After travelling around Fuerteventura for a few weeks, I made this list of things to do, see and experience on the island. I also included some things to avoid and not do to ensure you have a great holiday in Fuerteventura. I provide (affiliate) links for more details, prices and bookings.
Beaches
There are many excellent and beautiful beaches on Fuerteventura. My advice would be to not focus on 1 specific beach and visit the one closest to where you are staying, as this is often the best.
- Corralejo natural park: Best unique white sandy beach to visit when staying in Corralejo or El Cotillo, surrounded by impressive dunes.
- Sotavento: Best unique beach to visit when staying in the North of the island (Morro Jable, Costa Calma, Esquinzo,…). This beach floods partly daily and is very popular with wind and kitesurfers, so know that it can get a bit windy here.
- Esquinzo: One of the closest soft, white sandy beaches when staying in the North that is more family-friendly than Sotavento.
- Cofete: While one of the most famous beaches in Fuerteventura, I think there are many better and more beautiful ones on the island. Also, getting to Cofete beach will take you several hours. However, if you can do it as part of a jeep or boat trip to Cofete, it is worth visiting for a unique experience.
- La Guirra: When staying in Caleta de Fuste, the main beach here is not the best. But just out of sight, you will find the La Guirra beach towards the new part of this resort. This much softer and more pleasant beach is just a short walk away.
Lobos island
Lobos Island is an untouched piece of nature just off the coast of Fuerteventura. To protect this island, the local government only allows a few hundred people to visit the island daily. From the Corralejo harbour, many water taxis will take you there if you want to explore the island. You can hike, snorkel or simply stay on the beach. Bringing food and drinks is a must.
If you want to explore the true untouched underwater beauty of Lobos islands, have a look at these excellent excursions, including safe diving to 6 meters without a diving license required or a snorkelling tour.
Museums
Fuerteventura has many museums. These include cheese, salt, fishing and aloe vera. If you want to visit one of them I would advise the Museo del Queso Majorero since all these museums are small and don’t take much time to visit. However, this museum also has an old mill and cactus garden to offer more of an experience.
Forget about Garcey beach
Garcey beach, for many years, was a must-see in Fuerteventura for many because of the shipwreck here. However, the American Star Liner shipwreck has completely disappeared over the last few years. So now it is just another beach. Nevertheless, you can still find this on many outdated websites as a must-see.
Maybe skip the Ajuy caves
The Ajuy caves are also one of these things that are heavily promoted in Fuerteventura as a must-visit. If you can do it as part of an organized island tour, it makes a great addition to your day trip. But to drive there only to see the caves is not so interesting as it is far from most of the holiday destinations on the island. A bit of reading the information provided here about the history of the caves makes it much more interesting than just having a walk around. There is also a nice beach and some small bars and restaurants here to enjoy.
Whale and dolphin watching
From most harbours on the island, there are daily dolphin and whale watching trips. While you are pretty sure to see dolphins, go with one of the better-rated boats to have the best chance of seeing whales. Many of these boats also offer the opportunity to dip in the sea or do some snorkelling along the way if you want.
Visit Betancuria
One of the most pretty and authentic towns to visit on the islands is Betancuria, located in the centre of the island. This used to be the capital of Fuerteventura long ago, but now it is just a tiny village worth exploring with some unique places to eat, drink or enjoy tapas.
Faro de la Entallada
A nice little pitstop when exploring the island is Faron de la Entallada. High up on a mountain, from here you have some fantastic views.
Oasis Wildlife Park
Oasis Wildlife Park is one of the island’s most popular and family-friendly attractions and a must, especially when travelling with small children. Your entry ticket includes many different things like 3 animal shows, a botanical garden, a tractor tour and more. However, if you want an even more unique experience, there are many private experiences available where you can touch and swim with the animals. A truly unique experience not available in many places.
