This an article about the best places on Fuerteventura. If you have only a limited time on Fuerteventura island, here you can find the perfect itinerary with the Top 20 spots that you cannot miss out on. The route starts from the North, following the path on the Western coast, down to the South, and coming back on the Eastern coast to the North. Since the island is tiny, and from the most Northern extreme point to the South, you can make it in less than 2 hours by car, this plan you can execute within 3-4 days comfortably. Of course, there are other little villages and interesting spots that would be worth to include in your route, if you have more time around to discover.
But let’s see our Top 20 best places on Fuerteventura in details!
1. Corralejo
Corralejo would definitely deserve more days and thanks to its services, natural surroundings, cute cobblestone streets, breath-taking beach promenades, an exceptional selection of white sandy beaches, you won’t lack ideas what to do even if you spend there a week. With an average population of 6000, it’s all year long a lively spot, attracting both locals and tourists of all ages. Indeed, Corralejo is one of the best places on Fuerteventura. Take a look here at our detailed guide on what to do in Corralejo!
2. El Cotillo
If you are looking for a cute, traditional, and calm fishing village full of charm and character, El Cotillo is your place. It is located on the North-West coast of the island, facing the Atlantic Ocean. To many people, who visit regularly, it is the nicest place in Fuerteventura as it still feels like a village, it is relatively quiet but with great restaurants, bars and its beautiful beaches.
Tip: Don’t miss out on the view of the port with its big rock, that you can admire from the lonely bench in front of the small stone fort.
3. Tindaya
The village of Tindaya is a special and really authentic place. Usually not visited by tourists, but besides their cute church and many local goat cheese producers, we can admire here the spectacular views on Tindaya Mountain as well. The original aboriginal inhabitants of Fuerteventura considered Tindaya to be a sacred mountain with magical properties, which is evident from the more than 300 engravings in the shape of a foot at the base – these are of great archaeological value. This solitary mountain, 400 meters high and sculpted by the passing of time, really stands out in Fuerteventura’s typically dry, flat landscape.
Tip: Bar Gonzalez or Pollo Gonzalez is one of the two bars that the village of Tindaya has. We had an amazing breakfast here, highly recommended stopping by even for this!
4. Tefia
Tefia is located West of Tetir in the municipality of Puerto del Rosario. Because they are situated close together along with the similarity in name, tourists sometimes confuse these places and speak of them interchangeably. The Eco Museum La Alcogida can be found here, that can give you an idea on how life once was in the villages of Fuerteventura. Besides that, the famous Molina de Tefia is also located here and easily accessible from the road.
5. La Oliva
Located between El Cotillo and Corralejo, La Oliva was the capital and political centre of Fuerteventura since the beginning of the 17th Century until the middle of the 19th Century. More than two centuries of history that can be seen by visiting among other singular constructions, La Casa de los Coroneles and the parish of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria.
6. Antigua
Antigua was one of the areas with more local inhabitants before the Spanish conquest of the territory. In fact, the name of the town (Antigua) means “ancient” because was already an old settlement when the Spanish arrived. Nowadays is a very calm town with a relaxed and pleasant vibe. The main spot in town is its white beautiful church, Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Antigua. All around the main square and the church you will find all the services and nice terraces to have a drink or taste the local food. There, the goat meat is highly recommended.
Nearby, there is a famous Cheese Museum in a renovated old building that includes a nice white mill. There, you can get more information about Queso Majorero, the traditional goat cheese from FuerteVentura.
7. Betancuria
Betancuria is a central village and was the capital of Fuerteventura island until 1834. With a scenic location in the Basalt hills, overlooking a beautiful valley, Betancuria now has a population less than 1000 and was attacked by the pirates many times during the 16th and 17th Centuries. Betancuria was founded in 1405 and is one of the most historic spots on the island, with its rich past, a number of ancient buildings, including the island’s first monastery, together with several notable restaurants. This is definetely one of the best places on Fuerteventura you cannot miss!
8. Ajuy
If you are looking for something different on this island, you should really visit Ajuy. This tiny village has some outstanding resources that will blow your mind. First of all, its black sand beach, one of the few black sand beaches on the island, with the colorful tiny fishing boats parking around and popping out from the black background. And not to mention the caves. Here you will find the oldest rock formations in the Canary Islands, dating back more than 100 million years. If this summary wouldn’t have been enough, take a look at our detailed guide. Ajuy is a must-see!
9. Playa de Cofete
It’s quite hard to arrive to Cofete Beach. It’s 45 minutes on a dirty road drive. Nevertheless, this is why it has kept its kind of untouched condition. The road itself is really fun to drive along since the views of the Ocean on one side and the deserted landscape on the other are both amazing. You can reach halfway a great very windy viewing point to admire the shoreline with its lonely awesome beach from the top of the hills. Then, even on the bumps, to descend to Cofete just continues to be a pleasure because of the panorama. There is not a proper village when you arrive there, just some illegal cabins and self-constructed houses next to a couple of restaurants and further down to the shore a parking lot. There will be more cars besides yours when you visit the place, but the beach is so huge and long that you could choose a place for being almost alone.
