They happen to be the best beaches for doing all sorts of watersports, especially windsurfing. Apart from the island’s fine seaboard, it also has other spots worth discovering, notably the Lobos islet, its age-old towns and its coastal villages, where you can taste fresh seafood.

150 Kilometres of Beaches To Choose From 

Fuerteventura is sand and sea in their pristine state. Huge beaches and small, solitary coves, some completely wild and virgin; others, sheltered and safe for all the family… a vast array to choose from. The Jandía peninsula features the endless Playas de Sotavento, with some of the most popular and celebrated seaside resorts: Morro Jable and El Matorral, Playa Esmeralda and Playa Barca. On the leeward side we find the stunning beach of Cofete – kilometres of solitary sand lashed by the powerful Atlantic. The north side is surprising for its Grandes Playas, and the immense Corralejos and dune system. The area also features family beaches such as El Cotillo and La Concha with their calm waters, thanks to the nearby horseshoe-shaped natural reef. Stretching out under the sun on any of those beaches, and bathing in the crystal-clear turquoise waters, is capable of giving anyone a new lease on life.

Raw Nature Under Clear Skies

Fuerteventura is the second largest of the Canary Islands. Its stark landscape, which conveys a relaxing, soothing feeling, is the best antidote to the stress of hectic, everyday life. Listed as a Biosphere Reserve, the island is divided into thirteen protected natural spaces, from Malpaíses to the vast area of sand dunes which support endemic species. The volcanic landscape has been modelled by the passage of time into a land of gentle relief, albeit dotted with such unique elements as volcanic cones and blades. The famous Mirador de Morro Velosa vantage point, designed by the brilliant Canary Island artist, César Manrique, affords spectacular views over the landscape of Fuerteventura. The depths of the Cueva del Llano take you into the bowels of the earth, providing insights into the formation of this vast volcanic tube and the island itself. Additionally, if you cast your gaze skywards, you will appreciate why Fuerteventura was also listed as a Starlight Reserve.

Why wait to discover it for yourself? Check out our flights here.

Text: Turismo de Canarias

Images: Promotor Turismo Canarias, S.A.

From mid-July to mid-September, around 50 killer whales grouped into five families can be sighted in the Strait of Gibraltar off Tarifa. And, if you’re a lover of these giant mammals, what an adventure you can have watching whales, dolphins and killer whales in their natural environment, toying with vessels and swimming to-and-fro through this sheet of water that joins the Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean.

CIRCE (Conservation, Information and Research on Cetaceans) estimates that the striped, bottlenose, and common dolphin, and the short-finned pilot whale have their habitat in this Strait separating Europe and Africa. However, in mid-spring there are also sporadic sightings of sperm whales and such stunning mammals as the finback whale, measuring 20 metres long and weighing over 80 tons – one of the largest animals on the planet.

Killer whales are more on show in summer as they chase the tuna fish that head across the Strait of Gibraltar to the Atlantic at that time of year.

Tarifa is the Spot

But, the fun doesn’t stop there. Tarifa has a lot more to offer as it is one of Europe’s most attractive and cosmopolitan towns. It is a meeting point for young people from all over the world, drawn by the spectacular beaches and by the windsurfing and kitesurfing. If to that you add the entertainment provided by nature itself, the fun is guaranteed!

For those of you who prefer to be onterra firma,you can go for other activities you are sure to relish. In Tarifa, you can visit the beaches of Valdevaqueros and Bolonia, with their massive dunes which on clear days afford views of North Africa. Another essential enclave is Baelo Claudia, one of the major archaeological sites on the Peninsula. It is ideal for gauging what a typical Roman settlement would have been like, with its amphitheatre, roads, fish factories and walls. This was an important Roman settlement as it was here that the famous garum sauce was made and exported to Rome. The fish sauce was made of fermented entrails and regarded by Romans as an aphrodisiac.

Another of Tarifa’s emblematic monuments is the Castle of Guzmán El Bueno whose claim to fame is provided by the chilling tale of his preferring to hand over his son to the invaders than surrender the stronghold of Tarifa.

Make sure you don’t leave Tarifa without first trying their fresh fish, either in the bars or the beach stalls known as chiringuitos,or without tasting the delicious pastries with their long, Arab tradition in the town centre’s pastry shops.

Here you will be treated to a host of options, each with their own charm. So, take up your backpack, Vueling and fly to Jerez to enjoy one of southern Europe’s most powerful natural spots.

Text by Amparo Ortega and María del Águila Heras (Patronato Turismo de Cádiz)

Images by Patronato Turismo de Cádiz

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