Madeira and La Palma are hiking destinations - Fuerteventura is sunbathing and swimming. Because many tourists think that there is nothing else on this "heap of rubble". Very recently the Hiking tourism has discovered Fuerteventura: The approximately 1.700 km2 of "rubble" include 13 Natural protected areas with a total surface of 48.000 hectares! And unlike other islands, most of these areas here are interconnected and allow hiking without the usual road signs.
Fuerteventura offers abandoned areas and tracks with different difficulty levels. Instead of walking the beaten tracks, one can try hundreds of alternative routes and especially the barrancos (dry river-beds) that will bring you to any summit or to one of the hidden beaches on this 300 km coastline. Whatever direction you may go for in this deserted area, you most probably won't run into other hikers, with the exception of the "Caminos Reales", the famous pilgrimage routes. Many summits will allow you to enjoy an almost complete view of the island. Fuerteventura allows all-year hiking thanks to its mild weather conditions during winter (22ºC) and summer (24ºC).
The island is host to about double the amount of endemic plants, compared to back home. Botanists, geologists and ornithologists do like to visit Fuerteventura due to its abundance of species, especially coastal birds from which two fulfil an emblemic role for the island as they are exclusive to this island. Those who prefer a more greenish scenery should hike on Fuerteventura during winter. During rainy winters many Fuerteventura hills look like the Midlands.
Discovering the island on your own is not always the best way. You might just have missed something interesting a couple of metres away. An experienced guide will lead you to those places. And gratefully you can find them in the most important tourist areas.
Andreas Caliman
Fuertescout