One Week in Fuerteventura | A Short Itinerary

My husband and I try to go to Fuerteventura each year, mostly because he spent every summer growing up there. His family had a house in a smaller village called Villaverde and they always had a car. This meant that they were constantly exploring, meaning that I got the grand tour when I first arrived. One week in Fuerteventura is usually enough to see all the sights. If you are not just after the classic British all-inclusive holiday, then this post is for you.

Before we get started, I am assuming that you have rented a car when I’m writing this. I have also assumed that you are staying in Corralejo, which is one of three main hubs. I would say that whilst Corralejo isn’t my favourite, it is in the best location.

Here is how to spend a perfect week in Fuerteventura… Enjoy!

One Week in Fuerteventura | A Short Itinerary

Day 1: Corralejo and Lobos

After a day of travelling to the island, start of with a leisurely day in Corralejo. The first thing to do is to book a trip to Lobos; a small volcanic island. This nature reserve is only accessible by boat but, luckily, lots of companies run tours there. If you head on over to the new harbour, you cannot miss them.

I would suggest booking for early morning before it gets too hot. If you can, get over to Lobos for 10:00. It is really exposed here and so make sure you bring plenty of suncream and water. If you are not too interested in snorkelling or scuba-diving, you can probably see the island in a few hours. I do love chilling here though and a handmade bocadillo is the perfect companion.

The boats back to the mainland run quite regularly. By the time you have arrived back it is probably early afternoon. Head over to one of the many cafes along the sea (they are all pretty similar) and enjoy a Fanta limon or a Tropical beer.

Once you have refreshed yourself, go into your car and head to the National Park. These sand dunes are beautiful and are the filming location for many big Hollywood blockbusters. Park nearer to Corralejo and go exploring for a bit. The beaches here are also some of the best on the island.

After exploring, drive back to your hotel. In the evening, make your way to the main strip of Corralejo. Do a bit of shopping (you will have time later) and finally find a restaurant along the seafront. These again are quite similar, so I would say go for the one with the best view. Waikiki has excellent cocktails and drinks…

Day 2: Tindaya, La Oliva and Villaverde

In the morning, get up and go to your car. Drive down the FV-1 and take the exit where you see the signs to La Oliva. Before you get there though, you will enter the fabulous village of Villaverde, where you will have breakfast. Mi Dulce Hogar does terrific cakes and pastries, so make a stop here for breakfast. Their toasties are also excellent.

Once you have eaten breakfast, jump back in the car (we will come back to Villaverde later) and drive to Tindaya. The village doesn’t have loads in, but there is an exceptional beach here and there are plenty of volcanoes to see. You probably need no more than half an hour here, so once you are done, drive to La Oliva. This town is one of the prettiest on the island and there is a fair amount to do. Check out some of the boutiques and explore the older Canarian architecture. There is also the Colonel’s House which is a historic fort and you can’t miss the windmills (Molinos)!

After you have been here, it is time to go to the beach! One week in Fuerteventura is not enough to see all of the beaches, but we’re going to a special one. El Jablito is on the edge of the Corralejo national park and is perfect for snorkelling (only 10 minutes from La Oliva). It is not particularly picturesque, but it has some of the best marine life on the island. If you don’t fancy snorkelling, then drive into the early parts of the National Park. The beaches are much quieter here.

Once you have had an afternoon on the beach, drive back the way you came and stop again in Villaverde. Here are some of the best restaurants on the island and will be perfect for dinner. El Morale, Casa Marcus (if you can book it) and El Horno are excellent for authentic, sit-down meals. If you fancied something lighter, such as pizza, then Abuella Maria is a great shout too.

Day 3 – Lajares and El Cotillo

Wake up early again and grab the car keys. You are heading to the stunning beachside town of El Cotillo. Before you get there and lounge about, it is time for some morning nourishment and exercise!

Lajares is the gateway to El Cotillo and has some really nice cafes and markets. Hop out of the car for a bit and find some breakfast. Go to La Paneteca for a coffee and cake and then dedicate some time to quickly exploring the town. Once you have done that, take the car to the Calderón Hondo pathway. This is an ancient, extinct volcano and you can climb all the way to the top and see the crater. I personally recommend doing this early in the morning to avoid the heat (latest 10:00am) and the walk will take an hour and a half tops. It isn’t too bad a walking route, but the accessibility along the path also is not good.

