Fuerteventura travel guide - the best (secret) tips & sights

• Sights - Top 10
• Popular holiday resorts
• Most beautiful beaches
• Insider tips

The second largest Canary Island's greatest asset is its beaches. Fuerteventura boasts some of the most beautiful and cleanest beaches in the entire archipelago: Around 150 mostly fine sandy beaches line the 340 kilometres of coastline. With crystal-clear water and despite a barren but fascinating natural landscape, Fuerteventura is the holiday destination for sun worshippers, nature lovers and, above all, water sports enthusiasts. Fuerteventura not only has a special sound, but also a wonderfully calm pulse.

The capital and largest town on the island is Puerto del Rosario on the east coast. A third of the island's 120,000 permanent residents live in the wide bay with its beautiful slopes. After Lanzarote, Fuerteventura is the closest island to the African continent and owes this exposed location to its year-round subtropical climate with over 300 days of sunshine a year and constant temperatures. In addition, trade winds blow constantly from a north-easterly direction.

Fuerteventura often conjures up images of long, Caribbean beaches and huge dunes - the most famous of which can be found in the Parque Natural de las Dunas de Corralejo. Visually, the gigantic desert format stands out from the otherwise sparsely or not at all vegetated landscape. The dunes of Corralejo extend over several square kilometres and form a breathtaking backdrop along the north-east coast. They consist of fine, golden sand that has been moulded by the sea and the trade winds. The dunes are constantly in motion and change depending on the direction and strength of the wind.

The highest point on Fuerteventura is the Pico de la Zarza (also known as Pico de Jandía), which is 807 metres high. It is located in the south-west of the island on the Jandía peninsula. Despite its barren landscape, Fuerteventura is not lacking in natural beauty. On the contrary, the unique combination of rugged plains, sand dunes, rocky cliffs and turquoise-coloured water is what makes the island so special.

The island's main tourist centres are geographically well distributed. Morro Jable and Jandia in the far south form an attractive holiday complex with access to some of the most beautiful beaches on the island. Particularly popular with German holidaymakers: Costa Calma. The resort lives up to its name. It is quiet and relaxed. On the east coast, just a few kilometres from the airport, Caleta de Fuste has blossomed into the third largest holiday resort. The range of hotels and apartments is huge, there are golf courses and shopping centres and, above all, a great bay for swimming. In the far north, Corralejo boasts the dunes of "El Jable", views of the Isla de Lobos and the Grande Playas de Corralejo.

Fuerteventura is considered to be the oldest of the Canary Islands - the earliest rocks are dated to around 20 million years ago. In the millions of years that followed, there were several phases of volcanic activity, which led to the formation of new lava flows and the creation of the island's characteristic landscape. However, the current shape of Fuerteventura was largely moulded during the last ice age, when sea levels were lower and erosive wind and wave forces shaped the island's coastline and relief.

The indigenous people of Fuerteventura called themselves Majos and probably descended from North African Berber peoples who colonised the Canary Islands around 5,000 years ago. The first inhabitants divided the island into two tribal areas: The tribe of the region around Jandia separated itself from the Maxorata tribe. In the 15th century, during the period of European exploration and expansion, the Spanish arrived in the Canary Islands, including Fuerteventura. The valley of Betancuria became the starting point for colonisation and the island played an important role as a stopover for ships on their way to America. This historical background has left its mark on the island's cultural heritage.

Tourism on Fuerteventura took off in the 1960s. In 1965, Fuerteventura International Airport was opened, making it easier for international visitors to access the island. In the following years, various tourist infrastructures such as hotels, resorts and leisure facilities were developed to cope with the growing influx of tourists.

The boom in the following years not only replaced agriculture and fishing as the traditional source of income, but also changed the settlement policy. Whereas in earlier centuries the inhabitants had mainly lived inland away from the coast, tourism led to the development and construction of coastal areas. The first hotel ever, the "Casa Atlantica", was literally built in the sandy desert. There was nothing else on the Jandia peninsula, which is so popular with Germans today.

Good reasons for a holiday on Fuerteventura

Beaches

The best argument for a (family) holiday on Fuerteventura - without wanting to reduce the island to just that - are its beaches. The abundance and variety are almost unbelievable and island fans rightly say that the most beautiful beaches in the Canary Islands can be found on Fuerteventura. In fact, many good things come together: fine, white to golf-coloured sand, turquoise blue, bright Atlantic water, lots of sunshine and an enormous coastline. It's a good 100 kilometres from the northernmost to the southernmost point of the island - as if the island had stretched itself out and its beaches along with it.

Weather & sunshine

Bad weather is the absolute exception on Fuerteventura and temperature fluctuations are rare. Alongside Lanzarote, Fuerteventura is the closest island to the African continent and has a subtropical, very stable climate to thank for this exposed location. This means pleasantly warm temperatures all year round, even in winter the thermometer fluctuates between 18°C and 20°C, and between 24°C and 28°C in summer. In addition, there is usually a pleasant breeze from the trade winds blowing from the north-east or north-west.

Water sports

Fuerteventura is often referred to by name as the surfing Hawaii of Europe and water sports enthusiasts will know why. In fact, the island offers more than 35 spots where surfers can let off steam almost all year round. Some of the surfing beaches were or are the venue for surfing competitions. Thanks to the warm temperatures all year round, even beginners can enjoy the water from January to December and find their favourite sport on the right beaches with the right waves.