More than one hundred and fifty beaches, the most extensive coastal platform of the archipelago, with three thousand hours of sunshine a year and a naturally peaceful environment are an invitation to visitors to enjoy Fuerteventura.

Fuerteventura has 285 kilometres of coastline. Unlike the rest of the Islands, the shores are generally low-lying empty beaches. Perfect for any kind of water sports, or just strolling in the warm temperatures thanks to the fresh trade winds.

Scarcely one hundred kilometres separate Fuerteventura, the second largest of the Canary Islands, from the coast of Africa. Those who know its history say that it is the oldest of them all.

This picture, among an album-full, is just one of Fuerteventura that will surprise you with its miles of golden sandy beaches washed by the crystal clear waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Fuerteventura, a sea of sand

´Los Llanos de la Concepción´

A total of 157 beaches are the best lure to Fuerteventura, where water sports lovers will find their paradise, and windsurfers in particular can take advantage of the constant coastal winds.

The windmills, dotted all over Fuerteventura, except in the area of Jandia, are faithful testimony to its farming tradition, and are now being restored as tourist centres with a view to recreating the landscape of their working past when Fuerteventura was known as the granary of the Canary Islands.

But, the Island is not just for sun and sea. Currently there is a boom in leisure centres that invite tourists to discover different aspects of the Island's landscape and culture. Some examples are the Miguel de Unamuno Museum, the Betancuria Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography, the Tefia Craft Village, the Morro Velosa Lookout, Molino de Antigua Craft Centre and the Molinos de Tiscamanita Interpretation Centre.

This outstanding landscape includes the parks recognised as of national interest: Montaña de Tindaya, La Ladera de Vallebron, La Montaña Cardon, El Malpais de la Arena, El Saladar, La Caldera de Gairia and the Nature Parks of Las Dunas de Corralejo and Lobos, Pozo Negro, Jandía and Betancuria.

Church of Nuestra Sra. de La Peña

Blue seas ...

The beauty of Fuerteventura is complemented by the neighbouring islet of Lobos, which is a boat ride from the pure white beaches of Corralejo in the north.

Lobos gets its name from the sea-lions that used to live there five hundred years ago. It is now administered by Fuerteventura although it is almost uninhabited. El Faro (the lighthouse) guides the fishermen working off its coasts. Between this islet of less than six square kilometres and Corralejo is a seabed unique for its beautiful cliffs, trenches, caves and tunnels that hold large shoals of shallow water fish.

Fuerteventura wraps you in its soft gentle ways. Its sandy reaches blend with volcanic landscapes of immense flats and low volcanic cones, described as 'an oasis in the desert of civilisation' by poet and philosopher, Miguel de Unamuno. Over the centuries, Fuerteventura has forged its character from the sea. First it was the mythical land of Atlantis, then a place of adventure for British corsairs, fishermen, exiles, and finally a place for anyone fleeing from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Special thanks to The Consejería de Turismo y Transportes del Gobierno de Canarias