Fuerteventura Five: On the Beach

Fuerteventura is known for its beaches, with Cotillo and Cofete regularly making lists of top-ten beaches worldwide. We didn't make it to these two iconic places, but, while on holiday in Fuerteventura we did explore several beaches; from rocky shores to sandy spots.

As with every beach trip across the world, be aware of the tides, your surroundings, and the sun. Take plenty of water with you, slather yourselves in suncream, and make a note whether or not the beaches are supervised, in case of emergency. And most importantly, have fun!

Playa de Matas Blancas, Costa Calma

The beach nearest to our hotel was the Playas de Matas Blancas - a flat, packed-sand beach surrounded by incredible rock formations and craggy cliffs. It's a combination of black- and white-sand which makes for some striking contrasts, and shady spots to shelter from the sun.

The sand is quite hard, so it was perfect for beach games and jumping the crashing waves that roll in from the Atlantic - though these can be large and there are strong currents, so keep an eye on your little ones.

One of the lovely things about this side of the island is that it faces away from the open Atlantic Ocean, so the waves aren't quite as big as some other spots on Fuerteventura, and many of the beaches feel quite sheltered.

Playa del Matorral, Morro Jable

We took an easy bus journey from the main stop in Costa Calma to Morro Jable, the largest town in the Jandía Peninsula, for a little tourist shopping and to visit the golden-sand Blue Flag beaches there.

The beach we ended up on was the Playa del Matorral; reached via a long boardwalk from the main shopping promenade; this passes Faro de Morro Jable, the tallest lighthouse in the Canaries, and the Jandía Salt Marshes; a unique ecosystem of habitats that can withstand saltwater flooding at high tide - evidenced by warm pools coloured by red sand, that collect at the top of the beach and are perfect for paddling.

We didn't know at the time, but the beach north of the lighthouse is a nudist beach, and while it didn't bother us when we realised, but families might prefer to head to the southern stretches.

Playa Corralejo

With miles of beaches, Corralejo in northern Fuerteventura is a hotspot for holiday-makers. The most famous beach there is the Correlejo Dunes, which is actually a national park, but the most accessible is the 'city beach' of Playa Corralejo.

Just a turn off one of the main tourist roads in town, this small beach is surrounded by cafes and bars, and has calm turquoise waters that stretch away to Isla de Lobos in the distance. The waves were gentle so the shoreline was filled with people playing and swimming to quite far out into the ocean, and this family-friendly beach was busy, but we managed to stake our claim in the sand, and had a lovely afternoon in the sun.

There are showers as you leave the beach, so it's simple to wash off the sand before heading into town for a bite to eat or a cocktail at one of the many restaurants in Corralejo.

Playa Negra de Ajuy

One of the most famous beaches in Fuerteventura is Playa Negra de Ajuy in the western part of Fuerteventura. Fringed by a small village, the area is famous for its caves and black-sand beach. It was quite a strange thing to see - we're so used to the idea of golden sand or rocky shores!

The beach is a sheltered cove, formed from the erosion of volcanic rock which creates a fine sediment - though Oli said it was "scratchy sand" and she wasn't wrong! Although there were plenty of groups sunbathing and playing in the waves, it wasn't particularly comfortable to walk on, and the ground was scorching as the dark colour absorbed all the heat!

We took a short cliff-walk to the Mirador Cuevas de Ajuy, from which we could see the massive Ajuy Caves, watch the waves crashing through the rocks, and marvel at the unique honeycomb formations in the hillside.

Playa el Granillo

Our holiday resort was situated between two beaches, and the second one we visited was Playa el Granillo - reached for us from a long seafront promenade that overlooks the crashing waves, offers spectacular views of the distant hills, and is home to the ubiquitous Barbary Rock Squirrels, which were introduced to Fuerteventura in the mid-sixties, and are now thriving across the island.

Oli loved this small, soft-sand beach. As it's in a sheltered bay the waves weren't too strong, and the perfect size for wave-jumping along the shore. However, as Fuerteventura is a volcanic island, be aware that there are lots of submerged rocks and dips under the waves.

There's no shade on this beach, and, as with most of the beaches across Fuerteventura, a charge for use of the sunloungers, so I recommend picking up an inexpensive sun-umbrella from one of the tourist shops, and making your own cover!