An Insider’s Guide to the Best Things to do in Fuerteventura

Last Updated on 4th June 2024 by Sophie Nadeau

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Fuerteventura, a Spanish destination and the second largest Canary Island, offers a landscape resembling the moon, with vast sand dunes and colossal volcanoes. The towns, reminiscent of times gone by, add charm to the region and you’re sure to be thinking of them in the years to come. Here’s your guide to the best things to do in Fuerteventura, as well as what to know before you go.

If you’re looking to spend time in Fuerteventura, be sure to check out our suggested Fuerteventura itinerary.

Where is Fuerteventura?

Fuerteventura is the second largest of the Canary Islands and is on the eastern-most part of the island group, meaning that one of the lighthouses on Fuerteventura is the closest point to the eastern coast of the mainland (Morocco in northern Africa). The closest island is Canary. If you can’t decide which island to visit, be sure to check out our comparison of Lanzarote vs Fuerteventura.

What is Fuerteventura known for?

Thanks to its breathtaking beaches, pristine waters, and reliable winds (which also mean that you should always be sure to have a jacket with you, even during the summer), Fuerteventura has become a popular destination among water sports enthusiasts.

The island is also renowned for its expansive sand dunes, rugged terrain, and unique plant and animal life. In fact, there are some plants which only grow on Fuerteventura (making them unique in the world). This includes:

• Jandía spurge (Euphorbia handiensis) – This is a kind of spiny cactus-like shrub which can only be found on Fuerteventura
• Verode (Kleinia neriifolia) – it looks like a mini dragon tree and is endemic to the Canary islands

Thanks to its status as the oldest of the Canary Islands, Fuerteventura boasts a particularly unique history, with evidence of prehistoric settlements and well-preserved ancient fortresses.

Its traditional towns are equally charming and worth exploring. Furthermore, Fuerteventura is a food lover’s paradise, with mouthwatering local dishes that showcase the island’s fresh seafood and Canarian cuisine.

Best things to do in Fuerteventura

Relax in Corralejo

If you enter Fuerteventura from Lanzarote, Corralejo, a charming port town, is most likely to be your first stop on the Canary Islands’ oldest island. With its vibrant nightlife and pastel-colored buildings, Corralejo is a must-visit destination on Fuerteventura.

I suggest choosing Corralejo as your base during your travels as it offers numerous dining options for the evenings and a well-connected road network for exploring the rest of the island. For more inspiration, check out the best things to do in Corralejo.

Soak up history in Betancuria

Betancuria is most famous for being Fuerteventura’s former capital (the capital is now Puerto del Rosario), as well as its religious centre. The town is in the heart of the countryside and is pretty much as far away from the sea in Furteventura as it’s possible to get.

The town also operated as the capital of the Kingdom of the Canary Isles (the vassal state lasted from 1404 to 1448). The town was established in 1404 and is named for its founder, Jean de Béthencourt, who was a Norman conqueror. Visit Betancuria today and you’ll find a beautiful

Explore the small towns

From its pristine beaches to its rich cultural heritage, this sun-drenched island also boasts a number of beautiful settlements worth visiting. The biggest towns are Corralejo and Puerto del Rosario, though there is not a huge amount of activities outside of restaurants and the beach at Puerto del Rosario.

Some of my favourite towns in Fuerteventura include El Cotillo (which also happens to be one of the best spots on the island to see the sunset) and Las Playitas, a charming little fishing port.

Marvel at the Cuevas de Ajuy

Located on the western side of the island, the impressive sea caves of Ajuy are known in Spanish as the Cuevas de Ajuy and are some of the oldest and most impressive geological formations on Fuerteventura.

Comprising of deep pools, towering rock formations (some over 40 metres high), and intricate tunnels, as well as consolidated sand dunes, and oceanic sediments, they are some of the oldest geological formations in the Canary Islands.

Indeed, the strangest mystery is that while parts of the Ajuy Caves are thought to date back 100 million years, Fuerteventura itself is thought to only be 30 million years old! Ajuy itself is pretty touristic so doesn’t really need more than an hour or so to explore.

Visit the Salt Flats and Whale Skeleton

There is not a great deal to see at Las Salinas del Carmen, but it’s an interesting point to stop off at if you’re already heading to the north of the island and you’ve already been to nearby Pozo Negro.

As well as one of the most famous whale skeletons of Fuerteventura, there’s a salt museum detailing the history of the salt flats of the island, as well as a little church.

