Sotavento Beach, Fuerteventura © Spanish Tourist Office
Only 60 miles (100km) separates the island of Fuerteventura,
second largest in the Canary archipelago, from the continent of
Africa, and this sunny island shares the same latitude (and
therefore weather conditions) with the renowned holiday
destinations of Florida and Mexico. Unlike those bustling
resort-ridden vacation stations, though, Fuerteventura is
relatively undiscovered, its more than 150 idyllic sandy beaches
only sparsely populated and many seldom visited at all. The island
has an arid volcanic landscape, and apart from the beaches, not
much to recommend it in the way of tourist amenities or
attractions. This has kept the mega resorts and mass summer package
holiday trade at bay, but it does have a fair share of day-trippers
from the resorts of Lanzarote and Gran Canaria who come seeking a
respite from the crowds. The island's two main resort towns are
Corralejo and Caleta del Fuste. Fuerteventura is easily accessible
from the other islands in the archipelago by ferry or air. The
airport is situated close to the island's capital of Puerto del
Rosario.
