Best things to do in Fuerteventura!

Endless beaches, picturesque villages, rugged mountain slopes and many opportunities to exercise … Of course, the beautiful Canary Island Fuerteventura. With its beautiful beaches and landscapes it is probably the most popular island in the Canaries. I’ll show you the highlights of the island.

With more than 300 days of sunshine a year, it’s no wonder for me that Fuerteventura is one of the most popular travel destinations for Europeans! But if you are flying to the Canary Island for the first time, you may be a little irritated by the sight of the approximately 1,660 km² island – there is not a green island waiting here, but barren and bizarre landscapes! But, my friends, don’t let that put you off and say instead: Anyone who has fallen for the special charm of the second largest island in the Canary Islands will always be happy to come back

Fuerteventura tips – vacation with sun, beach & sport

On the one hand there are  idyllic villages and wonderful beaches inviting you to relax, and on the other hand there is a wide range of sports and leisure activities and sightseeing. A Canary Island holiday on the great island definitely promises variety, relaxation and, above all, no boredom! However, I have to admit that there are not as many sights to discover on Fuerteventura as on the neighboring island of Lanzarote, which is 10 km away, but that should by no means deter you from a trip, after all, every island has its own advantages and these are exactly what I’m going to present to you from Fuerteventura in front!

The most beautiful beaches on Fuerteventura

The jewel of Fuerteventura? I don’t have to think twice, because these are the beautiful sandy beaches of the island! Some of the beaches are truly heavenly and even exude a touch of the Caribbean. The most popular beaches include Playas de Sotavento, Playa de Esquinzo and Playa del Mattoral.

I’ll start right away with the first dream beach and a real paradise for surfers – Playa de Sotavento . With a length of more than 5 km, this white beach is located on the southeast coast of the Jandía peninsula and extends to the southwest. Divided into the sections Playa Risco del Paso and Playa Barca, the beach invites you to its wonderful turquoise sea. However, relaxing hours are not really possible there due to the constantly blowing wind, rather the heart of the surfer beats faster due to the waves and the wind! That is why the windsurfing and kiteboarding Fuerteventura World Cup takes place every year at Playa de Sotavento. Where onlookers can admire the colorful kites of kitesurfers or the fascinating movements of windsurfers.

Of course, sun worshipers are not neglected either, after all, Fuerteventura has a large number of fine sandy beaches to offer. A great and  popular beach , especially for families with children, is Playa de Esquinzo in the south of the island. There the fine, light sandy beach leads directly into the turquoise waters of the Atlantic. No matter whether holidaymakers just want to sizzle in the sun or romp in the water, there is something for everyone at this place. In addition, many walkers walk along this section, as you get to Playa del Matorral without any transition .

And just this beach in Jandía is ideal to spend a few relaxing hours on the Canary Island. Gold-colored sand, clear and shallow azure blue water and plenty of sun. But be careful, the waves there can be up to two meters high, so that at high tide this wonderful beach landscape can quickly turn into a water landscape! Those who want to flee from it can easily find refuge in one of the delicious restaurants, cafes and the nice souvenir shops on the promenade.

The Playas de Corralejo on the northern tip of the island are definitely one of the most beautiful beaches on Fuerteventura . Protected dunes and gently sloping sandy beaches form the foundation for this beach, which is divided into different sections. All of them impress with fine sand and are especially ideal for swimming, sunbathing and also for a nice day at the beach with children. By the way, from here you have a breathtaking view of the islands of Los Lobos and Lanzarote!

Fuerteventura is a THE PLACE for active vacationers

Some beaches on Fuerteventura turn out to be a real Eldorado for surfers and water sports enthusiasts ! Due to the good wind and weather conditions, there are simply optimal conditions for water sports such as windsurfing, kite surfing, sailing, water skiing and much more. As a rule, travelers will find schools on almost all beaches to gain initial experience. Give it a try! I can say from my own experience that sport on the water is totally fun, albeit demanding and strenuous, activity.

Jet skis can be rented in places like Jandía, Morro Jable or Corralejo to jet across the Atlantic Ocean, either alone or in pairs. Or how about a little sailing trip? All around the island there are impressive landscapes that can be viewed on a sailing excursion . But you can not only have fun on the water in Fuerteventura. The wonderful underwater world with shimmering fish, large rocks and reefs can also be explored on a dive in Fuerteventura. Various schools and diving centers ensure that everyone, from beginners to advanced, has the chance to experience this magical world live.

For those who prefer to do something on land, there are also numerous activities on the island. During my active holiday on Fuerteventura , I hiked through the incredible landscapes, put the most beautiful bike routes on the island through their paces and was able to improve my serve at tennis and my golf handicap. The great thing about Fuerteventura is that you will not only find hotels here that are suitable for a relaxed all-inclusive holiday, but also hotels such as the Playitas Resort that are perfectly suited to active vacationers and athletes. Regardless of whether you just like to be active or want to prepare for a competition, Fuerteventura has the ideal conditions. Supplemented by sports courses, personal trainers and modern fitness studios, not even the weather can thwart your plans.

