The most beautiful drive on Fuerteventura

The desert island from dune to black coast

Fuerteventura is the oldest of the Canary Islands, some twenty million years old and worn by wind and sea into a bare, golden-brown desert of endless beaches and almost no trees. Since 2009 the whole island has been a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. This drive strings the eight finest places together in one loop of about 190 kilometres, from the great dunes in the north via the old inland capital to the dramatic west coast.

Unique to Touren.app: you need not start in Corralejo. Tap "Drive this route from your location" and we rotate the loop so it starts at the point nearest your hotel or villa and brings you back. Everyone drives the same beautiful route, but from their own front door.

The route on the map

A schematic overview by Touren.app, not a navigation map. The exact route opens under “Drive this route” or in Google Maps. Map orientation: north is up.

Plan your own route

The 8 places along the route

1. Corralejo (Dunas)

Start · the dunes by the sea

The dunes of Corralejo form a protected field of golden sand of some 2,600 hectares at the northern tip of the island, looking out to the islet of Lobos and to Lanzarote across the strait. Wind keeps the dunes shifting; it looks like a piece of the Sahara on the Atlantic. A strong start before you head inland.

Practical: park along the FV-1 by the dunes and walk out onto the sand; keep to the paths, it is a protected nature reserve.

2. El Cotillo

the fishing village · El Cotillo

El Cotillo sits on the north-west coast, a relaxed fishing village with a string of shallow turquoise lagoons (Los Lagos) for sheltered swimming and, beyond, the wilder Playa del Castillo. Above the village stands the round 18th-century watchtower Castillo de El Tostón. A fine first stop by the sea.

Practical: park by the lagoons or the tower; the shallow coves suit children, the surf beaches suit surfers.

3. La Oliva

the manor · La Oliva

In La Oliva stands the Casa de los Coroneles, the imposing 18th-century home of the colonels who ruled the island for centuries, with dozens of windows and wooden balconies. Nearby lies the sacred mountain of Tindaya, where the original inhabitants left rock carvings. A glimpse into the island's history.

Practical: park by the Casa de los Coroneles; the building and its surroundings are free to view, with changing exhibitions inside.

4. Mirador de Morro Velosa

the viewpoint · Morro Velosa

On the FV-30 mountain road lies the Mirador de Morro Velosa, a viewpoint the artist César Manrique designed in the 1970s, at some 670 metres. From here you look out over the bare, folded badlands and the green valleys around Betancuria. Nearby stand the giant statues of the Guanche kings Ayose and Guize.

Practical: park by the building; the view is finest in the morning, and be ready for the wind on the pass, which is often strong.

5. Betancuria

the old capital · Betancuria

Betancuria was founded in 1404 by the Norman conqueror Jean de Béthencourt and was the first capital of the Canary Islands. The white town lies sheltered in a green valley among the mountains, with the church of Santa María and narrow lanes. For centuries it sat inland to stay safe from pirates.

Practical: park on the edge and walk into the low-traffic centre; there are terraces and a small museum on the island's history.

6. Pájara

the puzzling portal · Pájara

Pájara is an old village with the 17th-century church of Nuestra Señora de Regla, famous for a stone portal covered in motifs that recall Central American, almost Aztec art, a puzzle that has never been solved. Around the church lie a small palm-shaded square and old houses. An atmospheric stop in the interior.

Practical: park by the square and walk to the church; the portal on the front is worth a look.

7. Ajuy (Caleta Negra)

the black coast · Ajuy

On the west coast, by Ajuy, lies a black lava beach beside the Caleta Negra and the caves of Ajuy, hollowed into cliffs that hold the oldest rocks in the Canaries, uplifted ancient ocean floor more than a hundred million years old. A short path along the cliffs leads to the caves. The surf here is rough and impressive.

Practical: park in the village of Ajuy and walk the coast path to the caves; wear sturdy shoes and keep clear of the surf.

8. Antigua

the windmill · Antigua

The drive ends in Antigua, a village in the centre of the island with the Molino de Antigua, a restored windmill surrounded by a craft and cheese centre. Windmills like this once ground the gofio, the roasted grain that was the islands' staple food. From here it is not far back to Corralejo.

Practical: park by the windmill; the centre tells of the mills, the gofio and the island's famous Majorero goat cheese.

Practical: for the rental car, convertible and motorbike

From which place: the route starts in Corralejo, but you need not start there. Tap "Drive this route from your location" and Touren.app rotates the loop to the point nearest your hotel or villa, so you set off from your own front door and return to it.

For which vehicle: Fuerteventura has no motorways, only open, quiet FV roads across a wide desert landscape: a delight in a convertible or on a motorbike. Do mind the wind, which is often strong here (this is one of the best-known surf and kite islands for a reason), and sand on the road.

Wild detour to the south: on the Jandía peninsula in the south, behind the mountains, lies Playa de Cofete, a beach many kilometres long and utterly empty. The way there is a long unpaved mountain track; go only if you have the time and the right vehicle, and ask about the current state of the track. We deliberately keep our route on the paved north and centre.

Best time: Fuerteventura is mild and sunny all year. Always bring water, as shade is scarce, and a windproof jacket for the viewpoints. The dunes and the coast are at their best in the golden light of early morning or late afternoon.

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