What to do in Fuerteventura
Lagoon beaches, desert mountains, sand dunes, rich seabeds, historic villages… don’t worry, there’s plenty to keep you busy!
Here’s our selection of the best things to do in Fuerteventura, with our photos to help you choose!
This opinion is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
Our favorite car rental platform: DiscoverCars
1. Best thing to do in Fuerteventura: visit the island of Lobos
We know it’s strange, but one of our favorite activities in Fuerteventura is actually taking a boat to visit a small, uninhabited neighboring island, our favorite!
From Corralejo in the north of the island, it’s a 15-minute journey to the island of Lobos.
The island has scenery like we’ve never seen anywhere else, with numerous small cones of volcanic rock. Sometimes we felt like we were on another planet, and we love that.
You can spend the whole day on the island. There are no roads and only one car to collect the garbage. You can:
- spend some time on the beach at the foot of a volcano, with golden sands and beautiful waters
- walk around the island to discover its stunning landscapes, including a feeding lagoon for migratory birds
- climb up to the lighthouse to admire the whole island
- swim in the shallow waters of the small fishing village
- or if you fancy a steeper hike, you can climb the volcano
And you can see more photos and info in our complete guide to visiting Lobos Island.
2. Dolphin watching
We love the whale and dolphin watching tours. We had high hopes, and were lucky enough to see a species we’d never seen before: pilot whales (also called pilot whales, but which are dolphins). A wonderful experience with the Fuerteventura landscape in the background.
You can also often see bottlenose dolphins in the Canary Islands, including Fuerteventura.
Sightings are never guaranteed, but in this corner of Fuerteventura, the chances are excellent!
There are tours in catamarans, speedboats and more traditional boats.
We chose the more classic boat for its comfort and the ability to move around on board. We enjoyed it very much:
See program and availability – and book!
Most dolphin tours depart from Morro Jable, in the south of the island.
There’s also a tour of Corralejo and Caleta de Fuste.
3. Explore Betancuria and the mountain route
We know that many people come to Fuerteventura to enjoy the beaches. But we really enjoyed the small mountains in the center of the island.
Fuerteventura is an ancient volcanic land, and the peaks have been eroded for millions of years.
The views are like waves of red, orange and brown soil.
Viewpoints have been created to take advantage of these fantastic views.
We recommend renting a car to take full advantage of these roads, and stopping for as long as you like.
Driving is fairly easy(all our driving tips in this article). It’s twisty but there’s always a good gap with a lane in each direction. The roads we took were in good condition.
Not-to-be-missed viewpoints:
- Mirador Corrales de Quize (with giant statues)
- Mirador de Las Penitas
- Mirador Risco de las Penas
- Mirador Sicasumbre
Unlike Lanzarote, Fuerteventura has not retained its traditional architecture and historic building codes.
But on this road, you can find the village of Betancuria.
Founded in 1404 by Jean de Béthencourt, it was the capital of the Canary Islands. And it remained the capital of Fuerteventura until 1834.
Here you’ll find charming historic buildings with white walls and beautiful brown-brick decor. These date back to the time when it was completely destroyed by the pirate Jaban in 1593.
In the center of town is St. Mary’s church and garden. It was rebuilt in 1691.
You can even spend the night in one of the historic buildings, which has been converted into a guest house. Our room at Casa Princess Arminda had so much character, we loved it! See photos and availability
CHOOSING A HOTEL IN Fuerteventura
Choosing where to stay:
Choose by hotel type:
- 5-star hotels
- Best boutique-hotels
- Best adults-only hotels
- Best all-inclusive hotels
- Best hotels for families
- Best resorts (quiet or lively)
Our favorite: Hotel INNSide – See prices, photos and availability
Select by city:
4. Get lost in the sand dunes of Corralejo
One of Fuerteventura’s main attractions is the Corralejo Dunes Park.
It’s a fascinating protected natural park with sand dunes right next to the beach.
Contrary to popular belief, sand does not come from the Sahara desert. It formed naturally on the island.
It’s a fascinating world of contrast with turquoise water, dark volcanic rock and golden/white sand.
More photos in our article on the Corralejo Dunes Natural Park.
5. Relax on Fuerteventura’s finest beaches (not just Jandia’s Sotavento lagoon)
Of course, when visiting the Canary Islands, one of the best things to do is enjoy the beaches.
Fuerteventura has fantastic options all around the island.
The most famous are in the South. For example, you can easily reach the famous Jandia Lagoon (photo above).
Here, you won’t have to fight for a place on the sand. There are a lot of them.
It’s an impressive place, especially from the slightly higher vantage point.
Younger children can play in the shallows, while older children can play in the waves.
