Fuerteventura — Overview

About Fuerteventura

Fuerteventura is the second-largest Canary Island by area (1,660 km²) but one of the least populated, with approximately 120,000 inhabitants. The capital, Puerto del Rosario, is home to about 40,000 residents. The island sits approximately 100 km from the African coast.

A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2009, Fuerteventura is the oldest of the Canary Islands, formed approximately 20 million years ago. Unlike the younger western islands with their dramatic volcanic peaks, Fuerteventura has been heavily eroded over time, creating wide plains, gently rolling hills, and over 150 km of sandy beaches.

The island is globally renowned for watersports, particularly windsurfing and kitesurfing, due to consistent trade winds and year-round warm temperatures. The PWA Windsurfing World Cup is held annually at Playa de Sotavento. The island's turquoise waters and white sand beaches, created from eroded marine shells and coral rather than volcanic rock, give it a Caribbean-like appearance.

The only airport is Fuerteventura Airport (FUE) near Puerto del Rosario, handling approximately 6 million passengers annually.