5 reasons why Fuerteventura is perfect for active vacationers:

1. The weather:  300 sunny days a year speak for themselves. Fuerteventura scores all year round with pleasantly warm temperatures, which are perfect conditions for all kinds of sporting activities. It is not for nothing that Fuerteventura is also called the island of eternal spring.
2. The landscapes: Whether hiking, cycling or jogging, the landscapes of Fuerteventura are varied and offer the right challenge for every level of fitness.
3. The Hotels: Hardly any other holiday destination is as well prepared for active vacationers as Fuerteventura. Various sports hotels offer a varied program and modern sports facilities from pools and fitness centers to golf and tennis courts.
4. The sea:  The waves and the stiff breeze make Fuerteventura a Mecca for water sports enthusiasts. Exercise yourself with kite- or windsurfing, learn to surf or explore the diverse underwater world off the coast of the island!
5. The fellow travelers: Regardless of whether you are traveling to Fuerteventura as a single person or with a friend, you are guaranteed to quickly connect with other sports enthusiasts with whom you can train and achieve your goals together. Sport connects!

Sights on the island of Fuerteventura

Even if most holidaymakers take a trip to Fuerteventura to lie in the sun on one of the beautiful sandy beaches or to do sports, there are also a few attractions to discover on Fuerteventura . For those who are also interested in sightseeing, I have put together a small selection.

La Olivia

A jaunt to the sacred mountain of Monte Tindaya in the municipality of La Olivia is a great destination – where indigenous people once climbed to worship the sun and their gods at the top. In addition, the inhabitants of that time left impressive rock paintings in the form of footprints, which can still be admired by tourists today. It is believed that these apologies to the gods are supposed to represent protection from demons.

One of the six municipalities of Fuerteventura is La Oliva in the north of the island. The name is derived from the numerous olive trees that adorn the place. There are a few attractions in the municipality that make it worth visiting. You should definitely take a look at the former mansion Casa de los Coroneles in colonial style. The many windows and wooden balconies are characteristic of the property. Today you will find a cultural center with a museum and historical archive in the listed building. Another museum, the Agricultural Museum of La Oliva, can be found in the former granary Casa de la Cilla. 

Among other municipalieties there are; Puerto del Rosario, Antigua, Betancuria, Pájara and Tuineje. Both La Olivia and Puerto del Rosario form the association of Central-North municipalities of Fuerteventura under the name of Mancomunidad de Municipios del Centro-Norte de Fuerteventura and remaining 4 municipalities form the Central-South association with Mancomunidad de Municipios del Centro-Sur de Fuerteventura.

Anyone interested in art is in the cultural center in Casa Mané, a restored mansion, is in good hands. Various exhibitions with works by Canarian artists take place here. Be sure to take a walk through the large garden here, it is beautiful. In addition, the three-aisled church Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria  belongs to the image of the community like no other building.

Puerto del Rosario

Also worth seeing is the lively capital of Fuerteventura – Puerto del Rosario . A historic center awaits visitors there with cozy cafes, bars, restaurants and numerous shops. In this typical Canarian city there is a lot of activity and not only in the city center. On the one hand, the planes land in the capital with passengers ready for vacation and, on the other hand, cruise ships from all over the world roll into the port. If you generally want to explore the area around the island a little, you will find idyllic towns inland such as Tiscamanitas, Antigua or Betancuria . These places will definitely enchant you and give you an insight into the way of life of the island.

Among other things, jeep safaris are also offered, during which the landscapes around the dunes can be explored. With an experienced guide, the tourists race over bumpy slopes through gorges and dried up rivers during their safari. Is the idea of ​​this action already giving you a queasy stomach? Well, you can also visit the Oasis Park quite relaxed on solid ground. In this botanical garden in La Lajita, you can see more than 28,000 species of cactus and 2,300 species of plants, as well as rare and exotic animals.

Corralejo dunes

A paradise of the finest sand stretches along the coast in the northeast of the island. The Corralejo dunes are located in the Parque Natural de Corralejo nature reserve and should definitely be on your to-do list. On an area of ​​almost 2,700 hectares and a length of around eleven kilometers, there is sand as far as the eye can see. In doing so, they form the largest dune landscape in the Canaries. The dunes are shifting dunes. They are always moving and changing their appearance because of the constantly blowing wind.

Take a long walk through the dunes and with a little luck you can see the islands of Lanzarote and Los Lobos. Also go to the beautiful and spacious beaches with sand like from the Caribbean and crystal clear water. Treat yourself to a little cooling off on your Canary Islands vacation . But be careful: it is sometimes extremely windy here so that you cannot go into the water. The wind, in turn, provides the perfect conditions for windsurfers and kite surfers. In the El Jable dune area there are two hotel complexes that were built before it was placed under nature protection. The dunes owe their beauty to the construction stop that went hand in hand with the designation of the nature reserve.

