Which towns does the Fuerteventura map show?
Puerto del Rosario is the island capital and the location of Fuerteventura Airport. The main road links run along the FV-1 and FV-2.
Corralejo is the main resort in the north. From there, ferry connections run to Lanzarote and there is direct access to the Dunas de Corralejo nature park. El Cotillo lies in the north-west and is known for its beaches and coves on the windier west coast.
Caleta de Fuste is a sheltered bay on the east coast near the airport. Playa de Caleta de Fuste is one of the island's significant beaches. The resort belongs to the municipality of Antigua in the central east.
In the south lies Pájara, the island's largest municipality. It includes Costa Calma, the Sotavento coast, Morro Jable and large parts of the Jandía peninsula. Gran Tarajal is a coastal town and port in the south-east, in the municipality of Tuineje.
Which beaches are particularly important on the map?
The Dunas de Corralejo form the most extensive dune system in the Canary archipelago. They lie in the north of the island, in the municipality of La Oliva. The Grandes Playas de Corralejo are long, pale sandy beaches along the nature park.
Access to the Grandes Playas is via the FV-1 or the coastal road by the dune area. El Cotillo offers several coves and beaches west of the town; the west coast is more exposed to the Atlantic.
Sotavento is the collective name for several beaches on the south-east coast. They include La Barca, Risco del Paso, Mirador and Malnombre.
Playa del Matorral lies near Morro Jable. The area includes a significant salt and wetland habitat and is protected as the Sitio de Interés Científico de Playa del Matorral.
How do you get to the towns and beaches?
Fuerteventura Airport lies near Puerto del Rosario and is the island's central arrival point. The main routes for cars run along the FV-1 in the north and the FV-2 towards the south.
For Cofete, an unpaved track is required. Public bus routes connect Puerto del Rosario with the main municipalities and resorts. Remote beaches such as Cofete cannot be compared with ordinary urban bus connections.
Corralejo is the northern ferry port for Lanzarote. Puerto del Rosario serves further inter-island connections. Timetables and fares change seasonally and must be checked with the relevant operator before travelling.
Fuerteventura seems compact, but remote beaches, nature parks and gravel tracks can involve considerable journey times. A map should therefore not only mark places, but also convey distances realistically.
Which nature parks and protected areas does the map show?
Fuerteventura has 13 protected natural areas. These include the nature parks of Corralejo, Islote de Lobos and Jandía, the Parque Rural de Betancuria, as well as natural monuments and protected landscapes.
The designated protected areas include Montaña de Tindaya, Malpaís Grande, Vallebrón and Malpaís de La Arena, among others.
In the Parque Natural de Corralejo, designated paths and roads must be used. For Montaña de Tindaya, access is only permitted on authorised paths and with an authorised guide. Vehicles and routes outside the permitted areas are prohibited.
In Malpaís de La Arena, no new paths, no fires, no litter and no motorised vehicles outside approved routes are allowed. The protection rules are based, among other things, on Canary Islands laws 12/1987 and 12/1994.
When is the best time to travel according to climate data?
The climate values come from AEMET for the Fuerteventura Aeropuerto weather station and refer to the 1981–2010 normal period.
For a beach holiday with little rain, May to September are statistically the driest. June to August have the highest mean temperatures and the most hours of sunshine.
August is the warmest month, with a mean temperature of 24.6 °C, and January the coolest, at 17.6 °C. In December, average rainfall is 26 mm according to AEMET, while June, July and August record 0 mm.
The table does not include sea temperatures; AEMET does not list a monthly water temperature for this airport station in the displayed normal values. Current values and warnings: CITA weather (cita.news/de/wetter.html) and AEMET.
What rules apply on beaches and in nature parks?
At Playa de Cofete, bathing should only be undertaken with great caution because of strong waves and wind. The official information recommends particular care when swimming. The beach is windy and has strong surf.
In nature parks and other protected areas, rules on paths, access, fires, camping and nature conservation must not be interpreted at one's own discretion. Signage and current instructions from the responsible protected area authority are binding.
Official park information warns against walking outside marked paths, driving vehicles off approved routes, camping, lighting fires, leaving litter, damaging dunes or removing stones and geological materials.
For walks in remote areas, sufficient water, sun protection and route planning suitable for the terrain should be arranged. For Tindaya, a spontaneous ascent without an authorised guide is a particularly problematic mistake.