Things to do in Fuerteventura: best beaches, towns and secret places

We knew we were going to like Fuerteventura, the Canary Island of the wind and the beautiful beaches, but we were not expecting to like it so much. Fuerteventura surprised us with beauty and after some days, a week seemed like not enough time.

If you are a beach lover and you still do not know the “Majorera” island, you will discover that Fuerteventura hides, in our opinion, the best beaches in the Canary Islands. In addition to beaches, you will find towns full of history, windmills between arid winding roads, kilometer-long dunes and a delicious gastronomy. In this post you will find everything you need to explore Fuerteventura on your own: what to see, how to get there, how to move, where to stay and where to eat.

Basic information to travel to Fuerteventura

Fuerteventura is the second largest island in the archipelago of the spanish Canary Islands (the largest one is Tenerife)

Currency: Euro

Language: Spanish

Population: 122,000 (in 2019)

Daily budget: From € 65 / day per person (approx.) For a one-week trip. More information about budget and prices here.

Weather: Stable all year round with temperatures between 15º and 25º (it varies a bit, not much, in the summer and winter months, find out when to go here.)

Accommodation: in the north is best to stay in Corralejo or El Cotillo. In the south int Gran Tarajal or Morro del Jable. For more than 4 days it is advisable to divide the stay between north and south. More info on where to stay here.

Duration: Minimum 3 days. Ideally 1 week.

Flights: There are many flights to Fuerteventura both from lots of european countries. The cheapest are usually Ryanair / Easyjet. We recommend that you use flight comparison websites such as Skyscanner and Kiwi and that you are flexible with your dates.

Transportation: The best option is to rent a car. More info here. There are bus lines that connect different points of the island but the frequencies are very limited and it is not an option that we can recommend if you want to make a good use of your time in Fuerteventura

Time zone: The time in Fuerteventura and the Canary Islands is one hour less than in Spain, same as in the UK

The impressive beach of Cofete from the viewpoint of Degollada Agua Oveja

When to go to Fuerteventura: best months without wind

Fuerteventura is an island with lots of sunshine and stable temperatures all year round (between 15º at night and 25º during the day). For this reason it is known as the island of eternal spring.

In summer the minimum temperatures are usually 19º, the maximum can reach 29º in some parts of the island (July and August being the warmest months) and the probability of rain is zero. The winter is divided into two seasons: from November to January the temperatures are around 20º during the day, 12º at night, and it rains an average of 7 days a month. After February the weathers gets better and temperatures are usually 22º during the day (14º at night) and it rains even less. In April and May during the day the temperatures are around 25º and the water in the Atlantic Ocean begins to heat up (water over 19º, 20º), which makes it a very pleasant month for a beach vacation.

Playa de Cofete, a place not to miss on the island

But if there is something that characterizes the climate of Fuerteventura, it is undoubtedly the wind. The origin of the island’s name is not known 100%, although one of the theories is directly related to this (Fuerteventura = strong (fuertes) winds (vientos), in fact we call the island “FuerteVIENTura” for this very reason), although there are others (such as Fuerte Ventura = good luck, the fortunate islands), if you want to know more about it we recommend this article, in spanish.

Those winds make Fuerteventura a paradise for practicing sports such as surf, windsurf and kitesurf, but for those of us who visit the islands with the aim of enjoying its beaches (the best ones in the Canary Islands), the wind can be an enemy.

On the great beaches of Corralejo you will find the sky dotted with kites and kitesurfers

The best time for windsurfing and kitesurfing is from May to August because September is usually the least windy month on the island. For surf lovers, beginners will enjoy the waves in summer (water at 24º and softer waves) and the professionals at the end of the year (from October to December) where the water is around 20º (quite good) but the waves are stronger.

Therefore, if the goal of your trip to the islands is to enjoy its beaches, the best time to visit Fuerteventura is usually September/October. During your visit we recommend checking the strength and direction of the winds (for example in Windy) since the strong wind can be very annoying and spoil your visit to any of its beaches or viewpoints.

Playa del Mal Nombre, one of our favorite beaches of Fuerteventura

We visited Fuerteventura in the low season, during the months of March and April, we never had less than 16º (at night), and during the day the temperature was around 25º maximum (23º on average) and it rained us two days in the afternoon, so we can safely say that it is an island that can be visited all year round, even in low season. We would recommend wearing summer clothing during the day (shorts and flip flops) but when the sun goes down it is a bit colder so it would be advisable to wear long pants, sweatshirt and closed footwear at night.

We enjoyed the beach every day in early March!

How to get to Fuerteventura

The best way to get to Fuerteventura is by plane. There are many flights both from Spain and from other European points, with quite competitive prices thanks to low cost companies such as Ryanair and Easyjet. We recommend that you are flexible with your dates and that you use price comparison sites such as Skyscanner and Kiwi.com.

When flying let us give you a small trick: if possible, get seated on the right side of the plane, as the best views of the island when approaching Fuerteventura are from there, although when the plane turn around for landing you will also have good views on the left side.

You can also get to Fuerteventura by ferry. There are frequent and fast connections with Lanzarote in the north since it is very close, and thus the two islands can be combined in a single trip. If this is your case, remember that we have also published a guide with things to do in Lanzarote. There are also connections to Gran Canaria. Be careful with the car, you have to ask the company if moving the car to another island is permitted and included in your price.

Finally, you also have the option of flying between islands, with Binter (more expensive) or Canaryfly (cheaper).

The views of Fuerteventura from the plane anticipated what we were about to experience

How many days for a trip to Fuerteventura

We recommend a minimum of 3 days, although the ideal number for Fuerteventura is one week and if you want to dedicate more time to be relaxed and enjoy the beaches, you will not regret it. For this reason we suggest different types of itineraries.

Whatever the length of your trip, you will enjoy it!

Once again, it depends on what your intentions are: if you come to explore the island, to rest or to make a mixture of both.

Walking among mills in Villaverde

Things to do in Fuerteventura

To make it easier to locate and classify the best places to visit in Fuerteventura, we have classified them in north, center and south; here is a summary and below all the information on each of the places.

• North of Fuerteventura
  • Corralejo, Grandes Playas and Dunas de Corralejo
  • El Cotillo and its beaches
  • Isla de Lobos (Lobos Island)
  • La Oliva and the Villaverde Mills
  • Volcanoes: Tindaya Mountain and Calderón Hondo
  • Barranco de los enamorados
  • Wild beaches (Tebeto, Jarugo, Playa de la mujer)
  • Puerto del Rosario
• Center of Fuerteventura
  • Ajuy and Ajuy Caves
  • Betancuria
  • Arco de Las Peñitas and Las Peñitas Viewpoint
  • Puertito de los Molinos
  • Playa del Valle and its natural pools
  • Caleta de Fuste and its natural puddle
  • Wild beaches (Solapa, Vigocho and Garcey)
• South of Fuerteventura
  • Cofete Beach
  • Sotavento beach
  • Playa del Mal Nombre
  • Playa de la Pared and sunset
  • Costa Calma beach
  • Gran Tarajal Beach
  • Morro Jable
  • Wild beaches and lighthouses in the south of the Jandía peninsula

Fuerteventura Map

Here is a Google Maps map with all the places to visit in Fuerteventura that we have included in this guide, so you can take it in your smartphone with you.