Pico de la Zarza

Due to the volcanic origin of Fuerteventura, there are some peaks on the island that you want to conquer. The highest mountain in Fuerteventura is the Pico de la Zarza .

It is located in the Jandia Nature Park on the peninsula of the same name and is therefore also known as Pico de Jandia . From Jandia Playa you can take the PR FV 54 hiking trail through the Jandia Nature Park to the summit. On the way you will pass various plants that are only found in this region. The Pico de la Zarza measures a whopping 807 meters and is a must for hikers. Once at the top, there is a superlative view. Let your gaze wander over the Parque Natural de Jandia and have fun with this unique sight of Fuerteventura.

Salzmuseum

Fuerteventura has several museums, of which the Salt Museum is a very special one. Here you can immerse yourself in the history of Canarian salt. The Museo del Sal with its salt marshes is located in Antigua, on the east coast of Fuerteventura.

The visit to the museum is divided into two parts. On the one hand, you visit the interiors, which were only newly renovated in May 2018. Here begins the journey to 1910, when it all began. For a better understanding, you can watch a video in German. In the second part you go outside and take a walk through the salt flats. Both components of the visit to the Salt Museum on Fuerteventura bring you closer to the history of salt production, the salt mining methods, as well as the work on the salt marshes and the salt trade.

Jandia

If you haven’t booked a hotel in this popular holiday region of Fuerteventura, you should definitely make a detour to Jandia with the center of Morro Jabledo. The peninsula is located in the south of Fuerteventura and every year attracts sport-mad vacationers and sun worshipers. Jandia scores with the most beautiful beaches. They are miles long with the finest sand. Here you can lie on the lazy skin all day long or try out various water sports. Whether you are surfing in Jandia, taking a banana boat ride, renting a jet ski or just want to relax – everyone will find the perfect one among the many beautiful beaches. 

The beaches in the east of Jandia are very well developed, as hotels are directly connected to them and offer visitors everything they need for a day at the beach. If you go to the north and west of the peninsula, you will be impressed by the unspoilt beaches. Rough, wild and untamed – just the way surfers love it! In the north is also the Playa de Cofete, a beach beauty in the middle of nowhere. There is more information about the beach in Cofete under point eight.

Villa Winter

Many secrets and riddles that have not yet been solved – Villa Winter is a mystery. It is a property that was built in 1936 by the German engineer Gustav Winter. The legendary Villa Winter is located in a lonely landscape in Cofete on the west coast of the Jandia peninsula. You can only reach Cofete and the property from Morro Jable via a gravel road. Once you have arrived, you can let your imagination run wild. 

Is the mystical property a former base where submarines were loaded underground or was Villa Winter used to accommodate Nazis? There is speculation to this day. Perhaps you will find the solution to the riddle when you inspect the property. The villa consists of a building with two floors and a tower. There are also basement rooms, which are, however, locked and not accessible. Unfortunately, since the villa is not being maintained, it is increasingly deteriorating.

Fuerteventura’s lighthouses

Not to be forgotten are of course the lighthouses, which are an important part of Fuerteventura. Probably the most impressive of all lighthouses is located at the extreme southwestern tip and is called Faro de Jandía . Both an enchanting view and a remarkable natural spectacle occur at this lighthouse, because when the wind blows over the breaking waves of the Atlantic Ocean, arcs in iridescent rainbow colors arise over the wave crests. The best way to get there is by rental car over a long gravel road towards Punta de Jandia.

Another and at the same time the tallest lighthouse in Fuerteventura is the  Faro de Morro Jable  on Playa del Matorral in the tourist resort of Jandía. This shone the way for the skippers at a later point in the dark. And the lighthouse  Punta de la Entallada  near Gran Tarajal also grants a fantastic view of the turquoise Atlantic sea. However, depending on the weather and wind strength, travelers may be denied access for security reasons.

Experience the island of eternal spring up close

All the Canary Islands are known for their mild temperatures and the pleasant wind, which is exactly why they are so popular with many holidaymakers. Fuerteventura is no exception and attracts with  300 sunny days a year . But not only that: only in February and March there is occasional rain on this beautiful piece of earth. A dream when you think of Germany, isn’t it? In addition, the otherwise barren and gray landscape turns green during this time and even lichen flowers bloom for a short time. Winter is also impressive, because even then there are temperatures that rarely hike below 20 degrees and thus give Fuerteventura the nickname  island of eternal spring.

Those were my Fuerteventura tips that I hope you could convince. Who knows, maybe your next vacation will end here? If you should come across free-range goats every now and then on your trip, don’t be surprised, because the animal is the landmark of Fuerteventura and is everywhere on the island!