After your walk, go back to the car and set off to El Cotillo. Park up around the New Harbour (there are plenty of spaces) and walk towards the older part of the town. The shops here are very unique and have some lovely stuff. Make sure you take some time to explore the town and grab some lunch whilst you are here.

As the temperature cools, go back to the car and head to La Concha beach. This is my husband’s favourite childhood beach and you could easily spend a day here. The rockpool walls on either side of the beach mean that it turns into a natural lagoon for half the day. Perfect for chilling and swimming. As it gets cooler, go back to the car and drive down the road that took you here. You will eventually get to a lighthouse which is just impressive to see and look around. As dusk comes in, drive back and stop at Azzuro for dinner. Delicious! Check out my post on exploring El Cotillo for more information and ideas for your visit.

Day 4 – Betancuria and Ajuy

On your fourth day, you are heading to the ancient capital of the island; Betancuria. Here is a detailed itinerary for this particular trip as it is not the easiest route. However, if you only have one week in Fuerteventura it is a must!

As a disclaimer: the roads are not great up to Betancuria, but are even worse near Ajuy. If you are faint of heart, avoid Betancuria entirely and stick to the coastal roads to Ajuy. Some of the roads are on top of very steep ledges.

Day 5 – Puerto del Rosario

On Day 5, get ready for more driving! However, this route is nice and easy; you basically head back to the airport. Today we are going to Puerto del Rosario, the current capital of the island.

There is no major rush today so take your time. When you get to the capital, find a place to park your car. I would recommend being by the seafront so that you are near the action. There is nothing specific to see here, it is more about the shops and seafront. Plus, I think that it is interesting to look around. Take your time at the Centro Comercial Las Rotondas, which is the main shopping centre on the island. Here you can find lots of shops that you would expect back home, so indulge yourself in retail therapy.

After you have shopped until you drop, head back to the seafront and have some lunch. I personally think that this is one of the best places to eat on the island. There is something nice about the harbour here and it always seems hotter than the other parts of the island.

In the afternoon, you have a few options. You can either go back to Corralejo to chill on the beach, or head into Caleta de Fusta. This was apparently built to keep the tourists in one convenient place. Because of this, it is a bit of a hotspot for tourists and there is no authenticity here whatsoever. I would say that it is quite interesting and there are some bars / shops here, but there is more to see and do in Corralejo and I’d probably just head back. Regardless, in the evening, head over to the waterfront and indulge in some delicious food. Or, alternatively, drive back to Villaverde and try out another delicious restaurant.

Day 6 – Morro Jable Road Trip

This is the day where you have the most driving, so make sure you wake up early! Similarly to Day 4, I wrote a highly-detailed piece on this exact road trip. Check out my blog post to help plan your trip down to the South of Fuerteventura.

I would say that Morro Jable is a beautiful part of the island. If you wanted to just stay in one place and flop, I would recommend staying here over Corralejo. As you will see though, it is a bit remote so a day trip is perfect. Along the way, you can make various stops to explore the island. My itinerary covers what we did, but you could always add in extra activities or destinations.

Day 7 – Relax and Unwind

After three long days of travel, you just want to relax. Plus, Fuerteventura is the perfect place to do it.

There are plenty of options of what you can do. Head back to El Cotillo to the beautiful beach of La Concha, or maybe stay by the swimming pool to soak up the sun? Perhaps you could go scuba diving (click here to read more about that) or you could go to the Acua water park!

Whatever you do, with just one week in Fuerteventura you need to make time to relax and enjoy the sun.

Final Thoughts

Phew! What a week. One week in Fuerteventura never seems enough, but if you only have that time then this allows you to see all of the island. Personally, I think this makes for a much better experience and holiday than just sitting by the pool all day. Do let me know if you want to know more about the island; we’d love to help.

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One Week in Fuerteventura | A Short Itinerary