Also here you have a tourist map with the roads of Fuerteventura (click on the image to download it in larger size and resolution)

Fuerteventura Tourist Map, by Cicar

North of Fuerteventura: Corralejo, El Cotillo, Isla de Lobos, Beaches and windmills

Corralejo Natural Park: Dunas de Corralejo

The largest dunes in the Canary Islands are in Fuerteventura. The golden landscape runs along the FV-1a coastal road for more than ten kilometers, made up of more than 2,600 hectares. This sand field has a marine origin since it comes from the disaggregation and pulverization of mollusk shells (or other marine organisms with a rigid external skeleton) that the currents has deposited on the north coast of the island and that settle on basaltic flows..

Dunes of Corralejo Natural Park

The best thing to do here is to stroll through the golden dunes and admire the contrast with the blue of the Atlantic Ocean, enjoy a swim in one of the incredible beaches of the natural park or climb the 300 meters to the Montaña Roja volcano to admire the neighboring islands of Lanzarote and Graciosa from above

Unfortunately, not even the Dunas de Corralejo Natural Park is free from animal abuse as we saw that camel rides are performed and promoted there. Please do not participate in this type of activities. Read about more tips and activities to avoid here.

Corralejo and “Grandes Playas de Corralejo”

Corralejo is one of the two towns that we recommend you to stay in the north of the island. In the old area you will find several accommodation options, for all budgets, and many restaurants and bars to enjoy at night, when returning from a full day of tourism. It has a quite touristy beach town atmosphere and a large shopping street full of duty free shops and very “cool” restaurants, Avenida Nuestra Señora del Carmen.

In this shopping street you can find our favorite shop in the island: Mojo Art Shop. Here you can find t-shirts, bikinis, postcards and all sort of cute presents for kids, all designed by local artist Erika Castilla and produced on the island. Check it out.

Corralejo

Within the natural park you will also find “Grandes Playas de Corralejo“: more than 9 kilometers of beaches and coves of fine sand with privileged views of Isla de Lobos dotted with some colourful safegard houses.

In the northern area of ​​the dunes, the beaches are more family-friendly: some of them are next to hotels, they have more services (beach bars, lifeguards,…) and even hammocks and umbrellas for the whole family, such as playa de Bajo Negro or playa del Burro. Depending on the season it can get quite windy on these beaches. When we went there in March, there were more surfers, windsurfers and kitesurfers in the water of Playa del Medano than bathers, since although it was hot, the wind when you came out of the water was not so friendly. Another highly recommended beach at the north is Playa del Moro.

The southern area of ​​the dunes is ideal for finding small coves and enjoying nudism in solitude

Isla de Lobos (Lobos Island)

Just 15 minutes by boat you will reach this islet with turquoise beaches: Isla de Lobos. Here is is our complete guide to visit Isla de Lobos

After visiting it, we can assure you that it is worth spending half a day to get to know the island where sea ​​lions lived (before they became extinct in the 1920s, hence the name, as sea lions are “lobos marinos” in Spanish) and that it is now the home of just 4 inhabitants, descendants of Antoñito, the lighthouse keeper. It’s 4.5 square kilometers of peace and pure paradise.

The only sea lions you can see nowadays in Isla de Lobos

La Concha beach, on Isla de Lobos entered directly for our top Fuerteventura beaches as it is completely sheltered from the wind with a calm and turquoise waters that invites you to get into.

La Concha Beach, Isla de Lobos

We continue exploring the island and arrive at the Puertito beach, an authentic natural pool with warm waters and a Philippine-style blue color. We can guarantee that the color of the water is like you see in these pictures.

Happy between turquoise and crystal clear waters at Puertito beach on Isla de Lobos

You can also walk to the Caldera (127 m altitude) and the Martiño Lighthouse (about 5 km from Puertito, about 3 km from the pier) and enjoy the incredible panoramic views of Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and the island of Lobos from above of this volcano. We chose enjoying the beach with this turquoise waters.

it’s an small island, with approximately 12 km to go around the island (along the circular path) and it can be completed in about 3 and a half hours with stops. The trail is simple and marked without too many slopes (except if you go up to the Caldera) but be careful! You have 15 more minutes to avoid missing the last boat.

Puertito, Lobos Island

So how do you get to this paradise?

To get to this idyllic island you have to book in advance as there is a maximum daily quota to go in the morning or in the afternoon (they told us that it is better to go in the afternoon and that’s how we did it). Also, if you want to go on your own, you will have to request for the obligatory permission to visit the island and it cannot be requested more than 3 days in advance. The easiest way of visiting is hiring a tour online, since they manage everything for you, as we did. Whether you hire the daily tour (which includes a snorkeling stop – with the equipment – and a beer) or if you hire the water taxi or the excursion (with snacks, open bar and kayaks included) you can forget about the procedures and just enjoy.

Isla de Lobos from the boat

We hired this tour for 23€ / person, a few days before, since we wanted to enjoy snorkeling in the open sea (with the possibility of seeing manta rays and other fish in this ecosystem) and they warned us that it was necessary to be at the company stand 20 minutes before (at the port of Corralejo) to collect tickets and 5 minutes before to board. Before going to the port of Corralejo we stopped at Abuelos bakery, bought a delicious vegan Milanese sandwich that we had tried another day and left.

Port of Corralejo

We left at 1pm and the journey to the island was 15 minutes (the sea was quite rough because of the wind but it was a splendid sunny day). The boat makes two stops: first it stops at the dock of Isla de Lobos to leave the people who bought the tour without snorkeling (more recommended option if you want to go around the island since you will have more time) and after that, for those of us who hired the snorkeling activity, the boat continues by the side of the island where the crew provides information on the formation of the island.

Lobos islet dock

And now the worst part comes: before we jump into the water we start to see the crew throwing pieces of bread at the fish so that tourists can see the concentration of fish both from the underwater vision that is included in the boat and when jumping into the water. This seems a very bad practice to us since part of the responsible tourism movement is not to interfere in the natural processes of the animals to avoid any modification of their behaviors. We asked them to stop and they did not.

By the wat, Isla de Lobos contains more than 20 dive sites for diving lovers. Learn more in the  “Where to dive in Fuerteventura” section.

After half an hour of snorkeling with great visibility in turquoise waters (the water is a bit cold, our lycra shirts helped) they offered us a drink on board in the sun while we dried ourselves (we chose beer) and at 14:00 they left us in the pier of Isla de Lobos to enjoy the island, giving us a ticket for the return (you can choose between 4 or 5 pm).

Summary of the afternoon tour to Lobos Island:

Duration: from 1:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. (the boat leaves the port at 1:00 p.m., snorkeling at 1:30 p.m., they leave you in Isla de Lobos at 2:00 p.m. and you can return on the boats of 4:00 p.m. or 5:00 p.m.)

Included: transport by boat, snorkel equipment (goggles and tube, life jacket, and a mat tied to the back of the boat so you can hold on if you want) and a drink (for example a beer)

Price: € 23 at Civitatis

Book the tour to Isla de Lobos here

El Cotillo and its beaches

El Cotillo is a surfing town with a summer smell that invites you to slow down. Although it has fewer accommodation options and fewer restaurants than Corralejo, we find it much more interesting as a place to stay: more authentic and less touristy. Of course, as you can see from the map, El Cotillo is not so close to most of the points of interest in the north of the island, but it takes less than half an hour to drive to Corralejo.

Near El Cotillo there are also beautiful and wild beaches well known among surfers, so if you are a lover of this water sport, head south to the town to Playa del Castillo, Playa del Aljibe and Playa del Águila. If you prefer a relaxed swim, we highlight La Concha Beach (one of the most beautiful on the island), ideal for a family swim with the little ones thanks to its quiet natural pools.