But you can find many different beach styles to suit your needs:
- The lagoon beaches ofEl Cotillo
- The long, sandy Playa del Matorral beach at Morro Jable
- The charming coves between Morro Jable and El Cotillo, with our favourite: Playa Tierra Dorada
- The magnificent La Pared cliffs (see also section 11)
- Black sand beaches such as Las Playitas or Gran Tarajal
- and beaches with popcorn corals!
- …
See our list of Fuerteventura’s most beautiful beaches.
OUR TIPS FOR RENTING A CAR IN Fuerteventura
- Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars – one of the best rated sites.
- A small car is all you need.
- But you can also choose a larger one if you wish, as the parking spaces are rather large.
- Demand is high, so book early.
6. Adventure
If you’re looking for a little thrill coupled with stunning scenery, choose one of the options to get off the road and see some of Fuerteventura’s best spots.
There are buggy rides and activities with different types of vehicles. These are the most popular excursions on Fuerteventura.
This way, you can see the raw (and dry) beauty of Fuerteventura.
7. Playing pirate in Ajuy’s sea caves
One of our favorite places to visit in Fuerteventura is Ajuy with its caves. It’s the best attraction for geology fans like us.
You start your exploration on an old black sand beach.
Then walk along the cliff to see the million-year-old rock that used to be the ocean floor. You can see every detail of the seabed crust. It is fascinating!
The walk along the cliff is pleasant, with beautiful rock shapes and magnificent views.
And at the end, you can descend (via a staircase) to giant sea caves with beautiful black stones. The size is very impressive.
See more photos
A LITTLE MORE patience
All the photos, maps, information and addresses you need to make your stay in the Canaries a success will soon be available in a single ebook!
If you’d like to be notified when our guide to the Canaries is published, please subscribe:
8. Explore the end of the world in Cofete
One of the most famous and grandiose places to see on Fuerteventura is Cofete.
If you’re looking for a more wilderness adventure, this is an excellent option (unless you have back problems).
There’s only one unpaved road to get there, and the journey is long and bumpy.
But once you reach the west coast of the island, you have this magnificent view of the impressive cliffs created by the landslide.
And you can go down to the beach, when there are usually giant waves.
Access:
- Unsurfaced road from Morro Jable.
This is not recommended with a standard car, especially as you are not covered by the rental insurance. - We advise you to join a 4×4 tour in a small group: see program and availability – and make a reservation
9. Swim in a natural pool
If you’re drawn to clear waters, hidden spots and rock formations, you should go hunting for natural pools.
But be warned: you’ll need to get there before low tide, and the tidal range must be high enough to make the most of it.
We love it, for example:
- Aguas Verdes, the most beautiful on the island, on the west coast
- Caleta de Fuste’s “secret” swimming pool in a rock amphitheatre
See our article on Fuerteventura’s natural pools and lagoons.
10. What to visit in Fuerteventura: museums
Fuerteventura is best known for its magnificent beaches and vast landscapes. But if you want to find out a little more about its geological, archaeological and cultural history, we recommend visiting one or two museums.
Among our favorites:
- Museo del Queso Majorero: the cheese museum with interactive explanations, a tasting session and a cactus garden.
- La Atalayita archaeological site: with ruins of houses built in the heart of a lava flow
- Salinas del Carmen: salt marshes still in operation
See our complete list of our favorite museums.
11. Admire the cliffs of La Pared
La Pared is one of our favorite spots on Fuerteventura. We could sit here for hours admiring the scenery. That’s because we love the cliffs and the waves crashing against them.
La Pared is a small village. To the north is Playa del Viejo Reyes beach. It’s well known among surfers, but strangely little visited by tourists. And yet it’s magnificent, especially if you love rock formations and geology, as the volcanic cliffs are magnificent. It has therefore naturally earned its place in our top secret places in Fuerteventura.
We recommend descending at low tide, to observe all the formations there.
But don’t miss the south of the village either. Meet us by the restaurant. Caretta Beach. Here you’ll find two smaller beaches with beautiful views of the cliffs. You can also climb the promontory between the two for even more spectacular views.
12. Learn a water sport: surfing, windsurfing…
The coast of Fuerteventura is famous for water sports
- Surf
- Board to see
- Kitesurfing
- Diving
- …
Playa La Barca also hosts the World Windsurfing and Kiteboarding Championship (Fuerteventura Grand Slam), one of the most popular competitions.
So there are plenty of opportunities to learn to surf or windsurf on the various beaches in the area. If it’s an idea that’s been on your mind for a long time, go for it!
WATER SPORTS IN Fuerteventura
- Surf lessons – see options and possible locations
- Windsurfing courses – see options and possible locations
- Baptism diving – see options and possible locations
13. Get away from the crowds in fishing villages
During our explorations, we discovered several tiny fishing villages around the island. We love the contrast between the white houses and the dark rocks.
