Fuerteventura  - Surf and SUP Guide

A magnetic for Winter sun escapees. A lunar landscape. A island with infinite Paddling and Surfing opportunities. Fuerteventura is an ideal paddle destination. 

I have paddled and surfed in Fuerteventura several times and it really is a special place to explore. Known for its strong winds, come here in the winter months however and you will likely find ideal Paddling and Surfing conditions.  Come here in the Summer and through stronger trade winds kick in, making the Canary Islands more suitable to Windsports. But a winter trip means escaping the dark and cold of Northern Europe, ditching the thick neoprene and enjoying some well deserved sunshine. 

I have spent my time in the North of the island so this will be where the spots and tips in the article will be about. From the airport its a 45 minutes or so drive to Corralejo or El Cotillo, the two coastal resorts in the North, all easily done by shuttle bus, public bus or hire car.

Corralejo is the Islands premier resort and consists of several small, picturesque bays all backed by bars and restaurants.  It is easily walkable and has none of the high rises of other big Canarian resorts. This means its pretty relaxed and family friendly. 

The bays of Corralejo are asking to be explored by SUP. You can stop on the many beaches for a drink or a snack and it is easy to hire a board for an hour or two.

World Champion Espe Barreras uses the bay as the training camp for herself and other international racers, which gives you an idea of how good the conditions can regularly be here.

Once an hour, the ferry connecting Corralejo to Lanzarote enters the bay, this gives a unique opportunity to surf a wave directly in the middle of the normally completely flat bay. The ferries wake rolls into the bay and jacks up on a small reef, dramatically increasing in size into a waist to chest size clean wave. It really is a unique experience to surf this one off wave. Be aware that it's a powerful wave breaking over extremely shallow and sharp reef.

Fuerteventura surfing on the whole means surfing over sharp, shallow reefs, but there really are locations for all levels. In Corralejo,  the main spot is Rocky Point (Punta Helena) with crowds of surf schools on the inside and bigger more powerful waves on the outside.  Like most reef spots it is extremely tide dependent. 

Other Corralejo spots include Playa de la Agujas and Bristol. South of the the landscape changes completely with 6 miles of dunes (the sand being deposited by Saharan sand storms), giving a taste of being in Africa or the Middle East. Dune Buggies are an exciting way to explore this landscape.  Fronting the dunes are the beaches of Flag Beach, Playa de Murro and the Grande Playas. Mixed in with small reefs jutting out you will find lots of sandy beach which on their day can offer surf or touring potential. 

Outside of Corralejo it is a choice of taking the tarmac road to the West Coast at El Cotillo or taking the coastal road. The coastal is a dirt road which takes you to lots of secret and not so secret Surfing reefs. Facilities are pretty much non existent here, so you will need a hire car or go with a surf school to check out these spots. Beginners will want to check out Punta Blanca or Lagunas which Majanicho German Right are waves with more power, punch and consequences. 

Over on the West Coast is El Cotillo.  Its a mixture of small resort, surf hippy location and a wild west town. There are plenty of food options, lovely swimming lagoons and surf shops in town. While just south of town lies a few kilometres of beautiful sandy beaches (interspersed with reefs). They offer fantastic conditions for beginners when it is small. The more South, away from town you go, the more power and less crowds. When it gets above waist to chest high it can get quite dumpy.

Fuerteventura really does offer incredible variety of Surfing and Paddling in a unique environment,  which will keep you coming back again and again.