El Cotillo from La Concha beach

La Concha beach forms authentic natural calmite pools where you can take a dip

Tostón lighthouse

They say it is one of the best spots on the island to watch the sunset. For us, the sunset plan at the Faro del Tostón was “a toston” (boring, in spanish) since the clouds took over that afternoon and we couldn’t enjoy the farewell of the sun at the sea, so we keep that plan on the list for our next visit to Fuerteventura.

It is located 5 km from the town of Cotillo, in Punta Ballena and forms, together with the Martiño lighthouse on the Isla de Lobos and the Pechiguera lighthouse, in Lanzarote, a triangle to mark the passage of ships through the Bocaina Strait, that separates the islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.

If you are a fan of sunsets like us, know that there is another very nice place to see it in the north of the island: La Huesilla. Here you will enjoy a wilder sunset between cliffs and with the immense ocean in front of you.

The Tostón Lighthouse, a nice place to watch the sunset

La Oliva and the Villaverde windmills

“En un lugar de La Mancha…” Or was it from Fuerteventura? You can not leave the island without approaching one of the giants who live from the wind and whose silhouettes will accompany you on the arid roads that you will go through with the car.

Chris trying to imitate the windmill. We rate him with 6 in technique, but with a 10 in effort, right?

You will pass by many of them but those of Villaverde, a town next to La Oliva, are ones of the most photogenic we have found.

Apart from the windmills, park your car and lose yourself in La Oliva to enjoy the calm that comes from a town in the interior.

A windmill in Fuerteventura

Volcanoes: Tindaya Mountain and Calderón Hondo

If you like hiking and volcanoes, you have two places that deserve to be included in your list in the north of Fuerteventura.

The Sacred Mountain of Tindaya: located near La Oliva, it is said that the ancient aborigines of the island considered it sacred and with magical properties, as evidenced by the engravings that have been found on it (podomorphs). There is a path to cross the Tindaya mountain, although it has been closed for several years due to a new project to recondition the area and to be able to visit the engravings in an orderly manner. The project itself was controversial, changing many times and that currently (2020), after a change of government in 2019, seems that its main objective is to protect the mountain (hopefully so!). We will update this post in the future, when visiting the mountain is again possible ( on page 2 of this PDF you can see more info about the route). At the moment, you can go to the town of Tindaya to see the mountain from there.

The imposing sacred mountain of Tindaya

By the way, if you stop by in Tindaya, there is a local cheese shop (we love queso Majorero!) that you can visit to buy one to take back home. Here you can see the location of the store, which is called «Quesos Tindaya»

The Tindaya Cheese factory and store: a must f you are a cheese-person like us

Calderón Hondo: also in the north of Fuerteventura, we can find several aligned volcanoes (from Lajares towards Corralejo), that when they appeared increased the surface of the island and also gave rise to Isla de Lobos. One of these volcanoes is Calderón Hondo, which is one of the best preserved and has a crater that you can visit. Access is easy and with incredible views, with marked routes (you can go for example from Lajares, parking here). More info about the route on page 4 of this PDF. Remember to wear suitable footwear.

Barranco de los Enamorados (or Barranco de los Encantandos)

This place, which can be accessed thanks to a 6km hiking route, has incredible sand formations, due to the erosion of the rains and the wind. These formations are said to have appeared about 135,000 years ago, with the drop of the sea level. It is a unique landscape and we recommend you to visit it. You can access the trail from several places, here you can see the route on Wikiloc.

More wild beaches in the north of Fuerteventura: Tebeto, Playa de la Mujer and Jarugo

If, like us, you love wild beaches, with cliffs and rough seas, the northwest of Fuerteventura has several to surprise you. When we arrived at these beaches (like others in the center that we will tell you later) we feel like we were at our beloved Alentejo beaches in Portugal.

Tebeto Beach (or a beach on the Portuguese Alentejo coast if it weren’t for the dark color of the sand)

Following the road that takes you to Tindaya, you can reach 3 spectacular beaches with these characteristics and where you probably won’t come across many people. Of course, try to choose a day with little wind, since when we went there were strong winds and although the views amazed us, it was not very comfortable on the beach.

Chris at Jarugo beach

We visited 3 beaches: Playa de Tebeto, Playa de La Mujer and Playa de Jarugo. The path to reach them is not paved and is quite rocky, so you have to drive very slowly and patiently, but you can get there without problems with a normal car. When you rent a car, check with the company what is included and what is not, since both to get here and to Cofete can be problematic if something happens to you. Read more about renting a car in Fuerteventura here

Road to reach the wild beaches in the north of Fuerteventura

Puerto del Rosario

The current capital of Fuerteventura, although it is not an essential of the island (as you are seeing, Fuerteventura has many places to discover) has some points to visit, such as the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Rosario (a church) and Casa-Museo de Unamuno (a typical Canarian old house that reviews his literary journey). We did not go to either of them and we hardly visited the capital; we were on the island on March 8 and there was a demonstration for Women’s Day, which we joined.

The urban beach of Puerto del Rosario (Playa Chica) has a blue flag and, although it is not our favorite kind of beach (we prefer wild beaches), it’s a good option if you want a beach with many services nearby and calm waters.

Urban art in Puerto del Rosario

Center of Fuerteventura: Ajuy, Betancuria, Puertito de los Molinos, Caleta de Fuste and beaches

Ajuy and Ajuy Caves

Ajuy was one of the coastal towns that we liked the most in Fuerteventura, with its black sand beach and the Sunset Coffee viewing everything from above, Ajuy also hides an important tourist point: its caves.

We loved the small town of Ajuy

Here are the oldest fossil dunes on the island as they were formed 70 million years ago. The path starts on one side of the beach, runs parallel to the coast and it is highly recommended to walk along the cliffs tens of meters above the sea and enjoy its magnificence (we recommend wearing a sweatshirt since on this side of the island the wind blows hard and fresh).

When you go down to the Caves, Fuerteventura’s natural monument, you will find yourself almost in the dark between basalt walls of more than 40 meters high and feeling very small.

If you can stay until sunset, it’s worth it. Go up to the Sunset Cafe, order a special “Sunset” coffee from Pedro, the friendly waiter, and enjoy the show. If you arrive on the weekend you will have to enjoy the sunset without coffee since Pedro only opens during the week (as curiously several places in Fuerteventura by the way).

Betancuria

The most beautiful town we visited in Fuerteventura was the first settlement on the island and its old capital. It was also one of the only places on the island where we could see some green other than cactus and it is one of the most flowery corners of the entire island.

If this island invites you to slow down, forget your mobile and lose yourself on its roads, Betancuria is a small oasis within that calm. Full of small, well-kept cobblestone alleys, it is clear that it is a tourist town that has managed to preserve its authenticity and charm.

In addition, Betancuria hides one of the most recommended restaurants on the island: Casa de Santamaría.

If you keep driving down the road towards Pájara, besides several viewpoints (as the one we talk about in the next section, Mirador de las Peñitas), you will pass through Vega de Riopalmas, where you can make a stop to take a picture of the beatiful Ermita (church) and maybe eat in the restaurant next to it, Don Antonio.

Arco de las Peñitas and Mirador (viewpoint) de Las Peñitas

This incredible rock formation near Betancuria will delight photography lovers. It is made up of the oldest materials in the Canary archipelago, formed in the depth of the ocean 120 million years ago…

The difficulty leve is medium, ir our opinion: not because of the physical effort per se, as it’s not in a really high altitude nor a very long path (you can get there in 40 minutes). But the path is not marked, you have to follow your intuition and in the final part you have to climb some rocks, as the path dissapears and you have to get up to the rocks. When you arrive, you will see this marvelous formation, that some local people refer to as the “elephant’s head”. We recommend you to try to reach it near the sunset, as the light gets through the holes giving a strong orange color.

