If you are planning a trip to Fuerteventura, the island with the best beaches in the Canary Islands, you can not fail to invest at least a morning or an afternoon visiting the neighboring islet: Isla de Lobos (Lobos island). In this post, we tell you everything you need to know to explore this paradise of turquoise waters that is just 15 minutes by boat from Fuerteventura: how to get to Isla de Lobos, what to see in Isla de Lobos, when to go, prices and schedules.
Contents
- Where is Isla de Lobos
- Authorization to visit Lobos Island
- How to get to Isla de Lobos from Corralejo (Fuerteventura)
- When to go to Isla de Lobos
- What to see and do on Lobos Island
- Our experience on the snorkeling tour to Lobos Island
- Where to eat on Lobos Island
- Is it possible to sleep on Lobos Island?
- Don’t forget to take…
Where is Isla de Lobos
Isla de Lobos is located just 15 minutes by boat from Corralejo (Fuerteventura). In fact, it is one of the most famous postcards of Fuerteventura: Lobos Island from the Great Beaches of Corralejo.
Authorization to visit Lobos Island
To visit the island of Lobos you need an authorization, a mechanism incorporated since 2019 to limit and control the influx of people to the island. The authorization is free and you have to apply for it in advance, or, in case you go on a tour, you don’t need to do anything as the tour company itself manages it for you. You have therefore two options:
- Get your own authorization on the official website and hire only the transportation.
- Hire a tour (for example, this one) that already has the authorization included.
In our opinion, it is easier to hire the tour that already manages the authorization automatically for you, since the price difference is low (16€ vs 17,50€).
If in any case, you prefer to hire only the transportation and obtain the authorization on your own, here is how to do it.
- Visit the official website
- You will only be able to obtain the permit up to 5 days before the desired day.
- Click on “Authorisations” on the left and down “Apply” in the bottom
- Select the desired date. A few seconds later, the available rounds and available seats will appear below (as there are two rounds, morning or afternoon), click on the one you would like to book.
- Enter your data and click on Apply
- Wait for the confirmation in your email
Once you have confirmation of the authorization, you can hire transportation to the island of Lobos.
How to get to Isla de Lobos from Corralejo (Fuerteventura)
To get to this idyllic little piece of land you have to book in advance as there is a maximum daily quota to go in the morning or afternoon. To find out if it is better to go in the morning or in the afternoon, we always recommend checking the weather and winds beforehand.
Also, if you want to go on your own, you will have to ask for the mandatory authorization to visit the island and you can’t ask for it more than 3 days in advance. The easiest way is to hire a tour online as they manage everything for you, as we did at Randomtrip. Whether you book the tour (which includes a snorkeling stop – with equipment – and a beer) or just the ferry, the authorization management is included in the price. You also have the option to go kayaking or take a catamaran excursion to explore the surroundings of the island of Lobos (with snacks, open bar, and kayaks included) or, finally, not to go by ferry but by water taxi, but beware! in this option, the authorization management is not included.
There are several ways to get to Lobos Island, hiring just the round trip by boat or taking the opportunity to make the trip a more complete adventure. Here is a list of all the options:
- Round trip by ferry from Corralejo – the most common option. Price: 17,50€/person round trip. Duration: On your own, from 1 hour to 4 hours (which is the maximum time allowed on the island). Authorization included
- If you prefer you can hire this tour from Caleta de Fuste or from Morro Jable with a minibus transfer included to the port of Corralejo (32 € with pick up in Caleta de Fuste and 44 € with pick up in Morro Jable). .
- Round trip by ferry with snorkel included (this was the one we hired). Price: 25,50€. Duration: On your own, from 2.5 hours to 4 hours. Authorization included
- Round trip in Water taxi. Price: 16€. Duration: On your own, from 2 hours to 4 hours. Authorization not included.
- Kayak trip from Corralejo to Lobos Island. Price: 60€. Duration: 5 to 6 hours. Authorization included.
- Catamaran trip from Corralejo to Lobos Island. Price: 65€. Duration: 4 hours. Authorization included.
When to go to Isla de Lobos
Isla de Lobos, like Fuerteventura, is an island with sunshine and stable temperatures all year round (between 15º at night and 25º during the day). In summer the minimum temperature is usually 19º at night and the maximum can reach 29º (being the hottest months July and August), the probability of rain is zero but the probability of haze is high. Winter is divided into two seasons: from November to January the temperature is around 20º (it can drop to 12º at night) and it rains an average of 7 days a month. From February onwards the temperature improves and is usually 22ºC (at night 14ºC) and it rains even less. In April and May during the day the temperatures are already around 25º and the Atlantic Ocean water starts to warm up (water around 19º, 20º) which makes them very pleasant months for a beach vacation.
The months with less wind, less haze, and better temperature are usually September and October, therefore, if the purpose of your trip to the island is to enjoy the beaches of Isla de Lobos, the best time is usually September. During your visit, we recommend checking the strength and direction of the winds (for example in Windy) as the strong winds can be very annoying and spoil your visit to some of the beaches.
Since there is a maximum daily quota to go to Lobos Island in the morning or afternoon, to know if it is better to go in the morning or in the afternoon, we recommend you check the weather and winds beforehand.
Book your roundtrip ferry to Lobos Island from Corralejo here
What to see and do on Lobos Island
It is worth spending half a day to visit the island where sea lions used to live (before they became extinct in the 20s of the last century, hence its name) and which is now home to just 4 inhabitants descended from Antoñito el farero. It is 4.5 square kilometers of peace and pure paradise. In this section we tell you everything you can see and do in Isla de Lobos:
La Concha Beach
The beach of La Concha is, in our opinion, one of the top beaches of Fuerteventura as it is completely sheltered from the wind with a calm turquoise sea that invites you to get in.
