Whenever you come to Fuerteventura - you will land in the middle of summer. Only a four hours flight away from Central Europe, you are actually already in Africa. Not even one hundred kilometres to the African mainland, and exactly opposite the Sahara...

With a surface of 1730 square kilometres Fuerteventura is the second largest of the Canary Islands, is nearly 100 kilometres long and between 5 and 30 kilometres wide. The narrowest place, Istmo de la Pared, divides the island into Maxorata and Jandia.
Fuerteventura is the oldest island of the Canary Islands and has less high mountains than its later developed neighbour islands, because it was more strongly flattened by erosion. The mountain country around Betancuria was raised from the sea, the remainder of the island developed in several volcanic outbreaks, which began approximately 17 million years ago. At the latest 10,000 years ago expired the volcanism, which shaped the landscape in such a dominant way. Today you can still see the "Calderas" (volcanic cone) in the north, the rigid lava stream in Pozo Negro, the lava fields east of Tuineje and the dark sandy and gravel beaches developed from lava in e.g. Tarajalejo and Gran Tarajal.
The 144 officially registered sandy beaches are however predominantly white and gold-yellow, developed from the lime of sea animals. The sand is thus not blown from the Sahara, as it is often told. Sand from the Sahara reaches Fuerteventura only a few days of the year; even if the Kalima (Schirokko) blows. This sand is so fine that one rather speaks of dust and it is not white, but red-brown. The rare Kalima days are the only ones, when the weather is unpleasant; it never gets really hot, neither gets cold even in the winter, rain is rare. The steadily good weather owes Fuerteventura to the Canary-gulf and the trade winds, which keep rains and heat away.
The beaches and the dune area at Corralejo are located at the east coast, thus on the Africa turned side, probably the reason for the above-mentioned misunderstanding. The west coast is hillier and it has dangerous currents. Swimming is there dangerous, particularly at the Playa de Barlovento at Cofete!

The first touristic palace developed on Fuerteventura was in Jandia, east of the small fishing village Morro Jable. It is still called "Jandia" or "Jandia Playa", although meanwhile several holiday areas on the peninsula are developed. The beach is called officially "Playa de Matorral". The lighthouse at "Punta de Matorral" marks the southernmost point of Fuerteventura. Jandia has already the character of a small city beside a whole set of hotels and holiday resorts. There is everything that holidaymakers need: Shopping centres, shops, banks, restaurants, cafes, bars and discotheques; but everything in a rather contemplative, cosy kind.
If you drive from here northward, you pass the club Aldiana, Esquinzo and then some of the world-best Surf spots, until you arrive in Costa Calma. Still it is not a town, but above a long beautiful beach the lively settlement of generous holiday resorts, shops and restaurants. The "Istmo de Pared", which means isthmus of the wall, is something north of Costa Calma. The name reminds of a wall which separated the two kingdoms of the Guanches - Maxorata and Jandia.

Nearly in the centre to the island, only a few kilometre south of the airport, is Caletta de Fuste, also known as El Castillo. The "Castillo" consists of the remainders of a round tower, built in 18th Century for the defence against pirates. The wind-protected bay with bright sand is particularly suitable for families with small children. From the airport northward you drive through the dunes of the protected area "El Jable" to Corralejo. This fishing port developed straight to a lively Holiday village. The beaches, which are a bit outside of town, are not only long, but also wide unlike anywhere else: the dunes reach kilometres into the landscape and, with your back to the sea, you feel like being in the Sahara. If you look at the water, you see the island Lobos, which you can visit with a short boat trip, and somewhat further behind that you see the black neighbouring island of Lanzarote.
Jandia, Costa Calma and Corralejo are well-known and important tourist destinations, but they form actually only a small part of Fuerteventura. Before sun-hungry holiday-makers discovered the island, the life of the 45,000 Majoreros, as the island inhabitants call themselves, took place on the inland: the former capital Betancuria, the old Antigua, Pajara, centre of the cultivation of pepper, the olive city La Oliva...
The villages do not offer exciting objects of interest but nevertheless in their simple beauty in the midst of the lonely mountain world and the barren hills they are worth a visit.