¿How to get to Arco de las Peñitas? It’s easier than it seems. There are two ways for getting there (one from Vega de Río Palmas and another one from Buen Paso). We explain here how to get there using the easy one (from Buen Paso):

• You have to drive towards Ajuy, take a turn when you see a sign saying “Buen Paso” and drive until the road ends (the last part is a non-paved road). If you don’t want to get lost, here is the exact point you have to reach, which you can put in your GPS or Google Maps and follow the indications (it’s also included in the map you can check in the beginning of this post)
• When you reach the point, park your car and walk towards your left, passing through a palm plantation. A part of it has fences, so you have to try to guess how to get through it.
• Once you get out of the palm plantation, you will see a marked path (you can see two lines, white and green, in some of the rocks)
• You will see a rock up in the mountain, which is where Arco de las Peñitas hides. You have to continue on the marked path towards that rock. You will get to a point where the marked path turns right; in that point, you need to leave the marked path and keep going up towards the rock. From here there is no marked path, so there is not a specific path you should follow, just go towards the rock, being careful. Enjoy the views and the landscape!
• You can reach Arco de las Peñitas both going around the big rock to the left or to the right. Going left is more direct but more difficult (you have to climb some rocks), we know because we went there and it was a bit dangerous. Going right is easier, takes a bit more time but you don’t have to climb any rocks.
• If you choose to go right, you will start seeing the Arco de las Peñitas before you reach it (on the left you won’t), which can be an extra motivation for those last meters.
• Once you reach Arco de las Peñitas, relax and enjoy this wonder of nature. We recommend you try to get there for sunset, as the sunset light makes the place even more magical
• To go down, be careful as it can be slippery in some areas. You have to undo the path you took to go up.

Here is a map with the instructions to get to Arco de las Peñitas, so it’s easier for you to reach it (the point that is marked as “Park your car here” is the one linked before, which you can open on Google Maps / your GPS). You can download the map in higher resolution here.

Remember to take enough water with you (at least 1L per person), comfortable clothes and shoes, solar protection and, depending on the hour, a cap or something to protect your head from the sun. Also remember to be respectful with nature and other people: don’t leave any garbage, don’t make excessive nor unnecessary noises and try to minimize your footprint when visiting this amazing place

Near this work of art of nature, also in the Rural Park of Betancuria, you can visit the Barranco de las Peñitas where you can go to the viewpoint of Las Peñitas to contemplate its incredible views and the small and beautiful church of Nuestra Señora de Regla de Pájara.

Puertito de los Molinos

A small port with a small rocky beach and two restaurants, where the sea invites you to take a dip and where the fish from the bar coexist with… the ducks! Yes, in Puertito de los Molinos, there are ducks!

Puertito de los Molinos at sunset

We loved this corner of Fuerteventura, away from tourism and noise. Here you can hear the sea as the ​​soundtrack and the conversation of some curious travelers who came to try the lapas (limpets) (our friend Joana says that they are delicious).

To get there, the good news is that the road is paved, rare in many parts of this guide. We recommend that you stay until sunset, which you can contemplate either from the restaurant or from the rocks.

Playa del Valle and «Aguas Verdes» natural pools

Between ravines you will find the small Playa del Valle, with strong waves and rounded stones. Since swimming on this beach is dangerous, it is advisable to go to the natural pools, known as «Aguas Verdes», which can be reached on foot from the beach itself.

Caleta de Fuste and its natural puddle

Although Caleta de Fuste is a town that, in our opinion, doesn’t have much interest compared to other towns in Fuerteventura, it’s an excellent base where to stay because of its strategic ubication, as you will close enough to the places in the north and in the south of the island.

Besides, it was here where we finally found our “refuge” for the confinement during the Covid-19 pandemy, thanks to the variety of accommodation it offers.

Our privileged refuge during confinement, one of the appartments from Holidays in the Clouds (you can check them all here).

It’s the place where most british tourist choose to stay. This is visible in the advertising of hotels, car rentals, accommodations, restaurants, activities, tours and even doctors, as everything is written in english.

The color of the water in Playa de Castillo (Castillo beach) and its neighbour Playa de la Guirra caught our attention and that is why we mention it. It is worth avoiding the tourist hustle of Caleta Fuste and take a dip on this beach.

La Guirra Beach in the same town has nothing to envy to Castillo beach either, and it’s usually visited by local families during the weekends.

Nearby, there is an incredible puddle that can only be enjoyed at low tide, but which is worth going to.

The beautiful and wild beaches of the center of the island

Playa de la Solapa (La Solapa beach), Playa de Garcey (Garcey beach) and Playa de Vigocho (Vigocho beach) reminded us of our favourite area in Portugal: the Alentejo coast. There are three spectacular wild beaches where you can enjoy a day without internet (there is no signal here) and pure nature.

The Garcey beach is the most famous of these three (and still little frequented) because of the sinking of an ocean liner that happened here in 1994. The boat stranded on the beach attracted some visitors although today you can only see a small part of the ship.

What remains of the boat that shipwrecked in 1994

The Garcey and Vigocho beaches are next to each other, and we found contradictory information about which one is Garcey and which one is Vigocho, so we do not know how to confirm. In any case, we recommend that you visit both.

Like the wild beaches that we recommend in the north, to get here you have to go drive on unpaved roads and drive slowly and very calmly, but you can get there perfectly, and patience has its reward since you won’t find much people.

South of Fuerteventura (Jandía Peninsula): Cofete, Morro Jable, Gran Tarajal, Costa Calma and beaches

Playa de Cofete (Cofete Beach)

In the heart of the Jandía Natural Park, there is no doubt that Cofete is a must-see on the island.

Getting to Cofete beach is not easy, from Morro Jable there are 19 km of unpaved road so you have to be very careful (the last kms we were driving slower than 20 km/h with the car we rented) but it’s totally worth it because you’ll see some of the most beautiful landscapes we saw on the island. If you do not dare to do it with your rental car since insurance does not usually cover if there is any damage on off paved roads, you can hire this tour in 4X4.

Before starting to drive down, from the viewpoint of Degollada Agua Oveja, the incredible panoramic view is an aperitif of what you are about meet: more than 12 km of wild beach where you can enjoy a good nap or read alone. If you prefer, you can get to Roque del Moro or go in the opposite direction to the end of the beach, and return. 

Views of the Degollada Agua Oveja viewpoint

When you are enjoying the impressive Cofete beach sheltered by the Jandía peninsula, with the highest mountains of Fuerteventura, you will want to take a dip but it is not recommended due to the currents that are quite strong, so be very careful.

On the other hand, this impressive beach hides a legend… When you are walking along the 12 km of beach you will see, in the background, a white building that stands out in the middle of the dark mountains: it is the “casa de los Winter”. We did not go there but you can get closer (following the signs before reaching the beach)

The Winter’s house between the Jandía massif

Legend has it that this house (with samples of shrapnel and bullets on its exterior) was built by the Nazis to supply German submarines during World War II, and also hosted secret meetings of that regime during the war. It is also said that it served as a refuge for some of the officers after they lost the war and, to make it more interesting, that Adolf Hitler himself came to stay here before embarking on his trip to South America after escaping from Berlin. If you like conspiracy theories, this is what we can tell you.

This legend of a dark past that circulates through the town of Cofete contrasts with the imposing beauty of the site, so although amazed by the doubt of such a construction on such an isolated site, we prefer to keep in our minds the beauty of the environment.

Sotavento beach

The quintessential kitesurf beach with fine golden sand and turquoise waters. We saw it first from the mirador del Salmo and immediately we wanted to go down to those waters.

