Soft white sands, rolling waves and attractive resorts make Fuerteventura a natural playground for beach lovers and watersports enthusiasts. If you don’t want to do anything more energetic than lie on the shore and soak up the sun, Fuerteventura is just the ticket where days seem to come to a blissful standstill and evenings roll on endlessly towards the cobalt blue horizon. A wealth of beauty spots are sprinkled around the golden coastline and the dramatic, volcanic interior, whilst cosmopolitan resorts flaunt an excellent array of restaurants and bars.

Food & Wine
Tomatoes and potatoes are the main crops on the island, so expect to find these used in many of the regional specialities. Try puchero, a thick Canarian stew, and papas arrugadas, small, salted potatoes cooked in their skins and dipped in mojo, a sauce of parsley or red peppers mixed with oil and garlic. The ever popular paella features heavily on restaurant menus as does ocean-fresh seafood including sardines, tuna and squid - waiters will often bring a tray for you to choose from. Fuerteventura also produces its own cheese made from goats' milk called majorero – simply delicious!

Days & Nights
Evenings in Fuerteventura tend to be quite low key with discos and nightclubs a little thin on the ground. Instead, much of the evening entertainment is based in the hotels. The capital, Corralejo, boasts a handful of bars, several discos and a good selection of restaurants while Caleta de Fuste has a wide range of bars and restaurants catering for most tastes and budgets. Evenings in Jandia amount to good food, accompanied by a bottle of wine and friendly company whether in a local tapas bar or a gourmet restaurant.

Sights & Sounds
Sightseeing: Betancuria
Follow in the footsteps of Berber pirates and pay a visit to Betancuria, the former capital, built on the sides of an extinct volcano. Now a little village in a green valley surrounded by hot, windswept scrubland, it has the appearance of being a mirage.

Isla de los Lobos
Climb aboard a glass-bottomed boat and take a trip to this tiny volcanic island situated in the straits of El Rio, midway between Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. The entire island is a nature reserve littered with sandy coves ideal for swimming and relaxing. For those who like to walk, there’s a clearly-marked trail circling the island.

Ajuy
With its craggy seabed, huge underwater caves and shoals of brightly-coloured fish, the waters around Ajuy are a haven for scuba-lovers. A quiet fishing village perched on the shores of a small bay, Ajuy’s simple beachside restaurants serve up the day’s catch to hungry visitors.

Pajara
One of the oldest settlements on the island, the small town of Pajara is a magnet for history lovers who flock there to see the church of Nuestra Senora de la Regla, built in 1684. Stylised images of fish, birds, lions and snakes decorate the stone reliefs above the main portal, while the interior features a smiling figure of the Madonna and Child.

American Star Shipwreck
On the tiny beach of Playa de Garcey, on the island’s western side, lies the remains of the American Star, once the pride of the United States maritime industry. The ship was sold to a transport development company, who planned to take the vessel to Thailand and convert it into a majestical floating hotel. But rough seas and poor judgment saw it beach itself on the shore. Two days later, the ship split into two and today remains one of the most visited tourist attractions in the area.

Sun & Sand
Fuerteventura is home to some of the finest beaches in the Canaries – 152 unspoilt stretches of silky sand and translucent seas, many of which lie completely empty. The coastal breeze makes the embracing waters excellent for windsurfing and other watersports. The long rolling expanses of gleaming white dunes that make up Corralejo National Park are an unofficial naturist reserve with plenty of room to perfect your all over tan without being disturbed.