Travel as a couple to Fuerteventura, why not?
In this getaway for two , relaxation, calm and aridity of the oldest island of the Canary Islands puts us in front of the mirror : its wind lifts us, makes us lighter. A force that accompanies throughout the days, makes us disappear, forget and be reborn . With that peace that floods the offices in August and Christmas, with the tranquility of not expecting (from oneself) anything more than the present for a while.
“ This solitude of the sea that surrounds us everywhere is like a sedative ”, what a lover of the island like Unamuno would say.
Fuerteventura you have to caress her kilometer by kilometer , with a good soundtrack, until the skin dreams of being a volcano, a beach and a starry night. We head to the town of The olive , represents 21.5% of the island surface and which houses towns such as: The olive, Tindaya, The Cotillo, Lajares, The Caldereta and our first stop, the tourist epicenter of the island, Corralejo.
Views from your room in Avanti, see sunrise from the terrace, unforgettable
We follow the noise of the waves until we reach advance _(Calle Delfín,1; Corralejo) _, a small boutique hotel (for adults only) with 15 rooms, where we are welcomed by a refreshing glass of Prosecco, a towel to go to the beach and a soft pareo (which is also for sale) . Next to the window overlooking the Atlantic , a cocktail area invites us to toast this island but, for the moment, rooftop jacuzzi with harbor views seems like the best option.
On the ground floor the breakwater restaurant _(book on 928 85 41 52 in advance or it will be difficult to get a table. Closed on Wednesdays) _, a marine space stranded with beams dotted with wooden fish, which will transport you to the universe of wes anderson where everything is more instagrammable. ask for the seafood Y fish ( if there are prawns, don't blink ) and try their delicious salads. A careful soundtrack of independent music completes this succulent proposal.
Corralejo is surrounded by volcanoes, a hypnotizing turquoise ocean that presides over Isla de Lobos and the Dunas de Corralejo Natural Park. . The road that connects Puerto del Rosario with Corralejo (FV-1) crosses this protected area made up of large dunes along about ten kilometers of coastline , which combine desert beauty with vast white-sand beaches set against brilliant blues. Without a doubt, one of the biggest attractions of the island.
In front, the island of wolves (two kilometers from Fuerteventura and eight from Lanzarote) greets us. This protected area is a highly recommended excursion in which you can climb to the highest point of the island, Caldera Mountain , 127 meters high, to observe the dunes from a new angle or relax in shell beach.
Corralejo Natural Park in Fuerteventura
Back in town, we look for the connection between the Canarian gastronomic heritage and Asian exoticism in the yamatori restaurant _(Gran Hotel Atlantis Bahía Real 5* G.L. Resort Avenida Grandes Playas s/n; reservations at +34 928 53 64 44) _, one of the best Japanese hotels in Spain. His menu, recently renovated, includes surprises such as makis with soft cheese and banana tempura with gofio or the kid roll (for ten). Warning: its sashimi can cause addiction.
Some touches of Chinese gastronomy sneak in thanks to chefs like Guorong Chen, known as Rong , which demonstrates his expertise in preparing hot dishes on the griddle in full view of customers, such as the beef tenderloin roll with asparagus and teriyaki sauce (pure magic, which you will record in slow motion) . And no, as much as you insist, Rong will not share the secret of his sauce.
Interior of the Yamatori restaurant in Fuerteventura
Between Corralejo and Cotillo, we make an essential stop at Lajares , a meeting point for artists and surfers heading north. We came in 722 Gradi Art Gallery _(Carretera Majanicho, 11; Lajares. Open from Wednesday to Saturday 17:00-23:00; Sunday 13:00-22:30; reservations at 693 01 32 10) _, a small restaurant-gallery with more than eight years of history in which gastronomy and art merge with the landscape.
“ More than a restaurant it is a concept through which we try to develop the harmony between people , before the matter that rolls around everything. That's why we made this paradise in the middle of nowhere: so whoever passes through here is because they have to , It is done. This is the meaning”, he explains to Traveler.es Massimiliano Cimino , native of Turin and co-founder of this project.
The restaurant gives its walls free of charge to local artists . "My partner is a painter and it was interesting to make the space available to any artist from Fuerteventura, this was something that plugged in well on the island", he points out proudly.
Chill out area outside the 722 gradi restaurant
The paintings coexist with wooden tables in front of large panoramic windows and a volcanic landscape that invites you to look inside yourself . “Here is your moment for connection. In the city you don't have time to think, here you do, you have a lot of time and little distraction . Then you have to train with the brain , and not with all the screens that are put in front of me, this is cool about Fuerteventura”, reflects Cimino.
But let's go to the table. The two cooks of this restaurant, Simone Paglia Y Nicolo Pippa , after working with Massimo Bottura and Berasategui, have developed a personal style: each dish is an exercise in subtlety with delicious seasonal products . Try their octopus ceviche, sama (a local fish), jalapeños, avocado and fresh flowers. Ask about their dishes outside the menu And leave room for the homemade desserts, they are almost a work of art. "The true meaning is do something we like (that's it, very simple, very simple) , or try it, at least”, says Massimiliano Cimino.
Before saying goodbye, ask for the workshop of Theresa Caruncho , creator of unique handcrafted pieces, senior technician in marine farming and professional diver. from your brand Cotton's Waves : bags, furniture, clothes, nothing can resist it.