If the colorful bench of the Salmo viewpoint is not the bank with the best views of Fuerteventura, we do not know which one would…

There are almost 10 km of beach that has a particularity that makes it especially attractive to start kitesurfing: a natural lake that forms between the shore and the sand bar that rises between 100 and 400 meters away.

Sotavento beach

Playa del Mal Nombre (Mal Nombre beach)

The beach that we hesitate to include in this list because we want, selfishly, to keep it as a little secret. It is our favorite beach on the island, the one we visited the most and the one we have in mind as the first plan for the end of the confinement.

It is an incredible beach, sheltered from the wind with calm, transparent, turquoise-colored waters. It is also a nudist beach.

It has a beach bar where you can drink a beer and eat some “papas arrugás” that we do not know if it is for being in a privileged enclave or what but whose prices are very expensive for the island (a big beer 5€, sandwich 7€). Still, it compensates with the views

La Pared and the sunset

A beach that we loved to watch the sunset at is Playa de la Pared, int the west of the island. It is easily reached by paved road, and from the restaurant that you will find there, on the cliff (Restaurante Bahía La Pared) you will have an incredible view with the sea and the sun in the background. You can also go down to the beach or get closer to the sides of the cliffs.

If you allow us a suggestion, we recommend that you arrive 30 or 60 minutes before sunset to get some of the best tables, and that you order a barraquito (a typical Canarian coffee made with condensed milk, Licor 43, coffee, milk, cinnamon and lemon peel (delicious!) to see the sunset. It costs 3€ but it is very good and the views are worth it.

Near La Pared, there is another very beautiful beach although with strong waves (ideal for surfers), the Playa del Viejo Rey.

Costa Calma beach

If Caleta de Fuste is the the main spot for British tourists, Costa Calma is the one for Germans. As we mentioned in the first, the hotel and tourist flood around here made us want to leave as soon as possible (despite the beach we found), as we prefer local places. In addition, here we also saw the promotion of more animal abuse with camels in the Oasis Park. Please, do not be complicit in this type of tourism.

However, the more than 2 km of the white sand beach with the occasional palm tree make us include it in this guide. In addition, restaurants and beach bars abound on this beach if that is what you are looking for. Here you also find a variety of accommodation, of all kinds.

A little further down you also have the beautiful Playa Esmeralda:

Gran Tarajal Beach

It is the beach that we saw through the window of our first apartment when the coronavirus pandemic started and, perhaps for that reason, we have a special affection for it. Gran Tarajal is a local town with a huge beach of dark-almost-black sand and it is a good base to explore the south of the island as it offers a variety of accommodation. On the boardwalk there are some restaurants and ice cream shops and in the streets behind you find supermarkets, kiosks, bookstores and pharmacies. Also, with the beach in the heart of Gran Tarajal, you can take a dip even before breakfast.

Morro Jable

Another town to stay in the south but that we found more touristy than Gran Tarajal is Morro Jable. Along with this important fishing village located on the southern slope of the Jandía Peninsula, it is where you can stay as close as possible to the Cofete beach in case you want to enjoy one of the most incredible beaches on the island (but also with worse access). Its beach, Playa del Matorral, has nothing to do with the imposing Cofete but it has a paradisiacal water color, reminiscent of that of Sotovento.

Wild beaches and lighthouses in the south of the Jandía peninsula

On the unpaved road that goes from Morro Jable to Cofete, you will come to a point where the road forks in two: to the right, you will go to Cofete, and to the left, to several beautiful and wild beaches and a couple of lighthouses. If you have time, we recommend that you take a day to explore them, calmly.

We include them all on the map, but some of the most beautiful are Playa de los Ojos, Playa de Melany, Playa de Punta Salinas or Playa Juan Gomez.

There are also two lighthouses: Punta Jandía Lighthouse and Punta Pesebre Lighthouse, the latter an ideal place to watch the sunset although taking into account that the unpaved road must then be undone by car, at night.

The best hiking trails in Fuerteventura

Although initially we didn’t consider hiking on the island, because it is quite arid, hot and with no shades, Carlos in the comments (thank you!) recommended us to visit the island on foot, for example with the route from Costa Calma to Cofete entering in Playa Larga and going up to Pico de Zarza, where you can enjoy spectacular views, probably alone or with very few people.

You also have the routes that we recommend to visit the Calderón Hondo and, when they reopen, the one of Tindaya (the sacred mountain), both in the north of Fuerteventura. In this PDF you have some more routes , and on Wikiloc you have a multitude of routes to inspire you.

Where to dive in Fuerteventura

Most of the dive sites are located in the north of Fuerteventura, but there are some impressive    spots in the south, where, depending on the season, you can even find some great pelagic. Here we highlight the main ones:

• Near Corralejo, the Bajón del Río is a quintessential Canarian immersion point for its incredible rock formations that you will only see on an island like these, of volcanic origin. At 18 meters deep you can see the impressive rocks where a multitude of species like groupers, horse mackerel and bream take refuge.
• The Isla de Lobos protected nature reserve offers many immersion sites. With great visibility in crystal clear waters, it is one of the best-known diving areas of the Canary Islands.
• El Jablito, in the northeast of the island, is an ideal dive point for beginners: a calm dive between sargos and “viejas”, protected from currents and a maximum of 15 meters deep.
• In the south of the island is you will find one of the best dive sites of the island, known as the Veril Grande, right in front of the lighthouse of Jandia. You will be able to see, at a depth of 20 meters between bream and moray eel, the upper part of the 40-meter vertical wall. Also here, with luck and in season, you can get to see devil blankets or the whale shark itself!

Choose a reliable diving center (your equipemt is your best friend underwater: if you rent it, check that it is in perfect condition), a dive point according to your abilities and always hire a diving insurance. Inês has the AxaSub and she is very satisfied with it. If you usually dive only during your holidays once or several times a year, the ExtraSub is also another option.

Isla de Lobos from Corralejo

Where to stay in Fuerteventura: best areas

If you come to the island more than a long weekend and you have several days we would recommend that you divide your stay between the north and the south to avoid doing too many kms in the car. For example, between Corralejo and Cofete there are 140 km, more than 2 and a half hours by car due to the unpaved section of the road (and another 2h30 to return).

So if you can, to make the most of your time and not spend kilometers in vain, it is best to make a booking in the north for a few days and another in the south for the rest. How many days in the north and how many in the south? That really depends on your interests and the number of days you have. For example for a week we believe that 4 nights in the north and 3 in the south is ideal. You can see our itinerary suggestions to get an idea

We also include accommodation for different types of budgets 30-50€, 50-90€, more than 90€

North: where to stay in Corralejo and El Cotillo

In the north of the island we recommend two options, both on the coast: the old town in Corralejo (a more tourist area where you will find lots of options for dinner at night and several shops) or the town of El Cotillo, with a more surfer atmosphere and fewer options where to dine but where peace wins over the hustle.

Some recommendations for Corralejo:

• Myfaproject, apartment with kitchen from 47€ / night
• Corralejo Surfing Colors, apartment with kitchen from 52€ / night
• Tao Caleta Playa, apartment with kitchen from 80€ / night
• Hotel Boutique Tao Vista Mar, double room or apartment with sea views, from 100€ / night
• Avanti Lifestyle Hotel, adults only, double room with sea views and breakfast included 160€ / night

Tao Caleta Playa. Photo Booking

Some recommendations in El Cotillo:

• Flor del Cotillo Apartments, with kitchen from 47€ / night
• Cotillo Ocean View, apartment with terrace, kitchen and sea views from 70€ / night
• Oliastur1 Sunset Beach Cotillo, apartment with 3 bedrooms and a sun terrace, near to restaurants and a short walk to the superb beaches from 81€/night
• Cotillo Ocean Sunset, aparthotel in front of the sea, in the calmer area of El Cotillo, walking distance to the small town. Very close to Azurro restaurant and La Concha beach.
• Apartment 3 Cotillo View, modern, with kitchen, terrace, sea views and 100m from the beach from 96€ / night
• La Concha Azul: apartment with kitchen, terrace, sea views and 500m from the beach from 120€ / night.