Puertito Beach
Puertito beach (and its little houses), is an authentic natural pool of warm waters and Philippine blue color. We can guarantee that the color of the water is just like this, just as you can see in the photos.
Caldera and Lighthouse of Martiño
La Caldera (127 m altitude) and the Faro de Martiño (about 5km from Puertito, about 3km from the pier). Enjoy an incredible panoramic view of Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, and the islet itself from the top of the caldera of the volcano of the islet of Lobos. You can walk to the caldera of the islet of Lobos and the Faro de Martiño in about 3 hours and a half with stops (about 12 km to go around the island by the circular path). The trail is simple and marked without too many slopes (except if you go up to the Caldera) but be careful! count on 15 minutes extra to not miss the last boat back.
If you prefer, you can book this hiking excursion to Lobos Island which includes transfer to the port, round trip ferry, authorization management on Lobos Island and even hiking poles!
Our experience on the snorkeling tour to Lobos Island
We booked this tour for 25,50€/person online a few days before because we wanted to enjoy snorkeling in the open sea (with the possibility of seeing manta rays and other fish of this ecosystem) and they told us that we had to be 20 minutes before at the company’s booth (in the port of Corralejo) to pick up the tickets and 5 minutes before to board. That was it. Before going to the port of Corralejo we stopped at the bakery Los Abuelos, we bought a delicious vegan milanesa sandwich and we left.
We left at 13h and the trip 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 pier of the island of Lobos to leave the people who go on their own and bought the option without snorkel (more advisable if you want to go around the island as you will have more time) and then, for those of us who have paid the snorkel option, the boat continues along the side of the island where the crew gives information about the origins of the island and other interesting facts.
And now the worst part: before jumping into the water we start to see the crew throwing pieces of bread to the fish so that tourists can see the concentration of fish both from the underwater view that includes the boat and when we jump into the water. This seems very reprehensible to us since part of responsible tourism is not to interfere in the natural processes of the animals to avoid modifying their behavior as much as possible. We asked them to stop and they did not and we ask you, whenever you see any of these tourist activities, not to be an accomplice. By the way, Isla de Lobos has more than 20 dive sites for diving lovers. We tell you more in the section “Where to dive in Fuerteventura“.
After half an hour of snorkeling with great visibility in turquoise waters (the water was cool, our shirts helped) we were offered a drink on board in the sun while we dried off (we chose a beer) and around 14h we were left at the dock to enjoy the island, giving us the physical return ticket (to return at 16h or 17h).
Summary of the afternoon tour to Lobos Island:
Duration: from 13:00 to 17:15 (at 13:00 you leave the port of Corralejo, at 13:30 you go snorkeling, at 14:00 you are dropped off at Isla de Lobos and can return on the 16:00 or 17:00 boat).
Included: transportation, snorkeling equipment (goggles and snorkel, life jacket, and a mat attached to the back of the boat for you to hold on to if you want), and a beverage (e.g. a beer).
Price: 23€ the tour with snorkel (at Civitatis) or 16,50€ only the ferry (at Civitatis), both with a managed authorization.
Where to eat on Lobos Island
There is only one restaurant, Antoñito el Farero‘s, open every day from 10:00 to 15:30, an excellent option to eat fish and seafood overlooking the sea.
Another option (the one we chose), is to take something to eat also overlooking the sea on the beach (for example in Playa de la Concha). In our case, we bought some delicious vegan sandwiches at Los Abuelos Bakery in Corralejo (note that it is closed on weekends). Remember to leave the beach clean and take all your trash and garbage with you.
Is it possible to sleep on Lobos Island?
Overnight stays are not allowed on the island of Lobos. Ideally, when you visit Lobos island you should be based in Corralejo, as the boat will leave from the port of Corralejo. You can stay in an apartment overlooking the islet of Lobos itself, in the Tao Caleta Playa, or indulge yourself in a villa with a private pool at Villas Veaco Bahia Azul. See more options in Corralejo here or in the“Where to stay in Corralejo” section of our Fuerteventura guide.
Don’t forget to take…
- Reef friendly sunscreen, i.e. free of coral damaging chemicals, oxybenzone free, and not tested on animals, such as this one or this one.
- Sunglasses
- A water bottle like one of these to carry water with you at all times. This way you will avoid using single-use plastic.
- A neck brace like one of these protects you from the wind when it hits hard and protects your neck and throat.
- Long sleeve lycra T-shirt with UV protection that we wear to protect us from cold water or the sun when snorkeling, such as one of these.
- Snorkel kit/glasses, here you have a kit for less than 20€. If you book the snorkel tour you don’t need to bring your goggles.
- Waterproof bag, to keep your electronic devices safe on the boat. This bag for example costs 12€.
- Microfiber towel, which occupies little, you can put inside the waterproof bag and use it for the beach. If you don’t have one, you can buy the typical ones from Decathlon or one of the following ones
- Camera to record adventures in Fuerteventura. We took a Sony A5100 and a GoPro for underwater images.
- Power bank: with so many photos you will spend 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 our smartphones, camera, and GoPro.
- First-aid kit: in our first-aid kit there is always medicine against seasickness (such as biodramine for seasickness on boats), antibiotics, antidiarrheals (and some probiotics to recover more quickly), antihistamines, painkillers and antipyretics and, of course, travel insurance. If you contract your insurance through this link you have a 5% discount.
Isla de Lobos is just one of the jewels that you can meet on your trip to Fuerteventura, know all the others in our complete guide to the island:
Happy dips, Randomtripper!
