What are the best things to do in Fuerteventura?
1. La Oliva is the island’s second largest town. Call in to the 17th Century Casa de los Coroneles, one of the oldest major buildings on the island. The impressive structure was once home to the Military Govenor for centuries. Swing by on a Friday morning to browse the wares of the local handicrafts market. Check out La Oliva Cilla, a grain museum that showcases the island’s agricultural heritage.
2. Corralejo Beach, on the rugged fringes of northern Fuerteventura, is a haven for water sports enthusiasts and hikers alike, backed by over seven miles of sand dunes, lapped by clear, turquoise waters. Rock out on Music Square which hosts free live music all week and then check out Bar Restaurante Iberic Ham Factory to sample some authentic Iberico ham.
3. Take a day trip to Lobos Island, a tiny, unspoilt island named after the sea lions that used to frequent the coastline. Lobos is an easy ferry ride from Corralejo and is home to a designated natural park and a rich seabed that’s now an underwater reserve. A series of well-defined trails take you past highlights such as the Punta Martino lighthouse and the volcano’s caldera. There are several beaches and coves worth discovering, including the horseshoe shaped, rocky white sand beach of La Concha and El Puertito, a stunning cove with crystal-clear waters ideal for snorkelling.
4. In the interior lie peaceful villages like Betancuria, the island’s oldest settlement founded in the 15th Century by Norman conquerors which is surrounded by a mountainous natural park. Check out the abandoned old convent of San Buenaventura, the iconic Church of Santa Maria de Betancuria and the green Canarian pine tree-clad oasis that is El Pinar Park. Make time also to visit Ermita de las Penitas, a remote hermitage built into the side of a cliff.
5. Pozo Negro is a tiny, off-the-beaten-track fishing village that’s well worth visiting for its fresh seafood and fish restaurant Los Pescadores. The village amounts to little more than a sprinkling of fishermen’s huts and a sprawling black volcanic shingle beach, but it’s a wonderfully secluded spot worth seeking out. Check out the Poblado de la Atalayita, a significant archaeological site believed to have been home to the indigenous Mahos people, with its semi-reconstructed houses and tombs and other artefacts.
Where are the best places to visit in Fuerteventura?
Corralejo Old Town’s whitewashed houses feel closer to North Africa than Spain and there’s plenty of charm in this atypical beach resort. Watch the fishermen haul in their catch of the day besides the tourist boats and soak up the surfy vibe before exploring seven miles of sand dunes.
Caleta de Fuste (also known as El Castillo) is a popular tourist resort with wide beaches and plentiful water sports, including sailing, diving and windsurfing. Boasting a central location with easy access to the airport and strong bus connections, it’s a prime base from which to explore the island. Caleta de Fuste offers two 18-hole golf courses, three beaches and a marina area, with an 18th Century fortified tower, known as El Castillo. There’s plenty of history to soak up nearby too, including the mighty 18th century defensive tower Torre de San Buenaventura with its six-metre-thick walls, the Hornos de la Guirra Lime Kilns and the Salinas del Carmen saltpans and its attached Museo de la Sal Salt Museum.
Costa Calma is a purpose-built resort town in the Jandia Peninsula with plenty of beaches blessed with clear waters and golden-white sands. The beaches here may be calm, but they're also windy, making them a handy location for the PWA World Wind-Surfing Championships which are held each July at Playa de Sotavento. This beach is ideal to learn windsurfing or kitesurfing due to the safe and shallow lagoon. There’s a pleasant pedestrian walkway set back from the sea that’s lined with pine and palm trees.
Morro Jable, in the southern Jandia Peninsula, has grown from a simple fishing village to become one of the most popular resorts in Fuerteventura. There are few skyrise developments here but rather an old town that’s retained its original character and a stunning, two-mile stretch of sugar-white powdery sand overshadowed by a pretty promenade. For a day out, venture to the Jandia Natural Park to sample some of the island’s wildest, most rugged natural scenery or scale the island’s highest mountain at 807 metres, Pico de Zarza.