Apartment 3 Cotillo View. Photo Booking

Center: where to stay in Caleta de Fuste and Ajuy

In general, we believe that it is better to stay directly in the north or in the south, but depending on your plans and interests, it may be more convenient for you to stay in the center of the island (for example if you come for a weekend and want to go one day to the north and another to the south).

If so, we recommend you stay in Caleta de Fuste (there are many offers so you will find something according to your budget for sure). Some recommendations in Caleta de Fuste:

• Eco, apartment with kitchen from 35€ / night
• Cloud Volcano, we cannot fail to recommend this incredible apartment with two terraces and sea views, very well decorated, modern and with new furniture, since it was where we spent our confinement during Covid-19 (thanks to Dailos, the owner, who provided us with everything and made us a very good price). You can book it from 70€ / night
• Eurostars Las Salinas, a 4-star hotel a few meters from the beach, with suites from 110€ / night
• Hotel Ereza Mar, 4-star hotel with sea views, from 110€ / night

Cloud Volcano. Our refuge during confinement. Photo Booking

Although it is remote, a place where we would like to have stayed for a few relaxing days is Ajuy, with its incredible sunsets. There is not a lot of offer, but you can stay in this apartment with kitchen from 45€ / night or this one with kitchen, terrace and sea views from 65€ / night.

Tortuga House in Ajuy: an apartment with kitchen, terrace and sea views. Photo Booking

South: where to stay in Gran Tarajal, Morro Jable and Costa Calma

The south is a great base to visit some of the incredible beaches in the area (such as our favorite, Mal Nombre) as well as to get to Cofete. There are several towns / areas of accommodation:

Gran Tarajal, more local:

• Be & Ba Chinijo, small apartment with private bathroom without kitchen, from 40€ / night. We stayed there 2 nights.
• Sky Lovers Fuerteventura, apartment with kitchen, terrace and sea views from 75€ / night

SkyLovers apartment in Gran Tarajal. Photo Booking

Morro Jable, as close to Cofete as possible:

• The Real Casa Atlantica, studio apartment with kitchen, mini-terrace and sea views from 48€ / night
• Jandía balcony, apartment with kitchen, terrace and sea views from 60€ / night
• Chada apartments, with kitchen, terrace and sea views from 75€ / night
• Hotel La Colina, rooms with sea or pool views, from 90€ / night

Chada Apartment, in Morro de Jable. Photo Booking

Costa Calma, touristy area where there are mostly tourists from Germany.

• Costa Calma bungalow, with kitchen and terrace, 700m from the beach, from 47€ / night
• Jardin de Costa Calma, apartment with kitchen, terrace and sea views from 70€ / night
• Kn Hotel Matas Blancas (adults only), double rooms from 70€ / night
• R2 Maryvent Beach, apartments with terrace, kitchen, sea views and 100m from the beach from 100€ / night

R2 Maryvent Beach, in Costa Calma. Photo Booking

Where to eat in Fuerteventura

The main elements of the Fuerteventura cuisine are the goat, its Queso Majorero (“Majorero cheese”), papas con mojo (“potatoes with mojo sauce”) and fish and seafood. Here we leave you a selection of the best restaurants on the island, both local and international, divided by areas.

North: where to eat in Corralejo, El Cotillo and surroundings

In Corralejo

Corralejo is a huge tourist spot and has a great offer of restaurants, although many of them are intended for foreign tourists and they did not catch our attention (especially those on Avenida Nuestra Señora del Carmen and surroundings). We recommend instead going to the restaurants on Calle de la Iglesia, which have a mix of more local and foreign atmosphere.

• Los Abuelos Bakery: Local bakery with many vegetarian and vegan options. We loved the veggie sliced ​​sandwiches to take to the beach. Also great argentinian empanadas and a carrot cake that we have tasted twice. Ideal place to buy and take away to the beach since the site has only a small table.
• El Rincon Restobar Argentino: good service and good food (delicious caprese milanesa)
• L’angolo Italiano Restaurant: A good Italian with a good price (pizzas are delicious, cooked in wood oven, for € 7-9).

Los Abuelos Bakery, in Corralejo. Highly recommended soy milanesas and argentinian empanadas

Corralejo beach area:

• La Sirena Snack Bar: beach bar with sandwiches to eat there or to take away, at a reasonable price (€ 4-5 each)

In El Cotillo

• Bar Torino: beach bar (in Concha beach) with fish and snacks (papas con mojo, sandwiches, queso herreño, etc.). Ideal to watch the sunset (closes at 19:30). We ordered some papas con mojo, queso majorero, a salad with tomatoes and 3 beers for € 19.
• La Marisma: In El Cotillo, highly recommended local fish restaurant. The “parrillada de pescado” (frilled fish and seafood) costs 18€ (enough for 2 people). We ordered it with a grilled cheese platter as a starter (with blueberry jam) but it came in a great quantity (it costs 12€). Everything was delicious, excellent service and overlooking the sea. It has a more “fine dining” vibe, not such a “Cotillo” surfer local vibe.
• La Vaca Azul: another highly recommended local restaurant in El Cotillo, with views from its terrace and good fish and seafood. Nice restaurant with a “cool” and local vibe.
• La Morocha: Argentinian bbq and tapas
• Azurro Chill Out: restaurant in front of the sea, not right in the center of the El Cotillo, close to Concha beach. Nice italian food and seafood. Amazing place for events.

In Villaverde eveyrone highly recommends El Horno, a local restaurant with traditional gastronomy (specialty in meats, wood oven, goat meat, potatoes, cheese), although in the end we were unable to go.

Center

In the center of the island there are several very good and highly recommended restaurants:

• Casa de Santa Maria in Betancuria, recommended in the Michelin guide. It only opens at noon and closes on Sundays.
• Don Antonio near Betancuria: a beatiful restaurant with local food from Fuerteventura.
• Sunset Café in Ajuy. A nice plan for that special time of day, watching the sun go into the sea with a special beer or coffee that they make here. It also includes an art gallery and a collection of photos where you can contemplate the best sunsets that have been seen from there (in some photos you can even see Gran Canaria and the Teide volcano in Tenerife!). Only opens on weekdays
• Casa Luis (bar tiscamanita) in Tiscamanita: a family restaurant with the best papas con mojo on the island and meats (homemade chips look incredibly good). Closed on Sundays.
• Bar Artesano in Antigua: restaurant full of local people, very good food and at a good price. Garlic prawns, half a portion of fish with green mojo, half a portion of mixed salad, a beer and a coke for € 21.
• Casa Pon / El Puertito in Puertito de Los Molinos: recommended by our friend Joana to eat Lapas. We enjoyed the sunset with beers. The road to get to El Puertito is paved so it is easy to get there.
• Casa Isaitas in Pájara, another highly recommended local restaurant, our friend Joana told us it is great.

