Travel: Surfing in Fuerteventura

One writer learns to share nicely when it comes to waves

When middle-aged British people need sun they quite rightly head to the Canary Islands. It’s warm all year round, English is widely spoken and all the cheapo airlines fly there.

These factors pretty much sum up why I didn’t want to go. I don’t like hot weather, I thoroughly mangle the local language, and after several incidents have sworn never to fly budget again. And I’m not quite middle-aged. What I am, however, is skint. When my boyfriend had offered to pay for a week’s surfing in Fuerteventura, my resistance crumbled.

Fuerteventura lies to the south of Lanzarote, off the coast of Morocco. The volcanic interior is surrounded by desert, leading down to white sandy beaches and the Atlantic Ocean. It is known as the “Hawaii of Europe” (along with Lanzarote, Madeira, Portugal, Ireland, and many other places with waves) but the landscape has more in common with the Sea of Tranquility than the North Pacific.

We had opted to stay with the Quiksilver Surf School based in Corralejo, in the north east of the island. Although the surf is pretty consistent all over the island, we had been told to avoid the south as localism is a real problem and visiting surfers regularly find themselves ordered out of the water. However, localism is no problem in the north – mainly because you'd be hard pressed to find a local. English breakfasts, Sunday roasts and British bars abound, although to be fair there were equal amounts of German, Dutch and east European tourists too. Clearly the Brits are just more entrepreneurial.

Part of the Quiksilver deal meant that we were driven around the island in search of the best waves every day by our Austrian guide, Markus, who was not the most laid-back surfer I've ever met. Despite his long blond hair and use of the word 'dude', at times he seemed a bit frustrated by the ‘mañana’ attitude of island life. He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the variety of fines available to punish traffic infringements, which he would helpfully point out every time he saw a rule violated (i.e. frequently).

For the first few days we didn't have to drive far. An enormous swell had hit the west coast just as we arrived, bringing waves of up to 12 feet. Luckily, when the winds blow west to east the swell bends around the north of the island, making the usually calm eastern coast surfable. We headed to the tourist haven of Flag Beach, which that day boasted clean waves of around three to four feet. There can be strong currents, so make sure your paddling is up to scratch. The wind can also be a problem on Fuerteventura – the island’s name translates as ‘strong wind’ - meaning the spray and the sand can affect your eyes while surfing. Top tip: take eyewash.

Not far from the centre of Corralejo is Rocky Point, a reef break where we spent a couple of our more successful sessions. Booties are essential as you have to walk out over the shallow reef – although they are a good idea on beach breaks too, as despite the sunshine, the water is seriously cold. In winter you need a 3:2 minimum; save your shortie for the summer months.
Travelling along the north coast to the west you see the ‘real’ Fuerteventura, which consists of clusters of illegally constructed fishermen’s cottages, whose residents don’t give a damn that they have a perfect right hander breaking on their doorstep.

The west coast is stunningly beautiful, 100km of sandy beach under towering cliffs, with break after break as far as the eye can see. On our final day the swell had dropped sufficiently to allow us to surf on the west coast, at Cotillo beach. Unfortunately half the island had turned up to celebrate. The waves were still huge out back but there was a middle section which offered some green waves and lots of white water for novices. So we surfed close to the beach, while watching the experts drop in on each other, fight over waves and experience several near misses.

Wherever you go in Fuerteventura, and whatever level you are, you’ll find somewhere to surf. Just be prepared to share nicely.

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