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.
Fuerteventura, a sea of sand
´Los Llanos de la Concepción´
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. 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.
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.
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