South of the island

• Cofradía de Pescadores de Gran Tarajal: local restaurant with fresh fish (catch of the day) at a good price and of excellent quality. We ordered some garlic prawns, a grilled fish for 2, bread with mojo, a dessert, water and a bottle of white wine, 40€ in total.
• Tierra Dorada, beach bar in Playa del Mal Nombre: very expensive restaurant for what it is, but justifiable due to the privileged place in which it is located (beer mugs at 5€, snacks at 7€)
• Bahía la pared restaurant: incredible view of the sunset, affordable food prices. Incredible “barraquitos”.
• La Falua Restaurant in La Lajita: highly recommended local restaurant with fresh fish. Between 15€ and 25€ per person.
• Marabú Restaurant in Esquinzo: local restaurant with fresh fish.
• Cofete Pepe El Faro Restaurant, in Cofete: when you go to Cofete you can eat there. We preferred to bring some sandwiches.

Travel itineraries for Fuerteventura

As you have seen if you have read the entire guide, Fuerteventura has many incredible places to visit (it is the 2nd largest island in the Canary Islands), so to see everything you need at least a week.

As not everyone have so much time to enjoy the island, we leave you with several itinerary suggestions for 3, 5 and 7 days.

If all you want is relaxation and enjoying the beach, regardless of the days you have, it is best to choose a beach according to your travel style and see the closest accommodation options to minimize travel.

If, on the other hand, you want a mix of beaches and seeing things, read on.

Beaches of Corralejo with Isla de Lobos in the background

Things to do in Fuerteventura in 2-3 days (one weekend)

A weekend is very little time for Fuerteventura, so if this is your case we recommend that you choose: either stay in a single area or assume that you are going to spend some time on the road and meet several areas more lightly (in which case, we recommend you get up early!)

Some options:

Option 1 – North:

• Day 1: Arrival, pick up car and heading to your accommodation in Corralejo or El Cotillo. If it is still daylight, take the opportunity to visit one of the beaches near both towns. Dine in the village.
• Day 2: Visit to the beaches of Corralejo and dunes in the morning, Isla de Lobos in the afternoon. Sunset in El Cotillo (for example in the Tostón Lighthouse). Dining in El Cotillo (for example in La Marisma)
• Day 3: Visit to the beaches of El Cotillo and surroundings (if you dare with the car you can go to Tebeto / Jarugo), route inside to visit the Molinos de Villaverde and return to the airport.

Jumping in the Dunas de Corralejo Natural Park

Option 2 – South:

• Day 1: Arrival, pick up car and head to your accommodation in Morro Jable, Gran Tarajal or Costa Calma. If it is still daylight, take the opportunity to visit one of the beaches near the town where you stay, and watch the sunset in La Pared or Ajuy
• Day 2: In the morning, route to Cofete and beaches in the area, where you can spend the whole day. You can also spend only the morning in Cofete and in the afternoon go to beaches on the paved road (Sotavento, Playa del Mal Nombre, etc.). Sunset in La Pared or Ajuy and dinner in Gran Tarajal (Cofradía de Pescadores)
• Day 3: If you dedicated the entire day 2 to Cofete, you can go on day 3 to the paved area beaches (Sotavento, Mal nombre, etc.). If you have already gone, you can go inside to see Betancuria, eat at Casa Santa María and go to the Las Peñitas viewpoint and the Arco de las Peñitas and back to the airport.

More than 12 km of wild beach in El Cofete

Option 3: North and South

• Day 1: Arrival, pick up car and head to your accommodation in Morro Jable, Gran Tarajal or Costa Calma. If it is still daylight, take the opportunity to visit one of the beaches near the town where you stay, and watch the sunset in La Pared or Ajuy.
• Day 2: Get up early to take advantage of Cofete, in the morning or all day. If Cofete is made in the morning, take the opportunity to visit other beaches in the afternoon. Sunset at La Pared or Ajuy and dine at Gran Tarajal.
• Day 3: Get up early to head north and take advantage of the time, see Corralejo and Dunas beaches in the morning and Isla de Lobos in the afternoon. After return to the airport

Admiring the immensity of the Atlantic Ocean, in Ajuy

Things to do in Fuerteventura in 4-5 days

With 4-5 days, we recommend more or less the same as in the previous section but with some more places and more time to enjoy the beaches.

For example (2 nights in the south, 2 nights in the north):

• Day 1: Arrival, pick up car and head to your accommodation in Morro Jable, Gran Tarajal or Costa Calma. If it is still daylight, take the opportunity to visit one of the beaches near the town where you stay, and watch the sunset in La Pared or Ajuy
• Day 2: In the morning, route to Cofete and beaches in the area, where you can spend the whole day. You can also spend only the morning in Cofete and in the afternoon go to beaches on the paved road (Sotavento, Playa del Mal Nombre, etc.). Sunset in La Pared or Ajuy and dinner in Gran Tarajal (Cofradía de pescadores)
• Day 3: If you dedicated the entire day 2 to Cofete, you can go on day 3 to the paved area beaches (Sotavento, Mal nombre, etc.). If you already went, you can visit Betancuria, eat at Casa Santa María and go to the Las Peñitas viewpoint and the Arco de las Peñitas. Continue north to enjoy the beaches of El Cotillo in the afternoon, watch the sunset and dine, and sleep in El Cotillo or Corralejo
• Day 4: visit to the beaches of Corralejo and the dunes in the morning, Isla de Lobos in the afternoon. Sunset in El Cotillo (for example in the Tostón Lighthouse). Dine in El Cotillo or Corralejo
• Day 5: Visit to the beaches of El Cotillo and surroundings (if you dare with the car you can go to Tebeto / Jarugo), route inside to visit the Molinos de Villaverde and return to the airport.

Sunset on the beach of La Pared

Things to do in Fuerteventura in a week (7 days)

In a week you can take things more slowly (or do it at a good pace to visit many more places).

Example of a 7-day itinerary:

• Day 1: Arrival, pick up the car and head to your accommodation in Morro Jable, Gran Tarajal or Costa Calma. If it is still daylight, take the opportunity to visit one of the beaches near the town where you stay, and watch the sunset in La Pared or Ajuy
• Day 2: In the morning, drive to Cofete and beaches in the area, where you can spend the whole day. If you dare to return with the car on the unpaved road at night, you can see the sunset at the Punta Pesebre Lighthouse, if not sunset at La Pared or Ajuy and have dinner at Gran Tarajal (in Cofradía de Pescadores)
• Day 3: In the morning, paved area beaches (Sotavento, Mal nombre, etc.) and Sotavento viewpoint. Then to Betancuria, eat at Casa Santa María and visit the Las Peñitas viewpoint and the Arco de las Peñitas. Continue north to see the sunset in El Cotillo. Sleep in El Cotillo or Corralejo
• Day 4: visit the beaches of Corralejo and the dunes in the morning, Isla de Lobos in the afternoon. Sunset in El Cotillo (for example in the Tostón Lighthouse). Have dinner in El Cotillo or Corralejo
• Day 5: Visit the beaches of El Cotillo and surroundings, driving down to Tebeto / Jarugo. Sunset in La Huesilla and dinner in Corralejo / El Cotillo
• Day 6: Inland route, hiking in Calderón Hondo in the morning, visiting La Antigua and Molinos de Villaverde, to go to the beach in the afternoon.
• Day 7: Day of relaxation and beaches, you can visit those that you have not been able to visit in the previous days or repeat the ones you liked. Then back to the airport.

Arriving at the “Mal Nombre” beach

Transportation: rent a car in Fuerteventura

As in all the Canary Islands, in Fuerteventura we consider it essential to rent a car to be able to fully enjoy the island, use your time wisely, and be able to visit some emblematic places (which cannot be reached by public transport).

