Fuerteventura
Spain
The oldest of the Canaries, worn down to dunes and long beaches, with a wind that rarely stops
Photo by Thierry Delafontaine on Unsplash
Photos by Markus Wagner, Markus Wagner, Alejandro Martin and Viktoria Elena on Unsplash
Best time to visit all of Spain
All year — most comfortable March to May and September to November; the trade winds blow hardest in high summer
Climate month by month
The next sixteen daysOpen-Meteo
Average high and low · °C
Rainfall · mm per month
Best months to visit This month · wettest 20mm in Dec
Where it is
28.50°N, 13.86°W Open in Google Maps
Things to do
Several days- Book the free Isla de Lobos permit online up to five days ahead — visitor numbers are capped and summer weekends go within hours
- Drive the dirt road to Cofete for the view, and do not swim there
- Take a kitesurf or windsurf lesson at Sotavento or Corralejo
- Walk into the Corralejo dunes early, before the wind lifts the sand
- See Betancuria and the Ajuy caves on the same inland day
Fuerteventura travel tipsthe general rules
Currency budget Spain
Mid-rangeEuros, and the Canaries sit outside the EU VAT area, so alcohol and tobacco cost less than on the mainland. Cards are taken almost everywhere; a little cash helps in the inland villages.
ATMs & cards
Bank machines in Puerto del Rosario, Corralejo, Caleta de Fuste and Morro Jable. The standalone machines in the resort centres push conversion; decline it.
Avoid these
- Euronet and the standalone machines in the resort centres
Use these instead
- CaixaBank
- BBVA
- Santander
- Sabadell
Decline the machine's offer to convert into your own currency and take the euro amount.
Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.
Safety all of Spain
SafeVery safe. The sea is the thing: Cofete and much of the west coast have currents strong enough that swimming there is not done, and the red flag is common on the open beaches. The wind blows most days and is strongest in summer, which suits the kitesurfers and surprises everyone else. The winter is mild rather than hot.
Where to walk, and where to pay attention (9 areas)
Comfortable, including after dark
Worth more attention
- Playa de Cofete — strong currents and no lifeguard; people walk it, they do not swim it
- Playa del Viejo Rey — and the other west-coast surf beaches, which have rips
- The dirt roads to Cofete and the far beaches, which hire-car insurance often does not cover
- The sun in the wind, which burns faster than the temperature suggests
Our own assessment, not a sourced index.
Entry & visa Spain visa rules
No visa needed
Freedom of movement — no time limit, and no visa. Bring a passport or national ID card.
Other passports
No visa neededup to 90 days
90 days within any 180-day period, counted across the whole Schengen area, not per country. ETIAS, a paid online authorisation, is being introduced for these passports — check the official link for whether it applies to your travel dates.
Visa required in advance€90 (Schengen short-stay visa)
A Schengen short-stay visa is applied for before travel, at the consulate of your main destination.
How to get it: Apply at the consulate or visa centre of the country you will spend most time in, typically 15 working days ahead and no more than six months before travel.
Entry rules change often and depend on your passport, not where you live — the official page above is the authority, and the airline checks before you board.
Health & emergencies all of Spain
Excellent and cheapRequired to enter
No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.
Jabs worth having, and what happens if you need a doctor
Worth having
- Routine vaccinations up to date (MMR, tetanus, polio)
Getting treated
EU/EEA and Swiss visitors are treated on the same terms as residents with an EHIC or GHIC card; UK visitors use a GHIC. Everyone else pays, and travel insurance is worth having for the repatriation cover rather than the treatment.
Orientation, not medical advice — entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history. Check with a travel clinic four to six weeks before you go.
Food tip
GoodMajorero cheese, made from the island's goats and sometimes rubbed with paprika or gofio, is the thing to eat and to take home. Roast kid, cabrito, is the Sunday dish inland. In the harbours, order the fish of the day by weight and ask the price before it is cooked.
Travel tipsGetting around
LimitedThe mainland apps barely reach the island — Uber lists it, but do not expect a car. Taxis at a rank or called by the hotel are the answer, and a hire car is how most people get around.
Time zone and your working day
Atlantic/Canary — 5 hours ahead of you
3 hours of overlap with a 09:00–17:00 day where you are — 09:00–12:00 your time, 14:00–17:00 theirs.
No overlap with a 09:00–17:00 day where you are. Working from here means one of you keeps odd hours — their day starts at 04:00 on your clock.
office hours both at once night
Their 09:00–17:00 is 04:00–12:00 on yours.
The difference from the UK, Europe, the US and ten more
Worked out against America/New York, which is where this request looks like it came from.
eSIM
A data eSIM for Spain, installed before you fly and working the moment you land:
Works here
Works hereRevolutIn the app
Must-see
Travel tipsNearby day trips
Travel tipsSay a few words
Spanish
- HelloHolaOH-la
- PleasePor favorpor fa-VOR
- Thank youGraciasGRA-thyas
- Yes / NoSí / Nosee / no
4 more phrases
- Excuse mePerdónper-DON
- How much is it?¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-to KWES-ta
- The bill, pleaseLa cuenta, por favorla KWEN-ta
- Cheers!¡Salud!sa-LOOD
Religion
Catholic
Nominally Catholic and deeply secular in practice. Churches are working buildings as well as sights, and Semana Santa is taken seriously even by people who never attend Mass.
Travel tipsDo's and don'ts
Do
- Eat late — lunch from 14:00, dinner rarely before 21:00
- Greet with two cheek kisses, right cheek first, between women or a man and a woman
- Stand at the bar to drink; it is cheaper than sitting and more sociable
- Say buenos días on entering a small shop, and adiós on leaving
Don't
- Do not expect anything to be open between 14:00 and 17:00 outside the big cities
- Do not order sangria in a serious restaurant — it is a tourist drink; ask for tinto de verano
- Do not tip heavily; rounding up or a euro or two is normal
- In Barcelona, do not assume Catalan and Spanish are interchangeable — the distinction matters to people
Where to stay in Fuerteventura
No Holistay rentals in Fuerteventura yet — the platform is just opening up. Every listing here will have a video tour and the option to negotiate the nightly price directly with the host.
In the meantime, here is Fuerteventura on the sites that do have the inventory — each search is already filled in:
- Booking.com hotels, guesthouses and apartments — the widest coverage almost everywhere
- Airbnb whole homes and apartments, and the better option for a week or more
How to get there
Fly into Fuerteventura FUE
10 minfrom the airport· 5 km as the crow flies
10 min to Puerto del Rosario, 40 to Corralejo, well over an hour to Morro Jable.
Google Flights · Rome2Rio for the trains, buses and ferries as well as the flights
