Wingfoil Fuerteventura: Spots, Wind and Seasons

WINGFOIL · SPAIN · CANARY ISLANDS · FLAT, CHOP & WAVES · BEGINNER TO ADVANCED · BEST MONTHS APRIL TO SEPTEMBER

On Fuerteventura you choose between the north and the south. In the north, around Corralejo, it is mostly about the waves. The wind is usually a lot more relaxed than in the south, but the waves and the odd rock make it more demanding, so the north is mainly for experienced wingers. When the waves are small you can do a beginner course there too. There is also more to do in the north: a lively town, the dunes and the island of Lobos. In the south, around Costa Calma, the same wind crosses the narrowest part of the island and is a lot stronger. It blows side offshore to offshore over very flat sea, and both beginners and advanced wingers can ride there. At Sotavento the lagoon behind the sandbank is too shallow for a foil, but you simply ride outside it, on the open sea.

In this guide: the wind, the spots in the north and south, Lobos, what to pack, the months, and the schools already on Gusty.

Fuerteventura runs on the alisios, the northeast trade wind. It is most reliable from April to September and peaks in July and August. Average wind at the airport goes from about 10 knots in winter to about 14 knots in August, and the spots in the south get more than the airport because of the shape of the island.

In the south the trade crosses the low strip of land at La Pared, the narrowest point of Fuerteventura, and picks up on the east side. That is where Sotavento, Costa Calma and Matas Blancas are. In summer 25 knots and up is common there, and on the strongest days it can go past 30. Because the wind comes over land, it is gusty, and the sea stays flat.

In the north the trade does not get that boost, and the wind is usually a lot more relaxed. In Corralejo Bay it blows from north to northeast, usually 12 to 22 knots. It builds during the morning and is often strongest in the afternoon. If you are not powered up around midday, wait: in summer with north wind the best wind often comes later in the afternoon.

From November to March the trade is less reliable and you get quiet days, sometimes several in a row. That is also when north and northwest swell reaches the north coast. A few times a year the wind turns southeast and brings calima, hot air with Saharan dust, usually for two or three days. On those days most spots in this guide do not work well. Majanicho Outside is the exception: southeast wind is good there.

In the north you mostly come for the waves. The wind is lighter than in the south, but swell, reef and the odd rock make the north more demanding. Many wingfoilers stay in Corralejo. The town is lively, with heaps of places to eat, and most spots in the north are a short drive apart.

Corralejo Bay is the bay in front of town. The small island of Lobos, two kilometres offshore, blocks the biggest Atlantic swell, so on quiet days the bay is flat to lightly choppy. The wind is side shore to side onshore. When the waves are small the schools run beginner courses here, and wingers who already ride work on their gybes and tacks. In winter waves come into the bay.

The bay has three launches:

• Waikiki is closest to the centre and the easiest. Google Maps calls the beach Playa de la Goleta. Start here on lighter days.
• Sunset Beach, a little further along the coast, is more open than Waikiki, with less gusty wind and more space.
• Las Agujas, further along again, is the most exposed. More wind and more chop than at Waikiki, for intermediate and advanced wingers.

There is a strip of sharp volcanic reef at the waterline, easiest to walk over at mid to high tide. Bring booties. Downwind of the bay there are rocks. If you cannot yet hold your ground upwind, you can end up there, so take a lesson or ride with a school that has a boat on the water.

Stay out of the ferry lane to Lobos and Lanzarote, and make sure you do not drift into the channel between Corralejo and Lobos. The current there is strong. Street parking near Waikiki fills up quickly in summer.

Flag Beach is about three kilometres south of Corralejo along the dunes, and the busiest wind beach in the north. In northeast wind it is side onshore from the left, in north wind side shore, with chop and small waves breaking over the outer reefs. In summer it usually blows 15 to 25 knots, strongest in the afternoon. When the wind turns northwest it gets more side offshore, especially in the morning, so check the forecast direction first.

Flag Beach is a step up from Corralejo Bay: you should be able to ride upwind. There is a large rocky slab in the middle of the beach. Launch and land in the sandy channels the schools mark with flags, and check the zones every day, because they change with the conditions. The rocks sit closer to the surface at low tide. The schools run a rescue boat that you pay for if you need it. Do not ride towards Lobos.

The car park along the dune road is often full by mid morning in July and August. There is a restaurant at the beach, and on good days you share the water with a lot of kiters.

A few kilometres further south along the dunes is Glass Beach, also called El Burro. It is a reef break for advanced wingers that works in spring and summer when there is northeast swell, with waves of about 1 to 2 metres breaking left and right. The reef is shallow in places and there are sea urchins: wear booties, and a helmet and impact vest are a good idea. Mid to high tide is easiest for getting in and out. Watch a few sets from the beach first and never ride alone. No facilities on the beach.

West of Corralejo a dirt road follows the north coast to the small fishing village of Majanicho. There are two spots.

Majanicho Inside is the sheltered bay in front of the village. On normal days the reef keeps it fairly flat, which makes it a quieter place to practise than the open coast. In big winter swell the bay gets its own waves at mid and high tide.

Majanicho Outside is a long right-hand point break for advanced wingers only. It works from October to March on swell from the north to west. The best wind is east to southeast. East is side shore here, southeast side offshore: if your mast breaks or your wing tears, you drift away from the coast. You share the wave with surfers, and on good days it gets busy.

At both you walk over reef to get in and out, so wear booties.