«Our» smart in the Cofete

Car rental companies in Fuerteventura

We usually rent with Sixt, because they tend to be the ones with the best quality / price ratio (unlimited kilometers, less “traps” around gasoline levels and so on). We already know their conditions after having rented so many times with them so we know what we abide by.

Mountains in Fuerteventura, one of the landscapes that you will see from the car

In the Canary Islands, however, the best option for prices and conditions are local rental companies such as Cicar or Pluscar. After comparing prices in both as well as in Sixt and other known companies, we decided to rent with Pluscar, with whom we already had good experiences from other trips.

«Our» smart in front of the Mal Nombre beach

Car rental prices in Fuerteventura

Car rental prices vary greatly depending on the season, the company, the anticipation and the type of vehicle. We paid 12€ per day with Pluscar for the cheapest vehicle, for 7 days (if you rent fewer days the price per day is usually higher).

That price includes unlimited kilometers, full insurance, two drivers, and you have to return the car with the same fuel you had when you were given the car.

Important: you have to check with the company what situations the insurance does not include. In our case, with Pluscar, damages caused on unpaved roads are not included (several of the best beaches such as Cofete, Tebeto or Garcey require dricing on unpaved roads). It is possible that some companies have the option to pay an extra insurance that will also cover that, although Pluscar for example does not give that option.

The first car we had in PlusCar was a Twingo

Our experience with Pluscar

Unlike the previous two occasions when we rented with Pluscar (in Tenerife and El Hierro), this time we had a couple of problems, although in the end they were solved at no cost for us:

1. The first car they gave us (a Twingo that we loved because the roof could be partially opened) gave us a low pressure warning on one of the tyres within 10 minutes of leaving the airport. We managed to reach our destination (Corralejo) but the wheel got worse and it turned out that we had a flat tyre (apparently, it was already like this when we picked up the car). Although at first they told us that it should be nothing and that we should stop at a gas station to check it and put some air (which we did), when we told them it was worse they brought us another Twingo to our accommodation in Corralejo at no additional cost.
2. 5 days later, arriving to Gran Tarajal, the second Twingo gave us the same warning of tyre pressure. This time it seemed that there was no puncture, but we called just in case and they brought us another car (a Smart) which is the one we used the rest of the days.

The PlusCar Smart in the Cofete

The rental for 7 days costed us 85€.

To collect the car with Pluscar, you need to go the parking lot, stand B536. To return it is the same, you can leave the vehicle there.

As we were in Fuerteventura when the start of alarm due to Covid-19 in Spain, we decided to stay there for the confinement; we initially decided to extend the car rental for another 2 weeks (at the same price per day), in case we needed the car. Then we saw that we were not going to use it, so we called to see if it was possible to return it earlier and receive a refund and although the refund was not possible, they did give us a voucher for the days we had left, to use for a year with them in any of the islands.

In short, despite the fact that we had some problems with the car (which can happen with any company), Pluscar acted quite quickly and at no cost to us, so we cannot stop recommending them.

If you do not want to rent a car and want to get around by public transport, you can check the different bus lines and their schedules on their official website. 

Budget estimation: how much does it cost to travel to Fuerteventura?

As always, giving a generic budget is very difficult since it highly depends on your travel style. What we can do is giving you some estimated prices so you can calculate your budget with them:

• Flights: With low cost companies like Ryanair and Easyjet you can find flights for € 60 round trip, from Madrid.
• Car rental: between 8 and 30 € a day the cheapest car, which is usually a Twingo (depending on the company and the number of days), all inclusive. We paid 12€ a day for a week with Pluscar. Gasoline is cheaper in the Canary Islands, and it will depend on the kilometers you make; as a guideline, a deposit of a cheap car is about  30-40€.
• Accommodation: from € 50 / night for a room with private bathroom or an apartment with kitchen, in a central location.
• Meals in restaurant: between € 10 and € 20 per person
• “Beach” meals (sandwiches) or tapas at a beach bar: between € 3 and € 10 per person
• Tours:  € 20-30 per person each tour.

In total, as a guide, a one-week trip to Fuerteventura with a rented car can cost between € 450 and € 600 per person (with the cheapest car, accommodation and restaurant options).

Safety tips and precautions for traveling to Fuerteventura

• If you see any animals (squirrels in Fuerteventura are an invasive species; or turtles and fish that are attracted with bread in the snorkel tour to Isla de Lobos): do not touch it, do not harm it, do not scare them nor feed them. Respect the fauna and flora of the place. By feeding these animals we are interfering with their natural processes and contributing to the alteration of their behavior. Don’t do it.

• On the island they offer the option of taking camel rides (in the Dunas de Corralejo national park for example). We recommend you and ask you NOT to do it, as it is one more example of animal abuse. Don’t participate in animal abuse!
• Respect other people and the island: don’t put loud music on the beach (if you want to listen to music, use headphones), don’t leave trash, don’t throw cigarette butts, etc. Leave the beach better than you found it.
• In some major beaches, bathing is dangerous due to strong currents. Don’t try the be brave.
• Always travel with travel insurance: medical expenses, thefts or problems with your plane on a trip can cost lots of money, so ideally you should hire a travel insurance. We always use IATI and recommend it. If you hire your insurance through this link you get a 5% discount.

Checklist: what to bring in the backpack / suitcase for Fuerteventura

Here is a list of essentials that you can not forget to take on your trip to Fuerteventura:

• Sun Protection reef friendly (one that does not contain chemicals that harm the corals, without oxybenzone, and that has not been tested on animals, like this or this)
• A cap or a hat, the sun is very strong
• Sunglasses
• A reusable bottle of water like any of these to always carry water with you since you will be on isolated beaches many times and in most places there is no where to buy. Remember, in the Canary Islands you cannot drink tap water, so ideally you should buy big bottles of water in the supermarket  (the biggest ones are the 8 liters ones) to minimize the use of plastic.
• As wind is a characteristic of Fuerteventura, we recommend that you always carry with you a neck warmer/buff like any of these to protect you from the wind and sand.
• Long-sleeved lycra top with UV protection that we use to protect ourselves from cold water or the sun when snorkeling, like any of these.
• Snorkeling if you want to bring your own, if not you can rent. Here’s a kit for less than € 20
• Waterproof bag, to keep your electronic devices safe on the tour to Isla de Lobos or on the beaches. This for example costs € 12
• Microfiber towel, which takes up little and you will use for the beach. If you do not have you can buy the typical Decathlon or you are on Amazon
• Camera to remember those great adventures. We carry a Sony A5100 and a GoPro for underwater images
• Power bank: with so much pictures you will use a lot of battery, so it always comes in handy to carry a good power bank. We travel with these 2 ( Xiaomi and Anker ), which allow us to charge both smartphones and the camera and the GoPro.
• First-aid kit: in ours there is no lack of anti-dizziness drugs (such as biodramin for dizziness in boats), antibiotics, antidiarrheals (and some probiotics to recover more quickly), antihistamines, analgesics and antipyretic drugs

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For us this island will always have a special place in our memories since we came for visiting it during a week and have been here for almost three months. We were exploring Fuerteventura when the pandemic and consequent health crisis caused by the Covid-19 virus (aka Coronavirus) broke out in March, so we rented a house with a terrace for the duration of the alarm state and we have the sea and the mountains as neighbors during these strange days of confinement. It is, for this reason, a special island for us. It is a refuge for us (not a cage, as it could have been in other circumstances), it treats us very well and, in the end, when we can finally leave the house again, we will say goodbye to it until we have our departure flight to our family and friends.

Do you want to visit Fuerteventura? Then, what are you waiting for? Have a nice and safe trip!