Fuerteventura is the oldest island of the Canaries, the second largest, and the quietest of the major islands. It is a favourite destination for naturists from all over Europe and boasts a beach for every day of the year with supposedly 365 of them - no I have not explored them all! - from vast stretches of 8 miles of Cofete’s empty beach to tiny coves. Naturism is practiced on most beaches out of the towns, so you will be spoilt for the right beach for you and lots of opportunities for naked walking. The beaches on the west can experience the might of the Atlantic so care is needed swimming from them.
The name Fuerteventura means ‘strong wind’ and on occasions it can live up to that with north easterlies helping cool the island. If your thing is festivals then Fuerty is the place for you with every town having lots of them.
It is an island of two halves. The northern half mainly visited by British and Irish tourists and with lots of ex-pat residents, the south of island is mainly German and Scandinavia visitors.
My love of the island goes back to 2001 when I first stayed in El Cotillo on North West of island in a small apartment block north of the fishing village, right on the beach and at that time only had electricity from a generator and water which came in by truck. Only word to describe it was PARADISE. El Cotillo is now growing from being a sleepy village into having a good number of apartment blocks, hotel and lots of good restaurants and bars. The lagoons to the north of village are protected from the worst of the Atlantic waves by an off shore reef which means that at most times swimming is very safe and one of the lagoons recently renamed El Concha is a huge horseshoe of soft white sand and shared with many textile day trippers. I love to walk over naked and swim in the deserted lagoon in the morning, why bother with a shower?
I have travelled the island extensively. My norm is to hire a car, although it’s not necessary as the island has a very good and cheap bus service, although note that the timekeeping is excellent at the start of a run but if there are few stops on route the driver speeds on so if you are hoping to board at an intermediate point - arrive early! The roads are very good having had vast sums of EU money spent on them and reasonably quiet from motorways to twisting hair-raising mountain passes.
The main town in the north is Corralejo, now very much holiday apartments and hotels and sports a vast array of shops (not for me), restaurants - the best in my opinion is Avenida a steak and fish restaurant favoured by the locals, there is always a queue, no booking tables here but don’t be tempted with a starter as you will need a doggy bag for your main course. There is lots of night life as well and just outside the town is the huge dunes beach running for miles into the distance.
Caleta resort halfway down island is not my choice is more of a Blackpool (no offence to Blackpool!) complete with its MacDonald’s. Certainly not a naturist friendly beach. The centre of the island is mountainous with many extinct volcanoes, some tremendous roads and interesting towns, my favourite being Pajara a real provincial town with lovely gardens and superb rural hotel and restaurant Casa Isaitas opposite the car park. You enter to a lovely courtyard and local dishes produced by Pela, the owner, an ideal place for lunch and siesta.
German visitors in the south of the island I believe goes back to WW2 when there was a German submarine base at Ajuy, and you can still explore the caves where they used so dock the subs. The resorts of Costa Calma and Jandia have many large hotels fronting onto miles and miles of white sand beaches and majority of users are naturist. The standard of the hotels in the main are very good. My personal favourite is Magic Life which has a naturist pool and spa area and is sheltered from the wind and on the cliff overlooking the beach. I prefer beaches and it’s one drawback that you need to be a mountain goat to climb the steps! Further on you have the town of Morro Jable a fishing port and real town, I have stayed there and it is only couple hundred metres along beach to the naturists’ area. For the adventurous you can explore over the mountain pass to Cofete and the fascinating Villa Winter, supposedly a German radio and control post and then plastic surgery hospital for escaping war criminals, with an old airfield close by all very possible.
However with all the island has to offer I still head back to El Cotillo every Sept to my bit of PARADISE and meet up with friends returning there year after year. They all know Falkirkdan my nom-de-plume on the BN and Fuerteventura forums and we enjoy the ritual of afternoon tea and biscuits on our lagoon beach. I refuse to tell you the name of accommodation for even as a regular I am having to pencil book two years in advance.
I am happy to answer your questions - but beware Feurty is addictive!
Danny Callaghan
SANER Regional Co-ordinator