All Excursions in the Center of Fuerteventura

If you spend your vacation in Caleta de Fuste you have an excellent starting point for further exploration of the center of Fuerteventura. From there you can quickly get to Betancuria, the former capital of the island, Antigua, the administrative center of the municipality of the same name (Municipio) and the Betancuria Natural Park in the area of the west of Fuerteventura. Follow this article and you will learn more important and interesting information about Fuerteventura’s center, everything you should see and what you can experience.

Things to Do in the Center of Fuerteventura

Excursions Fuerteventura Center

You can book all kinds of organized excursions when staying in the center of Fuerteventura. However, the offer focuses more on the tourist resorts on the coast such as Costa de Antigua, Caleta de Fuste and Las Playitas. Only a few operators have their bases directly in these locations. However, there are for example buggy and quad tours as well as boat trips in Caleta de Fuste. Since the central coastal area is easily accessible, from there you still have the advantage of being picked up for excursions that start in the north or south. All in all, the entire range of popular excursions in the center of Fuerteventura is available to you. You can find out what these are in the detailed list at the end of this article.

Selection of Tours in the Center of Fuerteventura

The area of the center of the island is very wide. If you spend your vacation in Costa de Antigua or Caleta de Fuste, most operators from the north will take care of you. And Las Playitas is served by some organizers from the south. However, if you are accommodated in Bentancuria, Antigua, Tuineje, Ajuy and in other places in the central area or, the west coast of the island, you unfortunately have to assume that you will not be picked up by any operator. That means without you cannot take part in almost any guided excursion unless you have your own rental car. Therefore our advice: When choosing your excursions in the center of Fuerteventura, pay close attention to whether hotel transfers are offered and from where. This information is shown in the detailed descriptions of our excursions, under “Services & Prices”.

What to See in the Fuerteventura Center

Below we listed the sights in the center of Fuerteventura that you should definitely visit. Other great places such as Betancuria, the Barranco de las Peñitas and Ajuy are being described on our Fuerteventura attractions page. Apart of this you will also find very detailed information on the corresponding extra pages for the towns of Caleta de Fuste and Costa de Antigua.

Antigua

The town with about 2,000 inhabitants is located almost exactly in the middle between the west and east coast and is the administrative seat of the municipality of the same name (municipality, comparable to the district). In the 19th century Antigua was the capital of the island for a short time (until 1835). Worth seeing is its church Iglesia Nuestra Señora de la Antigua, which dates from the 18th century and whose ceiling was made from the wood of the Canarian pine. The arts and crafts center that is located in a lovingly restored windmill in the northern edge of the village. This place hosts the Feria Insular de Artesanía craft fair every May.

Parque Rural de Betancuria

The protection of a “Parque Rural” (landscape park) is less strict than that of a “Parque Natural” (nature park). Therefore Agriculture and traditional settlement are also permitted in the Betancuria landscape park. Tourist development is however excluded. The park, which is also a bird sanctuary, is located in the central west and covers an area of approximately 16,500 hectares. On the cliffs and in the mountains of the park, there is rather sparse vegetation, while its water-bearing gorges are lush green. The best known is the Barranco de las Peñitas with its dam. In addition to endemic bird species, wild goats and lizards, you will also come across the Atlas squirrel that was brought in from Morocco in the 1960s.

Salinas del Carmen

The salt marshes “Salinas del Carmen” are located directly on the east coast. At around 26,000 square meters, this is the only seawater salt extraction plant in Fuerteventura that is still in operation. The salt water of the Atlantic evaporates in square basins, leaving only the salt that is extracted there. In addition to guided tours, you are also offered the opportunity to learn and practice the craft of a salt farmer for a day.

Las Playitas

Apart from some larger hotels, Las Playitas has retained the charm of a Canarian fishing village. Small white-blue houses are located on a beach promenade that invites you to linger and stroll. In small local bars and restaurants you can enjoy freshly caught fish and traditional dishes. Through the wonderful view of the wide sea you will experience some quiet moments of relaxation in this place.

Interesting Facts About the Center of Fuerteventura

The Weather in the Center of Fuerteventura

While the coastal areas in the center of Fuerteventura have similar temperature, hours of sunshine and wind speed values as the north or south, the regions further inland have completely different climatic conditions. On the one hand, it is a lot warmer there in summer because the cooling effect of the Atlantic is missing and the wind is also largely prevented by the mountains and cliffs. And on the other hand, in the winter half-year, the clouds that the northeast trade winds bring cling to the higher mountains in this area. This occasionally causes rain and also significantly less hours of sunshine. However, with at least 2,500 hours of sunshine a year, we cannot talk of bad weather in this region.

The Most Beautiful Beaches in the Center of Fuerteventura

Playa de los Muertos

This dark sandy beach is part of Ajuy and attracts visitors mainly because of its great atmosphere and impressive views. Surrounded by high cliffs and the powerful murmur of the stormy sea, this beach is one of the most beautiful sights in the western area of the center of Fuerteventura. However, this is not the right place to be for beach lovers. The strong surf and the undercurrents make bathing a life-threatening affair.

Playa de Las Playitas

On the southern outskirts of Cala de las Playas you will find this 500-meter-long dark sandy beach. Since there are not yet many hotels in Las Playitas, the beach is mainly visited by locals. You can rent kayaks and surfboards in a sailing school, because the beach is equally suitable for beach and water sports enthusiasts.

Playa del Castillo

This bright sandy beach is located behind the pier of Caleta de Fuste and is therefore well protected. Consequently, the whole family from big to small can indulge in their bathing fun. Wind and waves are present, but not particularly strong, so that this beach is also ideal for learning to surf. This city beach is surrounded by a promenade with some bars and restaurants.

Playa de la Guirra

This beach of fine yellow sand was artificially created and forms an extension of the main beach Playa del Castillo on its southern side. It is perfect for the family bathing day. Leading flat into the water and protected by breakwaters, even the smallest can splash around carefree.

Hotels in the Center of Fuerteventura

In Caleta de Fuste there are hotels of all star categories around the port and the city beach. These include family, sport and fitness hotels as well as wellness hotels. The most popular are the Barcelo Fuerteventura Thalasso & Spa and the Elba Castillo San Jorge & Antigua Suite. And you can also find a few hotels in Costa de Antigua. Moreover you can also spend your vacation in the fishing village Las Playitas, where there are 3 to 5 star hotels. The best among them are the Villas Playitas and the Playitas Resort.