The beaches that lie on the island of Fuerteventura are without doubt the leading attraction of this beautiful location. Here you will find over 150 magnificent beaches to choose from. These beaches range in composition. Many are white sand with others the typical black sand that the Canary Islands are famous for. This article provides detailed information about our top 7 favourite Fuerteventura beaches.
The Fuerteventura beaches are one of the jewels in the crown of the Canary Islands. The Coastal & Marine Union recently voted this island’s beaches as the most attractive. Beating off competition from over 500 other European destinations. The vote considered the islands cultural heritage and work towards sustaining the environment. Below are 7 beaches that helped to secure Fuerteventura this award.
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Esquinzo
Playa Grande
El Castillo
Playa Barca
Esmeralda
Sotavento
Playa Cofete
Esquinzo Beach, La Oliva
Esquinzo Beach in La Oliva is another one of our fave beaches for the seclusion reason alone. If you want a beach to yourself then there is no a better chance than anywhere else on the island. The sand here is darker in composition that other beaches. The rocky coastline makes this beach a little dangerous for anything more than a paddle. This beach is small and surrounded by cliffs if you enjoy the crashing sounds of waves against rocks. As you may expect, there are no services here to speak of. The sea is particularly rough so please be cautious when visiting here.
Playa Grande, Corralejo
Corralejo’s Playa Grande is one of the longest and best beaches on the island of Fuerteventura. The town and popular tourist resort of Corralejo lies in the north of the island. The tropical Isla de Lobos (Wolf Island) faces the resort of Corralejo. This beautiful island off the Fuerteventura coast adds to the appeal of Playa Grande.
This incredible beach takes after it’s name (big beach) in every sense. Playa Grande had a length of almost 10 kilometres. It also runs parallel to Corralejo’s Natural Park and amazing sand dunes. Popular activities here include windsurfing and kite-boarding. The wind and current in this location are ideal for most board sports.
The water here is crystal clear which starts off a beautiful shade of turquoise. It becomes darker as the water becomes deeper. Playa Blanca is a smash hit with swimmers and naturalists alike. Taking a camera in the morning to catch the sunrise over the sand dunes is highly recommended.
Caleta de Fuste – Playa El Castillo
Another gem of the Fuerteventura beaches is El Castillo which lies in the resort of Caleta de Fuste in the east of the island. El Castillo is an artificial beach within a small horse-shoe shaped cove. This beach resides on the eastern coast of the island.
The texture of the sand for this 800 metre beach is harder in texture than most beaches. The cove is ideal for children due to the shallow waters and gentle current. There is hardly any waves at El Castillo. This makes it the perfect beach for all the family. The tides tends to go out and return much quicker here. Worth mentioning if you fancy a siesta on the beach. You could find your sleep disturbed by the incoming tide.
Playa Barca – Costa Calma
This beach is an extension of the Sotavento beach and one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. Playa Barca lies in the resort of Costa Calma and is like a tropical paradise in it’s own right with. A gorgeous lagoon filled with palm tress and crystal clear waters.
This beach has most of the services you would expect to find. Something that many of Fuertaventura’s best beaches do not have. Unfortunately there are no lifeguard services here so be sure to watch the children. The lagoon-like nature of this beach makes it ideal for windsurfers. Playa Barca also attracts those interested in various other board sports. The popular Hotel Meliá Gorriones overlooks this lovely beach.
More Top Beaches in Southern Fuerteventura
Playa de Esmeralda – Costa Calma
Esmeralda beach in located in southern Fuerteventura on the beautiful Costa Calma. the resort of Costa Calma which means “Calm Coast” in English is exactly what this beach is all about. Being located on the southern coast takes the brunt of the force away from the Atlantic Ocean.
This beach and area of coastline is the calmest of this island. Esmeralda is also quiet compared to other beaches here. The total length of Esmeralda is 1345 metres with an average width of 131 metres. There are a few services available such as snacks and deckchairs but little else. This is the ideal beach to enjoy the beautiful white sand and sea.
Sotavento Beach
Sotavento is another huge beach with a length of close to 5 kilometres and a huge width also. This is one of the busiest of the Fuerteventura beaches. Here there are plenty of services and facilities on offer. Sotavento beach is equipped with washrooms, restaurants, snacks and has water sports facilities.
The world windsurfing and kitesurfing championships takes place here each year. The normal timetable is late July until early August.
This beach is so vast that even on busy days you will feel like you are alone. The sand composition is white and the waters are crystal clear. There is parking available at Sotavento but it’s just as easy to catch the bus and walk to the beach.
Playa Cofete, Jandía
Cofete beach in Jandia is the longest of all the Fuerteventura beaches. A total length of 13 kilometres or around 8 miles. Cofete is a golden sandy beach with crystal clear turquoise waters. This beach has an average width of around 200 metres.
Cofete is a secluded area in southwestern Fuerteventura which is not very accessible. It is rewarding if you make the effort to come here though. You are unlikely to encounter many people here at all. Most will be here without clothes as this is very much a nudist beach.
It may be an idea to hire a 4×4 vehicle as you will need to navigate a 20 kilometre dirt track to access this beach. Parking is provided but there are no services here to speak of so make sure you bring everything with you. The beautiful Jandia mountains surround this huge beach which are a must see when you visit.