What to see in Fuerteventura: dunes, Lobos, Cofete and the best beaches

Fuerteventura is the beach island, but if all you see is a sunbed you'll miss half of it. In 100 kilometres from north to south it packs a desert of white dunes, a protected volcanic islet, bare mountains with palm groves, the first capital of the Canaries and a wild beach more than ten kilometres long. Plus one star that never shows up in photos: the wind. This guide helps you organise the island by area without spending the whole trip in the car.

Book the essentials

How many days and how to split them

With five or six days you can see the whole island without rushing: two in the north (Corralejo, Lobos, El Cotillo and Calderón Hondo), one in the centre (Betancuria, Vega de Río Palmas and Ajuy) and two or three in Jandía (Sotavento, Morro Jable and Cofete). With three or four, pick one half: Corralejo to Morro Jable is more than an hour and a half by car, and a same-day return is tiring. With a week, split your accommodation between north and south.

The north: dunes, Lobos and El Cotillo

The Corralejo Dunes are a natural park of more than 2,600 hectares of white sand that runs down to the sea at the Grandes Playas. The sand is marine in origin (crushed shells), not from the Sahara. The FV-1 road crosses the park: park in the marked lay-bys and walk into the dunes at sunset.

From Corralejo harbour, a 15-20-minute boat ride takes you to Lobos Island: La Concha beach, the Martiño lighthouse and La Caldera mountain. Going ashore requires a free authorisation from the island council with limited places per time slot; we explain it step by step in our guide to getting to Lobos Island.

Further west, Calderón Hondo, near Lajares, is climbed on a marked circular trail of about 4.7 km (1.5 hours) to a crater 70 metres deep. El Cotillo rounds off the north with the El Tostón tower, the lighthouse and the white-sand coves with calm water north of the village, which form lagoons at low tide.

The centre: Betancuria and Ajuy

Betancuria, founded in the early 15th century, was the island's first capital: the church of Santa María, whitewashed houses and a valley ringed by mountains. Drive up to the Morro Velosa viewpoint for views over the massif and head down through Vega de Río Palmas and the Las Peñitas ravine. On the west coast, the Ajuy caves, a Natural Monument, hold the oldest rocks in the Canaries, ocean-floor sediments more than 100 million years old; a short path leads to them from Ajuy's black-sand beach.

The south: Sotavento, Morro Jable and Cofete

The Jandía peninsula has the longest beaches. Sotavento, between Costa Calma and Risco del Paso, forms a turquoise tidal lagoon and is the island's great windsurfing and kitesurfing spot. Morro Jable has Playa del Matorral, the lighthouse and the harbour where the dolphin boats leave from.

On the other side of the massif lies Cofete: more than ten kilometres of untouched sand below Pico de la Zarza (807 m), with Villa Winter on the hillside. It's reached by a dirt track of about 20 km from Morro Jable, and swimming is dangerous because of the currents. Everything about the track, the 111 bus and the villa is in our guide on how to get to Cofete.

The best beaches for what you want

• Calm water and families: Caleta de Fuste, the El Cotillo coves, La Concha on Lobos and Playa del Matorral.
• Endless sand: Corralejo's Grandes Playas, Sotavento and Cofete (the last for walking, not swimming).
• Kitesurfing and windsurfing: Sotavento and the Corralejo area, with plenty of schools.
• Surfing: the north coast between Corralejo, Lajares and El Cotillo, with beginner schools in the villages.
• Wild: Cofete and the west coast (Ajuy, Garcey): look, but don't swim when there's a swell.

Practical tips

• Car: practically essential. Corralejo to Morro Jable is more than an hour and a half on the FV-1 and FV-2. If you plan to drive to Cofete, check your contract: many rentals don't cover damage on dirt tracks.
• Buses: Tiadhe links Puerto del Rosario with Corralejo, Caleta de Fuste and Morro Jable; there are very few services to the interior and Cofete. Timetables at tiadhe.com.
• Fuel: fill up before heading into Jandía and onto the Cofete track, where there's nothing.
• Wind: it blows almost every day, more strongly in summer. The east-coast beaches and southern Jandía are more sheltered than the west coast.
• Sun: few clouds and lots of glare off the white sand. High-factor sunscreen, a hat and water, in winter too.
• Lanzarote: from Corralejo, the ferry to Playa Blanca takes about 25-35 minutes: an easy day trip.

Where to stay

• Corralejo: the best all-rounder for the north, with atmosphere, restaurants, the boat to Lobos and the ferry to Lanzarote.
• El Cotillo: small and quiet, for surfers and sunset lovers.
• Caleta de Fuste: a calm bay close to the airport, easy for families and short stays.
• Costa Calma: next to Sotavento; ideal for kitesurfing and windsurfing, with near-guaranteed wind.
• Morro Jable and Jandía: long beaches and the base for Cofete and the southern boat trips.

What to eat

Majorero goat's cheese (with protected designation of origin), kid goat, wrinkled potatoes with mojo, fresh fish in Corralejo, El Cotillo or Morro Jable, gofio and honey rum. A good first taste is the Corralejo walking tour with tastings€18 · ★ 4.9.

What we DON'T recommend

1. Trying to see the whole island from one hotel. It's 100 km from north to south.
2. Going to Lobos without a permit. Request it as soon as booking opens; in high season it goes fast.
3. Swimming at Cofete or on the west coast in big surf. The currents are dangerous and there are no lifeguards.
4. Underestimating the sun when it's windy. The cool breeze is deceptive and you'll burn anyway.
5. Taking a hire car on dirt tracks without reading the contract.

In one sentence

Fuerteventura is sand, wind and volcanoes: with a car, five days and your Lobos permit sorted in time, the island offers far more than beaches.