10. Morro Jable
Morro Jable is the main town in the South of Fuerteventura. If you want to reach any of the southern spots you should book your accommodation there. The town is very much prepared for receiving tourists in terms of hotels and especially apartments. The offering of gastronomy there is excellent and very local, far from the touristic menus. If you want just a relaxing vacation you can stay in the small old town and enjoy the excellent urban beach with all the services very few meters from the sand. But the beach there, from the old town to Faro de Morro Jable is very long, and the town has been lengthened along with it with many touristic apartment buildings that have subtracted part of its original character.
Tip: We can strongly recommend Saavedra Clavijo Restaurant for fish and seafood.
11. Costa Calma
Costa Calma is situated around 25 km to Morro Jable. The beaches here are magnificent with perfect conditions for windsurfing and sailing among many other watersports. Regardless of its name, don’t expect that it won’t be windy, actually, it’s the same windy here as well as all around the island.
12. Tuineje
Tuineje is local character. Just go to one of its bars and let the locals speak around to catch the local vibe. Next to Plaza San Miguel you will see the church and a sculpture of a warrior upon a camel. Around Tuineje, in the year 1740 the most glorious page in the history of the island was written with the defeat of the English in the “Battle of Tamasite”. In this battle, the English, superior in fighters and weapons, were defeated by the fierce majoreros, using camels and using a lot of intelligence.
13. La Lajita
La Lajita is one of those white villages on the Ocean shore that you will love in your visit to Fuerteventura. It is calm and nice and the atmosphere is very local. The views of the town from the Ocean shore are very picturesque and a magical moment for sure will come having a drink in a local bar admiring the horizon.
14. Tarajalejo
It seems to be split in two by the road. The most interesting part of Tarajalejo is on the Ocean. It is not a big town but can offer excellent views of the bay. It has a very interesting beach, longer than the village itself where some investors have tried to take the profit for their resorts. Even though, it has kept the traditional way of life untouched so far and it’s still possible to enjoy its calmness.
15. Giniginamar
You could say that Giniginamar is just another beach village on the East-Central coast, with black sand and no tourists, such as those of Tarajalejo, La Lajita, or even Gran Tarajal. But Giniginamar became definitely one of our favorites. Honestly, our idea was to go there and just to order two Gin & gin & tonics, haha, just for fun, but when we arrived, we actually found a beautiful small fishing village, with a small residential area, which retains a certain charm. Its beach, 500 meters long, is made of thick black sand and stones. It is in a bay protected from the waves, and its cliffs protect relatively from the wind.
Tip: This little bay has one of the cutest bars: Olas del Sur, that we found on the island, worth the visit, just sit down, relax a bit, listen to the waves, and admire the views.
16. Gran Tarajal
Gran Tarajal is kind of small town (despite its name) built partially upon the rocks. From the upper part of the town you can admire the port and the Ocean. The views are really excellent. Down on the Ocean shore there is a promenade in front of the wide beach where you can eat and drink admiring the Ocean. The beach was quite empty during the visit even though the water was at perfect temperature for swimming and the sun was shining for good sunbathing. From the Ocean the views to the town are very picturesque because of the combination of the old simple architecture of houses painted in white and pale colours that remind some Moroccan towns.
17. Salinas del Carmen
Salinas del Carmen is a white village on the coast interesting and famous because its salt industry. The beach is not interesting there according to our opinion and the village itself is small. If you go there you can visit the salt production plant and admire the squares where the salt is collected.
18. Puerto del Rosario
With just two centuries of existence, Puerto del Rosario is a very young city. The first houses were built at the end of the 18th century, then known as Puerto Cabras, a name that remained until 1956. It is today a dynamic town, and if you arrive by plane to the island for sure it’s one of the first locations to visit. I think the key is not to expect that we will find here a capital based on European standards. It is the capital of an island, with altogether 40,000 inhabitants.
Tip: We arrived here with an early morning flight, and after the long trip we just wanted to have a nice breakfast under the sun with a strong coffee to re-energize ourselves. We ended up at Hostal Roquemar, as their terrace was open and full of locals, which is always a good sign for us. One of the best breakfast we had there, immediately for the first attempt. Lovely crew, amazing Majorero cheese, and superb coffee!
19. Puerto Lajas
Puerto Lajas is a small town that is located 3 km from the capital Puerto del Rosario. Its beach carries the blue flag and unlike other beaches, the subsoil of Puerto Lajas is made up of black stones and the black sand floor that extends out to sea. As it is a less-developed tourist area, there are only a few bars and restaurants on the beach and at the end of the bay. People can bring their own food or try the local gastronomy and drink some cocktails.
Tip: Our favourite beach bar was also located here: Diferente Playa Bar, with cool vibes, a nice terrace, and a really friendly crew.
20. Las Dunas de Corralejo
Las Dunas de Corralejo is located in the Corralejo Natural Park, which is one of the best places on Fuerteventura to go to enjoy the desert beauty of Fuerteventura. This coastal zone, measuring 2.5 by 10.5 kilometers, is located in the North-East of the island and has two contrasting but also harmonious sides. In the North, alongside the large tourist resort of Corralejo is the biggest dune spread in the whole of the Canary Islands; an enormous extension of white sands bathed by the turquoise waters of the Atlantic Ocean. To the South, the opposite awaits, a volcanic landscape, red and ochre, dramatic and rugged.
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