Things to do in Fuerteventura
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Fuerteventura
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best overall, warmest sea, summer crowds gone, wind easing and prices dropping.
Best for intermediate and advanced surf, also angel shark diving and peak cycling season.
Best for kite and windsurf, peak in July when trade winds are most reliable.
Worst for beach lounging in the windiest spells, beaches can be sand blasted on strong days.
Worst value at Christmas and New Year and in February for Carnival and winter escape peak.
Cheapest and quietest, late April to June and November outside Kite Festival week.
What's on
- Corralejo Carnival 5-16 March
Eleven days of galas, drag gala, murgas and the Coso parade, the island biggest party.
- PWA Windsurf World Cup, Sotavento Usually mid to late July
Freestyle and Slalom X world tour stop at the Rene Egli centre, Playa de la Barca.
- Fuerteventura en Música, El Cotillo Usually early July
Free eco conscious world music festival on La Concha beach.
- International Kite Festival, Corralejo around the second weekend in November
Giant display kites over the Grandes Playas dunes, with family kite making on the Sunday.
- Fuerteventura Reggae Festival, Lajares November
Reggae festival in Lajares noted locally in November.
Worth the trip for
Best things to do in Fuerteventura
Corralejo Natural Park & Grandes Playas
Huge protected dunes roll into turquoise water south of Corralejo, empty once you walk from the car parks.
Playa de Cofete
A wild 12 km beach under the Jandia mountains, reached by dirt road and made for walking, not swimming.
Isla de Lobos
Protected islet with clear lagoons, a shell sand beach, a lighthouse trail and a short volcano climb.
El Cotillo
Fishing village with sheltered lagoons and calm clear water to the north and surf and cliffs to the south.
Playa de Sotavento
Vast tidal beach where low tide sandbars enclose a shallow lagoon you can wade far out into.
Betancuria
Former island capital in a mountain valley, with an old church, a small museum and the best inland drive.
Ajuy
Black sand fishing village where a cliff path leads to huge sea caves in very old rock.
Oasis Wildlife Fuerteventura
Large zoo and botanical garden in a barranco, with giraffe feeding and a huge cactus garden.
Where to stay in Fuerteventura
Corralejo
first trip, all-round base
Walkable old town, harbour, town beaches, dunes and ferries, the only base that works without a car.
El Cotillo
quiet, couples and surf-slow stays
Village not a resort, lagoons north and surf south, with the best sunset eating and no nightlife.
Caleta de Fuste
families, golf and short stays
Sheltered artificial bay for small children, two golf courses and ten minutes from the airport.
Morro Jable & Jandia
big beaches and doing very little
Old fishing town with promenade and local restaurants, plus a long hotel strip along superb sand.
Costa Calma
beach resort quiet and wind sports
Big hotels along the top of Sotavento beach, good hotels but almost no town outside the gates.
Las Playitas
active and training trips
Single sports resort built for triathlon and multi sport training camps.
Think twice about
- Costa Calma away from the beach hotels
Purpose built strip with no real centre, little to walk to at night and a soulless feel outside hotel gates.
- Esquinzo and Jandia strip far north-east of Morro Jable
Isolated all inclusive hotels along a highway, a taxi ride from any local life despite a superb beach.
- Montecastillo, upper Caleta de Fuste
Cheap aparthotels up a steep hill, a hot 20 minute uphill walk from the beach, fine only for golfers with a car.
- Puerto del Rosario as a beach base
Working port capital with gritty port edges and a modest city beach, a let down if booked expecting a resort.
Best restaurants in Fuerteventura
Casa Marcos
Island benchmark for creative Canarian cooking from local produce, served as shareable blackboard dishes.
El Horno
Locals celebration restaurant for wood oven roast goat, mixed grills and generous tapas.
La Vaca Azul
Harbour edge fish house for fish by weight, seafood paella and sunset views over the old harbour.
Casa Santa María
Restored house with courtyard in Betancuria serving Mediterranean Canarian food and famous apple strudel.
La Marisma
Plainer more local harbour neighbour to La Vaca Azul for fresh fish in El Cotillo.
La Marquesina
Old town fresh fish institution on Corralejo harbour, specialised in fresh fish.