“I work mainly with skins and leather; I mix them with linens, silks, cottons... always looking for quality. I am not so interested in the materials as their quality ", Describe the. **"Create something coherently, without mental corruption, with a lot of freedom, with taste and quality: something special**". His creative spark ignites on his travels, the last one was for three months in Ethiopia: to bring me fabrics that I have seen being born, from the spinning of wool and cotton to the loom”.
What corner of the island do you find most inspiring to discover as a couple? “ I don't think there is anything more romantic than Cofete, the southern tip of the island . It is an almost surreal image of the landscape, you have the most intense feeling of freedom that you can imagine, it is amazing. Although everyone has their idea of romance, I recommend at least once in your life to enjoy that feeling!
The last stop in Lajares is the workshop-studio of Greta Chicheri _(calle coronel del Hierro, 19) _, a Galician artist who has been in Fuerteventura for almost ten years. If you go between ten and one it is easy to see her work on her wooden canvases, chat with her about her favorite corners of hers or buy one of the island guides that she has edited.
Looking for the authentic seafaring essence we arrived at El Cotillo , without a doubt, one of the most charming places on the island and whose patron saint, moreover, is the Virgen del Buen Viaje. It is the perfect time to explore, walk around and listen to the waves or the stories of its inhabitants. Like the Eva Mendizabal , a mechanic dentist of the Basque Country that seven years ago she moved to Fuerteventura for love, an island to which she honors with jewelry from her workshop in the fishing pier number 1 . Remaining unemployed was the opportunity to discover her passion, which she has crystallized in pistil rings, silver earrings or porcelain, oxidized silver and glass brooches.
A few steps away is the restaurant ** La Vaca Azul ** _(Requena, 9; reserve yes or yes on 928 538685) _, where, overlooking the cliffs of its small port of El Cotillo, you can try fried cheese with tomato jam Y fresh fish from the island.
The beaches of El Cotillo, virgin, with toasted sand and at the foot of cliffs to the south or smaller to the north (such as La Concha), with clear sand and turquoise waters, are perfect for spending a few hours or enjoying their views on summer nights. full moon.
The town of El Cotillo has the best offer of fish restaurants with views of the island
Touring Fuerteventura by car is parade through reddish, ocher and brown pantones between volcanoes, mountains and calderas . Life becomes undulating next to a horizon from which it is difficult to detach. If you want to wake up in the center-east of the island, in the municipality of Antigua, Caleta de Fuste it is the perfect alternative less than ten kilometers from the airport.
The volcanic calm of the landscape fills the Thalasso Spa at the Sheraton Fuerteventura Beach, Golf & Spa Resort. This hotel on the beachfront will be the ideal setting to allow yourself to be pampered in its swimming pools, its Hammam (Turkish bath), its Roman bath... Nearly a thousand square meters dedicated to your well-being, with therapeutic, relaxing or hydrotherapy massages . Don't miss the ritual Lomi Juma , a body treatment with a facial massage that unblocks joints and muscle tension, for an instant it will seem to you to be inside the ocean.
Continuing along the FV-2 road, between Las Salinas to the North and Teguital to the South (FV-420 detour), you will find black hole, where you can let yourself be carried away by the movements of the fishermen or have dinner in one of its two restaurants. In the valley you can explore the nearby Town of La Atalayita , with more than one hundred archaeological constructions, a privileged place in which they organize astronomical observations of the Tears of San Lorenzo.
Black Well in Fuerteventura
We continue heading south until we find the paradise of windsurfers : Costa Calma, about 25 kilometers of beaches and turquoise waters. There we found the hotel H10 Emerald Beach Sense , specialized in adults-only (guests must be over 16 years old) .
Lobby with sea views of the H10 Sentido Playa Esmeralda
It is the perfect time to unwind : have breakfast with views of the sea, try the international cuisine of the buffet restaurant or its dishes prepared at the moment or toast on the terrace of the Parrot Bar. “ Is it Ayurveda massage time? Shall we take another dip in the pool? Which beach are we going to explore today? ”, will be your only worries.
Breakfast at the H10 Sentido Playa Esmeralda
go down to the Leeward Beach , internationally known for the world championships of windsurfing and kitesurfing. A changing landscape in which the fluctuations of the tide form shallow lagoons and small islets where you can let yourself be caressed by the sun.
Morro Jable maintains the charm of a small coastal gem. Do not miss its lighthouse and the scrub beach (listed as a Protected Natural Area since 1994), also known as Saladar de Jandía: a space where brine pools form after the land is flooded at high tide.
Jandia beach in Fuerteventura
Touring the southern part of the island means entering less traveled roads, where you rediscover your freest, wildest and most authentic side, far from prefabricated conventions. There are no signs or labels to distract the eye from the immensity. It's the last stop coffee , a beach located inside the Jandía Natural Park.
Here time disappears and only the sun, the sand and the salty wind reign . It is time to celebrate the blood that waters the edges of your veins, to gaze into each crater of the skin and to feel, in a sunset to remember, what the Austrian psychiatrist wrote Victor Emil Frankl in Man in search of meaning: "A man can be robbed of everything, except one thing, the last of the freedoms of the human being, the choice of his own attitude before any type of circumstances, choosing one's own path ".
Sunset in Cofete (Fuerteventura)