Fuerteventura, Canary Islands

For the first half of my 9-day Semana Santa, I was on the island of Fuerteventura, in the Canary Islands. They belong to Spain but geographically they’re part of Africa. They’re a string of 7 volcanic islands off the coast of Morocco. Fuerteventura is known for its amazing beaches, and I really wanted to just lay around in a beautiful setting and do nothing, so that’s where I went!

I stayed in the town of El Cotillo, on the northwest coast of the island. It’s a former fishing village turned surf town. I don’t surf, but it’s also known for it’s great beaches and fresh seafood. I enjoyed experiencing both!

The beach is a 3-minute walk north of the old town. It’s called “Lagos Beach” after the series of lagoons along the shore. The sand is super fine and white and there is a nice breeze all day. I loved just lounging and listening to the waves and reading my Kindle. I definitely made the right choice over a tablet, I can actually read it perfectly in the sunlight!

I mostly cooked for myself to save money, but one day I went to a restaurant and had a delicious dinner.

The smell of fresh seafood and saltwater. Watching the sun go down on a warm night while you sit on an open terrace eating a delicious dinner of fresh seafood and white wine.

I ordered the specialty of the islands, “papas arrugadas con mojo” or “wrinkled potatoes with mojo sauce”. That’s pronounced “moHO”. It’s delicious!!! I loved the red “picón” or “spicy” sauce, as well as the green, which isn’t spicy at all and helps balance the flavors. I didn’t take a picture of them because I was so busy eating them, they were just so flavorful and amazing! Check out the recipe here.

I also ordered a seafood salad, which was incredibly fresh and filling for only 9 euros. It had shrimp, mussels, clams, and octopus. The greens were nice and crisp and hearty as well; there was spinach, arugula, chard, cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, and bell peppers. Yum yum yum!

And of course, there’s nothing like a nice sunset to really cement a great vacation.

I spent a lovely 4 days here and I would really love to come back one day. The other island I visited was Gran Canaria, so those pictures will be in the following post.