See the chipmunks

While exploring the island, including on the fringes of Corralejo and on the way to the sea coves of Ajuy, you’ll notice that there are loads of cheeky chipmunks. The chipmunks are not actually chipmunks but are Barbary Ground Squirrel.

This is a species from Algeria and Morocco that was introduced to the Canary islands in the 1960s. Be sure not to feed the chipmunks you see as their ever-growing population is already damaging the flora and fauna.

See the popcorn beaches

You can can find the popcorns beaches situated on a back road towards the southwest of Corralejo. They offers the chance to see a pretty cool natural wonder of the Canary Islands thanks to the fact that the beaches are covered with small pieces resembling popcorn instead of sand.

The popcorn-like features are actually the result of dead rhodoliths, which are a species of red coralline algae. These rhodoliths contain calcite that causes them to transform from red to white upon death. To learn more about this unique attraction and how to plan a visit, refer to our article on the popcorn beach.

Relax on the beach

Whether you prefer to explore the sea via the water (in the form of windsurfing, paddle boarding, or surfing), or via the land and on the beach, thanks to its status as a fairly large island, there’s an enormous number of beaches in Fuerteventura.

One of my favourite off the beaten path beaches is in Pozo Negro. A speck of a settlement comprising of little more than a handful of fishermen’s huts and a sprawling volcanic black pebble beach, Pozo Negro is somewhat off the beaten tourist track on the eastern coast of the Canary Island of Fuerteventura. 

Go hiking

The otherworldly landscapes of the Canary Islands are famous the world over thanks to their lunar-like landscapes and volcanic formations which look like they’ve been plucked straight from another planet.

And one of the best ways to get a bird’s eye view when visiting Fuerteventura is to go hiking in order to get a better lay of the land. And one of my personal favourite hikes on the island, which leads you to a hermitage, is hiking el tanquito.

Barranco de los Enamorados

Barranco de los Encantados is a hidden gem in Fuerteventura, mainly because it remains relatively unknown and boasts a history dating back over 135,000 years.

The fossilised sand dunes that line the banks of the canyon were formed during a marine regression, when the sea receded and exposed the sand banks. Visitors can now stroll through the banks and marvel at their unique features.

The entrance to the ravine which you can reach by a normal car is close to El Cotillo and so it’s the perfect chance to visit this off the beaten path before the final stop of the day. For information about the ravine, check out our Barranco de los Enamorados guide.

See the lighthouses

All over Fuerteventura, there are a number of lighthouses, which have guided ships away from dangerous rocks and sea swells over the centuries. The best lighthouse on the island to visit is undoubtedly the Faro de la Entallada, which is close to Las Playitas.

There has been a lighthouse on site since 1955 when the structure you see today was finally completed. From the outset, the project proved to be ambitious due to the remote location and high elevation on the cliffs.

Today you can admire the architecture of the lighthouse and enjoy incredible views of the sea from a nearby viewing platform. Just be aware that the road to the lighthouse is pretty steep and scary to drive!

La Atalayita

The Poblado de la Atalayita is a historically significant archaeological site located close to the fishing visit of Pozo Negro. During our trip to Fuerteventura, we were actually the only people to visit the site during our visit!

This site is believed to have been home to the indigenous Canarians and the reconstructed ruins can now be visited for free. There is a small interpretation centre at the site, though this was unfortunately closed during our visit and the opening times seem a bit erratic. Nonetheless, you can still spend an hour or so wandering this historic site.

Arco de las Peñitas

If you’ve spent any time looking at photos of unique rock formations on Fuerteventura, then no doubt you’ll have come across Arco de las Peñitas, which is located to the West of the island.

The natural archway has been carved out of the rock by the sun, wind, and rain over thousands of years and is now one of the most popular photo spots in the Canary Islands. For information on how to visit, check out our guide to Arco de las Peñitas.

Admire the windmills

All over Fuerteventura, there are countless windmills. They are either known as Molino or Molina, with Molino being the masculine word for windmill and Molina being the feminine form of windmill.

The gender is given to the windmill in question dependant on its size, with the larger being molino and the smaller referred to as molina. Windmills on Fuerteventura were first begun as simple structures to aid local farmers in harnessing the wind power to enable them to more easily mill grain (namely corn).

Of all the places to see windmills in Fuerteventura, top of the list is Tefia, which is a little settlement inland in the middle of the Canary Island. There are actually two windmills at Tefia, though admittedly one is more impressive than the other! Unfortunately both can only be admired via their exteriors.

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