Fuerteventura

Fuerteventura is a volcanic island in the Canary Islands (Spain) located off the northwest coast of Africa and is the archipelago’s second-largest island. It is known for long beaches, dunes, and consistent winds that shape much of its tourism.

Beaches dominate the coastline, from long sandy bays and shallow lagoons on the southern Jandía Peninsula to the extensive white dunes at Corralejo in the north. The island draws beachgoers, wind- and kitesurfers, and visitors seeking open coastal landscapes rather than dense urban centres.

Smaller inland towns such as Betancuria offer traditional architecture, local museums, and a quieter contrast to the busy resort areas. The island’s road network and ferry links from nearby islands make it straightforward to combine beach time with short cultural excursions.

Human settlement on Fuerteventura dates back many centuries with influences from Berber populations and later Spanish colonization in the 15th century. The island developed as an agricultural and fishing economy before growing into a tourism-oriented destination in the 20th century.

Part of the Macaronesian group in the Atlantic, Fuerteventura sits east of Lanzarote and south of the neighboring islands in the Canaries. Towns and resort areas are primarily along the coast, with more rugged volcanic interior landscapes away from the shoreline.

• Windsports: The island is the second-largest of the Canary Islands and is known for strong, steady winds that make it a major centre for windsurfing and kitesurfing.
• Corralejo Dunes: Corralejo Dunes Natural Park provides a large expanse of mobile sand dunes beside the sea and is one of the island's most-photographed landscapes.

What to See #

• Corralejo Dunes: Shoreline of long sandy beaches and exposed volcanic coastline, with extensive sand dunes in the north at the Corralejo Dunes Natural Park near the town of Corralejo.
• Jandía and Sotavento: Sandy stretches and shallow lagoons on the Jandía Peninsula in the south, including beaches that attract wind- and kite-sports enthusiasts.
• Betancuria: Historic inland town that was the island's former capital and contains traditional Canarian architecture and a small museum of local history.
• Corralejo: Port town on the northeastern coast serving ferries and connections, with nearby beaches and visitor services.