Agro-Artisan Market Oasis Park Fuerteventura
This market is the best, biggest and most interesting market for tourists visiting Fuerteventura. It takes place every Sunday from 9h00 to 14h00 outside the Oasis Wildlife Park. However, if you don’t want to visit Oasis Wildlife Park, you can explore the market without buying an entrance ticket. Here you can find all kinds of local foods, drinks, arts and souvenirs.
Visit Playa la Lajita after Oasis Wildlife
If you visit Oasis Wildlife and want a few drinks and maybe a quick dip in the sea afterwards, then La Lajita is a perfect small little fishing village 2 minutes away.
El Cotillo
El Cotillo is an excellent place to visit around lunch or dinner. You can find excellent seafood and tapas restaurants in the many nice local seaside restaurants. In addition, you will find some lovely beaches just outside the town to the North, while to the South is a top-rated beach for surfing.
Pico de la Zarza
If you are an active and fit person, you might want to try hiking up to Pico de la Zarza, the highest mountain on the island at 812 meters. You have a fantastic view of both sides of the island. On one side, the Cofete beach, on the other the Jandia beaches.
Mirador de Morro Velosa
If you want an amazing view but don’t want to do any hiking, then the Mirador de Morro Velosa is an excellent option. You can simply take the car there. While the entrance looks a bit strange, like if you are not allowed to drive up, if you read the signs, you see that it is allowed, you just have to be back down before the nighttime closing time.
Faro del Toston near El Cotillo
You will find the El Toston lighthouse with the traditional fishing museum, a short drive outside El Cotillo. If you are interested in local culture, fishing or history, then this museum will fascinate you. Entrance prices are just a few euros.
Wine and cheese
Fuerteventura has some original and unique cheeses and wines because of the climate and soil type on the island. If you are a foody or want a couples day out, then a day trip tasting the local wine, cheese, tapas and beers is a must.
Waterpark
The Acua Water Park near Corralejo is the only waterpark on the island that is still open. So if you are staying in Corralejo or El Cotillo with small children, it is a great place to visit for a day. Especially if your hotel already doesn’t have amazing pools. If you are staying in the islands’ North, however, it can be quite a far drive.
Watersports
If you like doing a lot of watersports in the resort where you are staying, like kayaking, jetski, surfing, windsurfing, sailing or paddle boats, Fuerteventura offers it all! In that case, Corralejo, Morro Jable, Caleta de Fuste and Costa Calma are the best places to book your holiday.
La Pared – Caretta Beach
Carreta beach at La Pared is a lovely beach bar and restaurant to take a little pit stop if you are exploring this side of the island. Especially if you are travelling with small children, they will enjoy the pool and waterslides here, while you can relax and enjoy the views. This is also an excellent place in the evening to enjoy the setting sun.
Casa Winter
A bit of a strange one, but one of the most original places to visit in Fuerteventura is the Villa Winter. However, this might not be interesting to everyone, but if you are into history or mystery, this is a must. Also, if you are visiting Cofete beach, you are very close to Villa Winter (Casa Winter), so definitely have a look.
Urban exploring
Fuerteventura has a lot of building projects that have been abandoned or constructed and then closed down after a few years. While I did not know about this before visiting Fuerteventura, I found myself quite interested in these and explored several of them. The abandoned water park in Costa de Antigua near the front of the resort and the abandoned zoo in the back of Corralejo next to the waterpark or just a few examples.
Learn to surf
Fuerteventura is all about surfing. In every coastal town or resort on the island, you will find a surfing or sailing school or rental. So if you already know how to or want to learn how to surf, Fuerteventura offers everything you need.
Rent a car
If you look at a map, Fuerteventura looks like a tiny island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. But looks can be deceiving. This island is much bigger than you think. Therefore, renting a car is a good idea, especially when you know that just the airport taxi from or to Corralejo or Morro Jable will cost you more than 50 to 100 euros. Also, if you want to explore the island, a rental car will get you there much faster than public transport. It is pretty cheap to rent a car in Fuerteventura compared to other places in Spain. You can find a fully insured rental car in Fuerteventura for 20-30 euros per day.
