SPOT GUIDE: GENERAL INFO

Some general info: Fuerte´s north shore probably offers the highest amount of days with wind AND waves of all Canary Islands, varying between 150 and 190 wave sailing days per year. And about 70% of those days are side shore conditions. Average amount of wavesailing days per month through the year:

Jan:11, feb: 13, march: 18, april: 22, may: 18, june: 21, july: 25, august: 22, september: 5, oct: 4, Nov: 6, dec: 9

 There are about 15 spots in total. Below is more information on the most frequently sailed spots.
Jumping spots are: Punta Blanca (starboard tack), Rocky Point (both tacks) Flag beach (at low tide), Puerto Lajas on the south reef and Sotavento when there´s waves (all port tack).
Cross to cross off shore riding: Cotillo, Majanicho, Lobos (all starboard tack) and La Caleta, Bristol, Flag beach, Glass beach, Puerto Lajas (all port tack) and Rocky Point and Hierro (both tacks)

Best ground swell (W to N directions): from october till april

Summer (wind) swell (NNE to NE direction): april till august. (Summer waves on Fuerteventura are usually 50 to 100% bigger as other Canary Islands, both due to swell size as bottom shape)

Best wind probability: from march till august, with the highest average of windy days around march/april and july/august.

Best cross to cross off riding conditions: october till april. This includes float and ride conditions. We have high volume wave boards available at our test centre.

N-NE wind directions are stronger as predicted at Sotavento

SWerlies are stronger as predicted on the North Shore

MAJANICHO

Superb pointbreak, every wave sailors dream with long clean waves and cross to cross off shore winds.

In the middle of the north of Fuerte lies the small fishing village of Majanicho at a bay. In the bay is flat water, the waves break on the deep water reefs of eiter side of the bay where the left side has a lumpy wave, the righthander is long and clean ending in the bay. A very easy spot, on smaller days also very suitable for wavebeginners, on good days the wave links up from Acid Drop, about 800m upwind to the right, all the way to the bay. Depending on the tide Majanicho can hold up to mast and a half high waves, on huge days and low tide the wave can close out across the bay.
Mainly a winterspot when the trade winds come more from the east and reinforce through the channel between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Best period: from october till april.

LA CALETA

A world class riding spot, La Caleta is basically the mirror spot of Majanicho, located to the east of Majanicho.
La Caleta is a wintertime spot, working from october to april when a low pressure system brings west to south westerly winds which are cross to cross-off shore. The wave is a long medium fast left hander with long clean walls and various sections for aerial action.
The channel is very deep and even the biggest of swells that the low pressures can bring does not close out. The wave can hold up to any size, double mast high or more. Entering the water can be a bit tricky over rocks into flat water but the first part the wind is somewhat blocked by the coast. The tide does not really matter.
If the outside wave gets too big or choppy, there is another smaller wave on the inside of the bay which is also lots of fun. Best period: from October to April.

PUNTA BLANCA

Probably the most consistent spot on Fuerte for wind and waves with cross-onshore conditions with the prevailing tradewinds from NNE.

At high tide, there a beach to launch from, at low tide you launch over rocks but into flat water. The waves break further out to sea with a good run up to the waves of 100-200m. Can be sailed at any tide but with smaller waves is better at low tide and with big waves better at high tide. Excellent jumping and both front and backside riding, also excellent freestyle as on the inside there is a flat water patch, especially at mid tides.  Can work the whole year around but most frequent in spring and summer.

ISLA DE LOBOS

About 3kms off shore of Flag beach lies the uninhabited Island of Lobos with its characteristic vulcano. Directly across from Flag Beach is a beautiful Laguna “La Concha”-the Shell, with a reef at the entrance.

In a good NW swell the wave wraps around the point, peeling away along the reef with a few sections.
In a NW depression wind you can sail straight across from Flag beach and this is also perfect side shore for the wave. Best tide is high tide and the higher the better. At lower tides the reef gets shallow and the wave hollower. Lobos usually only works occasionally in the winter months from November till April. But if you do catch it good, it´s such a beautifull spot to sail…..Further north, right below the vulcano is also a surfing spot with the longest right hander of Europe. On a bigger swell you can see 4 or 5 waves at the same time, peeling their way below the vulcano, each one with a surfer on it. Best period: October to April.

GLASS BEACH

Famous point break for waveriding with cross to cross-off shore winds from the left.

Glass beach is a typical summerspot, working from april till september when the trade winds are northerly enough to pass on the west side of Lanzarote, combined with summerswell from the trade winds blowing along the Moroccan coast. Due to it´s reef pulling the swell in, Glass beach has the biggest waves on the east coast, up to mast high on the biggest days. The wave is not very long but still pretty clean and ends in the bay downwind. The bay has flat water and a sandy beach with easy access for every level of sailing.
The wave rolls out onto a vulcanic reef and the rip takes you towards the bay but if you get nailed too much upwind you end up on the reef.
Without wind it is also a good surfing spot. Best period: from April to September.

ROCKY POINT

Rocky Point is a reef in the bay of Corralejo. Like lobos, it only works in winter with a WNW or a ESE wind and a decent NW swell.

The reef has a very gradual slope and there is an inside and outside reef. The wave is not too powerfull and can run a long way nearly from all the way out next to the harbour wall to the Hotels next to flag beach. It is a semi point break and can also be good for jumping. At high tide you can launch from the beach next to the houses, at low tide it can be a long walk (shoes) or you can launch from the small beach at Las Agujas and sail up wind (in a WNW). Best period: October to April

EL COTILLO

El Cotillo is the beach south of Cotillo village. It works in a NNE-NE trade wind direction or ocasionally also in SSW. With a NW to W swell the wave is a very powerfull beach/shore break….

having probably more masts on it`s name than any wave in the Canaries or Europe. Depending on the sandbar and the tide, the wave runs longer or closes out. The NE summer swells do not hit it fully so in summer it is a popular intermediate sailing spot with the sandy beach.
Always rig a size bigger as the wind up at the carpark is stronger than in the break. The village upwind causes the wind to be gusty. Best period: January to August.

PUERTO LAJAS

Big bay located just above Puerto del Rosario. Offers both flat water and wave sailing. North to northeast winds are best for wave sailing. There are 3 waves, on the left side of the bay is a long left hander point break. The wave is soft with some small aerial sections and long, on a good day you can get up to 16 bottom turns. In the middle breaks a more powerfull one-move A-frame. When it is more onshore, or the waves on the left side are small, the reef at the south of the bay offers great waves for jumping. In summer it needs a northeast wind swell, in winter a big ground swell can reach the east coast. Apart from the really big days, there is plenty of flat water sailing in the centre of the bay. Best period: January till August.

SOTAVENTO

Famous World-cup beach. Here is where the annual Fuerteventura wind and kitesurfing world cup is held in July.

Due to the mountain formations on either side of Sotavento the tradewinds from NNE funnel in between and accelerate up to 9 bft. Wind is very off-shore and can be gusty. Most if the time there are no waves, in periods of strong trade winds a wave can build, usually below 1m, occasionally bigger. Works best fom April till August. Other wind directions do not get accelerated or even come through. At high tides the sandy lagoon fill up providing excellent conditions for beginners or freestyling
Check out Rene Egli´s website for more info on conditions.

Find more Fuerteventura spot info on www.surfermap.com