La Taberna
Small busy tapas and paella local just behind the Corralejo waterfront on Calle Hernan Cortes.
Gilda
Pintxos bar in Corralejo old town, listed among the places locals actually eat.
Outdoor things to do in Fuerteventura
Surfing the North Shore & El Cotillo
Reef and beach breaks around El Cotillo and Majanicho, with schools that drive beginners to sheltered spots.
Flag Beach
Classic kite beach south of Corralejo, with boat supported lessons that follow you downwind.
René Egli Fuerteventura
Long running windsurf centre at Sotavento with a huge rental pool and tuition from beginner to advanced.
Abyss Fuerteventura
Small group diving over volcanic reefs in the Lobos strait, from try dives to advanced PADI courses.
Catamaran & Boat Days
Four hour catamarans with swimming from Corralejo, Caleta or Morro Jable deliver value even without dolphins.
4x4 & Buggy - Cofete and the North
Organised buggy and 4x4 tours reach Cofete and the northern volcanic hinterland without risking a hire car.
Pico de la Zarza
Steady half day climb to the island high point at 807 m, above Cofete on a clear low wind day.
Barranco de las Peñitas
Palm dotted ravine walk below Betancuria to a tiny chapel and dam, the island walk that feels green.
Best hotels in Fuerteventura
Secrets Bahía Real Resort & Spa
Flagship adults only luxury hotel on Grandes Playas facing Lobos, with a large spa and several restaurants.
Hotel Riu Palace Tres Islas
Classic resort set at the edge of the dune park, so you walk straight out onto Grandes Playas.
H10 Ocean Suites
Modern 4 star a short walk from old town and town beaches, a sensible base without a car.
Barceló Corralejo Sands
Modern 4 star in central Corralejo near old town, pools and town beaches, good for eating out.
Island Home Fuerteventura
Small design led guesthouse style stay in old town Corralejo, picked for location and character.
Corralejo Surfing Colors
Surf hostel style cheap stay in Corralejo, listed among the island best budget options.
Laif Hotel
Small sea facing hotel by La Concha in El Cotillo, suited to couples and surfers wanting quiet.
Sheraton Fuerteventura Beach, Golf & Spa Resort
Big well run 5 star beachfront resort with four pools and a serious spa, the central family luxury pick.
Is Fuerteventura expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €35 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €60 a person |
| Splurge | €130 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Isla de Lobos: a few days ahead
- Oasis Wildlife Fuerteventura: a few days ahead
- FuerteCharter: a few days ahead
- Abyss Fuerteventura: a few days ahead
- Catamaran & Boat Days: a few days ahead
- 4x4 & Buggy - Cofete and the North: a few days ahead
- Jandía Golf: a few days ahead
- Secrets Bahía Real Resort & Spa: weeks ahead
- LobosPass permit is free, capped, released only days ahead for 4 hour slots, get it before the ferry.
- Casa Marcos and La Vaca Azul need booking days ahead in season and are not walk in plans.
- Rental cars and World Cup and Carnival week stays fill early, prices can double at Christmas and in February.
Is Fuerteventura safe?
- No dangerous base area, crime is low and normal awareness is enough in the main towns.
- Theft from hire cars at remote beach car parks is the main risk, never leave valuables visible.
- Never swim at Cofete or Ajuy, west coast currents kill, and carry water on walks with no shade.
Fuerteventura travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Corralejo Strip and Caleta strip restaurants with touts and photo menus, the old town nearby is better.
- Fish priced by weight without asking, always ask the per kilo price and weight before cooking.
- Caleta Street Market sells mostly imported tat, go to artisan markets in Lajares or La Oliva instead.
- Popcorn Beach is a short photo stop, do not take the rhodolith popcorn home as removing it is prohibited.
Getting around Fuerteventura: public transport and more
- Hire a car, the best places are spread over 100 km with thin bus service between them.
- Buses are cheap for airport to resort runs but poor for exploring, taxis are metered and honest.
- Ferries run to Lanzarote in 25 to 35 minutes and to Lobos in 15 minutes, bring ID for all of them.
Who Fuerteventura suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Fuerteventura your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App Store