Aguas Verdes
Aguas Verdes is great for a couples day trip or families with brave kids. The Aguas Verdes is a collection of natural seawater pools on the rocks next to the sea. It is a great place to sunbathe, have a picnic or enjoy the sunset. Know that there are many different “Aguas Verdes” pools here, so don’t stay at the beginning of the rocks near the beach as this place can get very crowded. With small children climbing over these rocks is not easy and is borderline dangerous. Also, there is lots of sea life here (crabs and fish), so depending on your children, this can be exciting or scary.
Avoid windy months
Even tho Fuerteventura is a great place to visit all year round; the weather does change a bit. In some months, it can be much windier than in others. Also, there are months when you can find much more budget-friendly holidays compared to some of the high-season months. You can find my complete when to visit the Fuerteventura guide here.
Quad, buggy or jeep safari
There are many quad, buggy and jeep safari options in Fuerteventura. And depending on where you are staying on the island, the one closest to you is the best option to ensure you spend most of the time driving, having fun, and not sitting on a transport bus. So here are the best options for a quality day out, depending on where you are staying.
- Morro Jable, Jandia and Esquinzo: Cofete Jeep Safari
- Costa Calma: Jandia Natural Park buggy tour
- Caleta de Fuste: Quad and Buggy
- Corralejo and El Cotillo: Corralejo dune buggy tour
Explore inland tapas
If you are renting a car and driving to any of the things to see on the island’s west coast, away from where all the holiday destinations are, you will be passing lots of little authentic villages along the way. Many of these offer great opportunities to have a little pitstop and a drink, but more importantly, some really authentic tapas in a great setting.
Hondo Volcano
If you are staying in the North of the island (Corralejo or El Cotillo), a hike up to the Hondo Volcano is a nice active excursion. This is an extinct volcano crater with a walking path around the edge. A nice walk and an interesting free experience. The crater is only 100 meters high, so possible to do for most.
Book a taxi or shuttle bus before arriving
Arriving at the airport without having a way to get to your hotel or accommodation is a bad idea. The island might look small but it is much bigger than most people think. If driving to Morro Jable, a taxi can quickly set you back over 100 euros one way. Also, other destinations on the islands will cost over 50 euros one way. And in the evening or weekend, this will even be more. Since there are no good highways on the island and traffic can be slow, this can often increase the taxi price. It is best to book your taxi or shuttle bus before arriving.
Pick the best holiday destination for you
Fuerteventura has a lot of different holiday destinations on the island. Places like Esquinzo are all about mass tourism and offer no bars, restaurants, shops or traditional Fuerteventura lifestyle. In contrast, places like La Lajita are the exact opposite. Choosing the best holiday destination for you in Fuerteventura is the best way to guarantee you have a great holiday that fits what you are looking for.
Daytrip to one of the nearby islands by ferry
Fuerteventura does not have that much to see and do. There is for sure enough however for a week. But if you are staying 10 days or 2 weeks and like to explore a lot, then a day trip to one of the neighbouring islands gives you lots more to see and do.
- Lanzarote is a ferry away from Fuerteventura. Especially if you are staying in the North of the island (Corralejo or El Cotillo) as the boat leaves from this side. As for what to do on Lanzarote, you can explore Playa Blanca in Lanzarote, where the ferry arrives or book a day trip that includes things to see and do all over the Lanzarote like this one.
- Gran Canaria can easily be reached from the harbour of Morro Jable in the North of the island and is the best option for anyone staying in Morro Jable, Jandia, Esquinzo or Costa Calma as this harbour is the closest. If you are staying in Caleta de Fuste, there is also a similar ferry going from the nearby Puerto del Rosario. These ferries arrive in the capital of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria with a lot of shopping and beautiful beaches.