Their atmosphere is often very relaxing and peaceful. You can sit back and listen to the waves, or discover the small personalized decorations on the walls, for example with seashells.
Among our favorites:
- Puertito de los Molinos with its beautiful beach
- Pozo Negro and its pebbles
- Giniginamar
Find out more in our article on Fuerteventura’s hidden gems.
14. Enjoy the atmosphere of the old towns of Corralejo and Morro Jable
Fuerteventura was developed solely for tourism. As a result, the towns have lost much of their soul, filled with big hotels and international restaurants.
But we’ve found that the evening atmosphere in the old towns of Corralejo and Morro Jable is well worth the detour. That’s why these are our favorite places to stay in Fuerteventura.
15. Street art: outdoor paintings and sculptures – what to see in Fuerteventura
Finally, for something a little different, we recommend discovering several cities with their efforts to incorporate art into the landscape:
- Puerto del Rosario: the town of 150 sculptures offers a variety of works on the waterfront and in the center. And you’ll also find plenty of wall paintings
- Gran Tarajal where large walls on the side of buildings have gigantic, fun street artworks.
- Morro Jable and its sculpture exhibition along the seafront promenade
- …
16. Getting wet at Acua Water Park
Fuerteventura has just one water park. It is located in Corralejo, in the north of the island.
Here you’ll find a whole range of slides with different speeds and effects. There’s also a river to float in.
Reserve your entrances to take the fastest line.
17. Collecting windmills
Fuerteventura also boasts a number of windmills.
We love the way their white base contrasts with the dark floor.
In these dry landscapes, they add life to the landscape. They’re very picturesque.
You can find them in many places, especially in the northern part of Fuerteventura. Keep your eyes open.
Traditional windmills can be of different types, with different structures and functions: to make flour or to pump water.
Given the wind in Fuerteventura, it made perfect sense.
There’s even a museum dedicated to them (Museo Los Molinos).
18. Hiking
If you like walking, there are also some iconic hikes on the island.
Just remember to start early and take plenty of water with you, as the sun is beating down hard and there’s no shade.
For example, you can:
- Hike to the summit of Volcan Calderon de Hondo – a short hike with beautiful views
- Climb to Fuerteventura’s highest point, Pico de la Zarza, from Morro Jable. But this one is a 4-6 hour hike, and quite difficult.
- Round the island of Lobos, as seen from the first point
- Exploring other volcanoes…
19. Cooling off in Oasis Park
If you’re traveling with young children, there’s also a wildlife park and botanical garden in the center of the island (but no amusement park). A strange idea on an island where water is scarce…
20. Eating tapas
Seriously, the Canary Islands are in Spain… so tapas galore!
Many restaurants make classic tapas, with shrimps, potatoes, cheese… But you can also find restaurants that offer a little more creativity.
21. Vister cities in Fuerteventura
As we wrote earlier, the main towns are essentially tourist-oriented, apart from the old centers of Morro Jable and Corralejo.
But if you’d like to visit them, here are our guides:
- Best things to do in Morro Jable
- What to do in Corralejo
- Best things to do in Costa Calma
- Best things to do in Caleta de Fuste
Visit Fuerteventura – summary
And to finish off this sharing of all our favorite activities and places to see in Fuerteventura, here’s a short video of what it’s like to explore the island:
And if you’re still deciding between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, check out our comparison article here.
Frequently asked questions
What to do in Fuerteventura with children
Children love all the activities listed above:
- Dolphin observation tour
- Oasis Park
- Acua Water Park
- Ajuy caves
- The lagoon beaches of El Cotillo and Sotavento de Jandia
But in the 4 tourist towns you’ll be proving just as often:
- arcade games
- mini-golf
- outdoor play areas
What to do in Fuerteventura when it’s too hot
The sun can sometimes be brutal in Fuerteventura.
In hot weather,
- visit one of our museums
- take a boat trip, it’s always a little cooler with the breeze.
- cool off in the Acua water park
- stay in the hotel pool
Where to see squirrels in Fuerteventura?
The locals are not happy with them, as they are a nuisance, but for travelers, these squirrels are totally adorable!!!!
You can find them on the beach (at La Pared or Playa Esmeralda Norte, for example). There are also some in the mountains (at viewpoints) and on volcanoes.
Look and smile, but don’t feed them!
PLAN YOUR TRIP TO Fuerteventura
- Best of
Most beautiful landscapes
Best things to do in Fuerteventura
Most beautiful beaches
Cities and villages
Natural pools
Boat tours
Secret places, off the beaten track
- Practical advice
25 tips for a successful trip to Fuerteventura
How to get around
How to rent a car in Fuerteventura
Driving tips
Best excursions
Itineraries: 3 days – 4 days – 5 days – 1 week – 10 days