El Cotillo is a fishing village on the northwest coast, about 35 minutes' drive from Corralejo. Piedra Playa, the long beach south of the village, takes the full Atlantic swell in winter, with heavy shorebreak and strong currents in big swell. That is for experienced wingers with wave experience only. North of the village, near the Tostón lighthouse, there are small lagoons behind the reef. They are flat at mid and high tide, but small, busy in summer and full of rocks at low tide. In the northeast trade the wind is side offshore to offshore here, especially at Piedra Playa. As far as we know there is no wing school or rental in El Cotillo, so hire in Corralejo. The village has good fish restaurants around the harbour.

The uninhabited island of Lobos lies two kilometres north of Corralejo and is a protected natural park. On its sheltered side there are coves that go flat in the trade wind, and at the foot of the volcano a long right-hand wave breaks, mostly in autumn and winter on northwest swell. That wave is for experts.

To visit Lobos you need a free permit, the LoboPass. You apply online up to five days ahead, and only a limited number of people are allowed on the island each day. The ferry from Corralejo harbour takes about fifteen minutes. Ask the operator whether you can bring wing gear. If you do cross on a wing, only do it as an advanced winger and with a boat nearby. The current in the channel is strong and turns with the tide. Bring everything you need, there is only a small restaurant on the island.

The south works for beginners and advanced wingers alike. It blows harder than in the north, but the sea is very flat and there are no waves or rocks to deal with. Beginners learn with one of the schools on the beach, which have a boat or jet ski on the water. Advanced wingers get long runs on flat water.

Matas Blancas, north of Costa Calma, is often called the flattest spot on the island. The wind is side offshore to offshore there, which keeps the sea flat. The risk: if your mast breaks or your wing tears, you drift out to sea. If you cannot yet go upwind without effort, only go out with a school that can pick you up. In front of the hotels of Costa Calma the conditions are similar, and the beach is a short walk from most hotels.

Sotavento Beach is a beach several kilometres long south of Costa Calma that hosts a windsurf World Cup every summer. The lagoon behind the sandbank fills a few hours around high tide, but it is mostly less than a metre deep, too shallow for a foil. So you simply ride outside the lagoon, on the sea in front of the beach.

The wind is side offshore to offshore from the left and in summer often the strongest on the island. During the season the centres on the beach keep a jet ski ready to pick wingers up; do not count on it outside their opening hours. The beach fills up fast during the summer events, so go early.

In the south the wind blows side offshore to offshore. Without a school, only go out when you are sure you can get back upwind.

For Corralejo a 4.0 and a 5.0 cover most days. For the south in summer, bring smaller wings: a 3.0 or 3.5 for the strong days and a 4.0 for the rest. That is for a winger around 80 kg, so go a size up or down if you are heavier or lighter. If you come in winter for the north coast waves, bring a foil that works in waves.

From about July the sea is warm enough for a shorty. In winter and spring a 3/2 is more comfortable, and on windy summer days too. You need booties at almost every spot in the north. For Glass Beach and the north coast a helmet and impact vest are a good idea.

April to June. The wind gets more reliable, temperatures are between 23 and 26°C and the sea warms from 19 to 21°C. Good for north and south, and for Glass Beach.

July and August. The most wind of the year, especially in the south. Also the busiest period, with events at Sotavento and a full car park at Flag Beach.

September. Often still good wind, the sea at around 23°C, one of the warmest months, and fewer people. If you can choose one month, choose this one.

October. A transition month. The wind drops off, the sea is still warm and the first swell reaches the north coast.

November to March. Less wind, and less reliable. You get good days and quiet days, often without much warning. This is the season for Majanicho, El Cotillo and the wave at Lobos. The sea drops to about 18°C in February and March.

These are all on Gusty. Even if you do not take lessons, the schools know what the spots are doing that day.

North (Corralejo and La Oliva)

• Line Up Fuerteventura, lessons, rental and shop
• Wing-Wing Fuerteventura, lessons and rental
• Offshore Watersports School Corralejo, lessons and rental
• Natural Sense Kitesurf & Wing Foil School, lessons
• Point Break School Fuerteventura, lessons
• CBCM Boarder Club Fuerteventura, lessons
• Kite Foil You, lessons and repairs
• FuerteWingfoil, lessons
• Pro Shop Canarias (Red Shark), shop
• Surf Doctor Canarias, repairs

South (Costa Calma and Sotavento)

• René Egli Center Fuerteventura, lessons and rental
• ION CLUB Costa Calma, lessons and rental
• ION CLUB Risco del Paso, lessons and rental
• Matas Bay Watersports, lessons and rental
• Watersports Fuerteventura (MatasBay Station), lessons and rental
• Waterfly Fuerteventura, lessons and rental

There is no downwinder or boat operator on Gusty for Fuerteventura yet. If you plan a downwind run, arrange a lift back and tell someone your route.

Corralejo borders the Parque Natural de Corralejo, a large area of white dunes you can walk into from the edge of town. With the ferry and a LoboPass you are on Lobos in fifteen minutes, with a walking trail around the island. And if the wind drops in winter, the swell often does not, so a surfboard or a foil you can pump is worth bringing.

To compare, our Tenerife guide covers El Médano, a choppier bay with often stronger wind than Corralejo. Lanzarote is a short ferry ride from Corralejo; Famara Beach and La Santa Lagoon are on its northwest coast, a fair drive from the port at Playa Blanca.

See every spot on the map