Fuerteventura Tourism Guide - Fuerteventura Beaches

Best Beaches Fuerteventura

Fuerteventura's beaches have been described as some of the best in the Atlantic. It's not an exaggeration, and there are plenty of them too, with blue flag status, covering about 125 miles of the coast. The main resorts, all good for family holidays, include Costa Calma just north of the Jandia region, Morro Jable to the south in Jandia and central main resort Caleta de Fuste. Costa Calma's beach is a real gem, perfect for both watersports, especially windsurfing and the resort offers an excellent choice of good quality accommodation and ample resort amenities. The blue flag beach here is cleaned daily and leads nicely into one of the best beaches on Fuerteventura - Sotavento with its white gleaming sands stretching for miles and offering perfect conditions for windsurfing. The Windsurf World Cup is held here on Sotavento during late July into August annually. (see weblink right for details).

Moving further south, Morro Jable is another of Fuerteventura's main resorts, and popular with German visitors although plenty of British holidaymakers come here too! The beach is also known as Playa del Matorral and offers a good choice of watersports and easy access to catamaran and boat trips from its adjacent harbour. (ferries come in here too from Las Palmas/Gran Canaria). To the left of the lighthouse on Morro Jable's beach, naturism is popular. Much more sheltered than Sotavento, this beach is perfect for families and for safe, sheltered swimming, although the resort is much more laid back than bustling Corralejo to the north. To the far south of Jandia 4 wheel drive is recommended (although many do the route in bog standard cars) to reach the stunning and untouched by tourism beaches of Cofete and Barlovento (must visit beaches if you're moving around Fuerteventura). Cofete's beach is about 5km of white sand and a popular naturist beach on Fuerteventura (it takes a bit of effort driving wise to get down to this beautiful beach). If you're a little troubled by the prospect of challenging driving hook into one of the jeep safaris on Fuerteventura which head down this way to the edge of Jandia.

To the north the beaches around Corralejo, rather than directly in the town, are the most beautiful. Again it's stunning white sands here, backed on by sand dunes which are part of the Corralejo Nature Park which is protected. The white sand dunes lining the road and beaches leading into Corralejo really do give this area an edge. Expect it to be windy on these beaches, and hidden dune sunbathing spots are popular with naturist beach lovers. Kite surfing is beginning to do a roaring trade at Playa del Burro and Playa Bajo Negro (blue flag). Within Corralejo itself the little cove beaches are nicely sheltered, and backed on by the promenade and a choice of beach bars, restaurants and cafes.

The manmade beach of Caleta De Fuste is perfectly adequate, sheltered and ideal for families. Caleta De Fuste is very much a family resort - and very well presented it is too with a choice of diving excursions, and some very nice swimming pools here (one is directly adjacent to the El Castillo fort on the coast). You've probably one of the poorest beaches on Fuerteventura here (by Fuerteventura's high standards!), but other family holiday amenities make up for it. To the north west of Fuerteventura is another beach hub around El Cotillo. You get the winds up here again, perfect for kite surfing, windsurfing and some surfing. The little white sandy beaches here are a delight. Pretty Ajuy to the west is a real Canarian coastal village hotspot framed by mountains and rocks, which to one side contain the famous Ajuy Guanche caves. It's black sand here, quiet and untouched by tourism - a beautiful alternative tranquil beach location. Also, the capital Puerto del Rosario's adjacent beach - Playa Blanca deserves a plug - especially for its good waves. Surfers often pop down here.

Blue Flag Beaches on Fuerteventura

Grandes Playas La Oliva (North), Gran Tarajal Tuineje (Centre), Tarajalejo Tuineje (Centre), Costa Calma Pajara (South), Matorral-Morro Jable Pajara (South), Canada del Rio Pajara, Morro Jable Pajara (South), Grandes Playas II La Oliva (North). Playa de Esquinzo (South), Playa Bajo Negro near Corralejo (North).

Best Beaches Fuerteventura

Playa de Corralejo - white sand backed on by stunning drifting sand dunes. This beach stretches for about 6 miles and is situated in the north east of Fuerteventura. On clear days from Playa de Corralejo you can see both Isla de los Lobos small island and Lanzarote. Amenities are excellent in the area, with nearby Corralejo offering numerous resort facilities including restaurants, bars, shops and watersports equipment hire. The white sand here can be quite volatile in high winds so watch out for that, especially with young children.

Playa de Sotavento is without doubt the most beautiful beach on the island, stretching down the Jandia Peninsula coast. Much of it is pretty deserted, with just a scattering of bars (with a bohemian surfing/kitesurfing/windsurfing vibe). The Playa Barca section of Sotavento is fronted by a lagoon. It's particularly good for swimming here. The area around Risco Pasco with backed on sand dunes is a popular naturist beach area.

Playa de Cofete (with adjacent Playa de Barlovento) comes a close second to Sotavento as best beach Fuerteventura. Cofete beach is in the far south of Fuerteventura on the north coast of the Jandia peninsula. Almost completely untouched by tourism, Playa de Cofete attracts naturists and is a popular nude bathing beach. The white sands of Cofete stretch for about 8 miles. This beach is not suitable for young children - you get very strong breakes here and the winds are very strong. Indeed the whole beach is not a safe swimming beach.

Playa del Castillo, El Cotillo up on the north west coast of Fuerteventura is another beautiful beach, with excellent waves which are popular with surfers, and increasingly kite surfers! For safe family swimming head for Playa del Castillo at Caleta de Fuste - this is a nice sandy south facing bay ideal for young children as the waters are calm and very clean. In general safe family bathing is on the east side of the island.