Fuerteventura holidays

There are more than 150 different options when it comes to beaches in Fuerteventura. The island’s stretches of sand range from deserted bays to well-equipped family bases, and a fair few of the coves and bays are held in such high regard, they’ve been given natural park status.

Parque Natural de las Dunas wins the title of Fuerteventura’s biggest beach by some way. It’s 10 kilometres long and protected as a natural park, so the soft, white sand has largely been left exactly as nature intended. You can hire sunloungers on some stretches, though, and there are a couple of nearby restaurants and ice-cream kiosks for when you need to fuel up between sunbathing stints.

Cofete Beach, a secluded bay near Jandia, has managed to stay under the tourism radar. There’s a short walk down to the beach and no facilities at all, so you’ll get a real castaway feeling when you’re here. And if you visit outside the peak summer months, you can have this spot, with its untouched mountain scenery, pretty much all to yourself.

Brush up on your bargaining skills at one of Fuerteventura’s markets. Corralejo’s jewellery markets on Mondays and Fridays are stocked up with – you guessed it – handmade jewellery. You can pick up pottery in Jandia and Puerto del Rosario. And the Sunday markets in Costa Calma are the place to go for crystal glass and silver.

Visit the old town in Corralejo to pick up pieces of local art, homemade jewellery and local aloe vera products like hand cream. You can also buy photography at the harbour – local photographers have prints for sale in a few of the stores.

Fuerteventura’s a great place to stock up on duty-free perfumes and watches. You’ll find the best buys at the 30,000-square-foot Las Rotondas shopping centre in Puerto del Rosario. Or, for more retail therapy, try the Comercial Atlantico in Costa Caleta, which has over 40 stores under its roof.

Fuerteventura’s less of a wild child than Tenerife and Lanzarote. Here, evenings out tend to revolve around cocktails and long, leisurely meals. Head to the pedestrianised area near Corralejo’s harbour, where acoustic music’s often the backdrop to your dinner. Jandia Harbour has its fair share of restaurants, too, while Costa Caleta’s main bar hubs are the Happy Centre and Castillo Centre.

You’ll find some of the island’s liveliest nightspots in Centro Commercial Atlantico, in Corralejo. Puerto del Rosario’s town centre gets in on the act, too. Both these places have karaoke bars, Irish pubs and a few discos where you can dance the night away. And if you’re staying in Jandia, the Centro Comercial de Jandia is the place to go to paint the town red.

This cheese is a tapas table crowd pleaser. It’s made from the milk of Fuerteventura’s indigenous Majorera goat and it’s got a buttery, nutty flavour. It goes well with Parma ham and crusty bread, and for a real treat, order it with a bottle of oaky Rioja.

This tiny fish snack is like Fuerteventura’s version of a bag of pork scratchings back home. The tiny fish in this finger-food dish are dried and cooked in flaming alcohol, and they’re best paired with a glass of Rioja.

The centuries-old Canarian recipe for gofio amasado consists of a grain-based gofio flour, milk, water, potatoes and honey. It’s mixed together until it’s got a pate-like texture. It’s often served in slices as a snack at festivals.

Papas arrugadas are absolutely everywhere in the Canary Islands. These wrinkly potatoes are more appetising than they sound, thanks to crunchy skins and fluffy centres. They’re usually dusted with coarse sea salt and lashings of spicy pepper sauce.

This rich and gooey almond dessert is made with sugar syrup, cinnamon, almonds and eggs. It’s most often served as a sweet, post-dinner treat.