Fuerteventura is the second largest Canary Island after Tenerife. It was conquered in 1405 by the Spanish. The name has a number of different meanings, Forte/Fuerte means 'strong', and ventura can mean - Adventure/Luck/Happiness/ Wind - you decide! The island is relatively low lying and desert like, and is home to
more sandy beaches than any of the other islands. There are more than 150 beaches in the north and south of the island, spread over 340 kilometres of coastline. The east coast is more cliff based with many small, beautiful hidden coves.
It is a small island - only 1660km², compared to Ireland's 70,000km² and the UK's 245,000km², so its very easy to explore. It measures 210 kms from one end to the other. The island lies 100kms from Morocco in Africa.
Fuerteventura has a number of different towns. The capital is Puerto del Rosario, on the East coast and is home to the airport. Corralejo is the main surf town 35kms north. El Cotilo on the North West coast is a small little village with a beautiful beach. Inland you will find the island's oldest and most picturesque town Betancuria. The southern part of the island is popular with windsurfers - Costa Calma and Morro Jable.
Corralejo
Our accommodation is in Corralejo, the perfect base for a surfing holiday. One of the main attractions of the town is its gold sandy beaches and turquoise waters. Just on the outskirts of town are the fantastic Dunes; they are part of the Corralejo Nature Reserve and create a stunning Sahara like setting that run down to the Ocean.
Lanzarote is only 20 minutes away by Ferry, and the Volcanic island of Lobos (a natural reserve) is closer. Both add to the spectacular views that can be seen from Corralejo from the beach front area from the harbour wall to Waikiki beach. And unlike other Canary Islands there are no towering apartment complexes ruining the landscape.
Corralejo has the greatest selection of restaurants and bars in Fuerteventura. Surfers have made there mark with many laid back surf bars - some of our favourites include the Citrus Café and Boardriders Bar, great places to browse the net, watch a surf movie, have a drink and eat some delicious food. Another favourite is a Cuban music bar Cantante in the old part of town. There are many open air restaurants so make sure you wander around. Late at night the nightclubs come alive and stay open until the early hours - every night is party night with the exception of Sunday...
You have some great shopping options also - the towns main road is a great place with most shops open until 10 or 11 at night. You'll find a host of big brands have a presence here including Hurley, Rip Curl, Quiksilver and Benetton
Activities
Fuerteventura is an outdoor adventure paradise. If you want to take a day off from surfing then there are plenty of other options: windsurfing, scuba diving, kiteboarding, fishing, snorkeling, golf, theme parks, cycling and so on - just ask us for details...
For more information check out our blog post for
Exploring Fuerteventura and
Night life and
What to pack.