from erosion of the volcanic cone. The name Malpaso is linked to a late 18th-century descent of the Virgen de los Reyes, when a carrier stumbled on the mountain path.

The name Malpaso ("bad step") comes from a fall during a late-18th-century procession carrying the Virgen de los Reyes down the mountain, when one of the bearers stumbled. The writer José Padrón Machín also recorded the name Tinganar, said to be the pre-conquest aboriginal name, though later toponymic studies found no documentary support for it.

The summit lies at the centre of El Hierro, on the boundary between Frontera and El Pinar de El Hierro, and a trig point marks the 1,501 m top. A viewpoint stands on the summit, and on clear days La Palma and other Canary Islands are visible. The upper slopes are exposed volcanic ground, so carry water and sun protection.

The slopes host specimens of Canary Islands juniper trees that are several centuries old and form part of the region's plant heritage. These rare trees have persisted in this mountain environment for generations and are visible to anyone walking the trail.