Most holidaymakers to the Canary Islands head for Tenerife, Gran Canaria or Lanzarote but Fuerteventura is well worth considering too, especially for naturists who want to swim nude and sunbathe nude.
Swim Nude on Fuerteventura’s Sandy Beaches
On Fuerteventura, which is 85 miles long, only a few sections of the coast have been developed. Altogether it has 125 miles of sandy beaches, all popular with naturists, including families, who want to swim nude and get an all-over tan.
One of the main holiday areas runs along the Jandia peninsula where the 13-mile beach between Morro Jable and Costa Calma is noted for its fine light sand and clear shallow sea.
Corralejo
Corralejo in the north was just a fishing port until a few years ago, but now hotels and apartment complexes have spread along the sands on either side. The old quay with its small restaurants and bars is an entertaining place to stroll.
Nearby a wide expanse of dunes stretches inland like a desert, providing a vivid reminder that Africa is only 60 miles away.
Fuertenventura’s Volcanic Scenery
Inland, Fuerteventura has dramatic scenery with long ranges of rugged hills. Indeed its name, given by a Spanish baron who conquered it in the 15th century, comes from "fuerte aventura" - tough adventure.
The volcanic scenery is particularly spectacular because of the varied shapes and colours of the bare hillsides. Some are conical like sandcastles, some ridged, but each seems to have a colour of its own - pale pink, yellow, green or black.
Between them, flat plains stretch for miles, broken only by small villages of simple beige-coloured houses. At one time the islanders managed to grow wheat, irrigating the gritty soil by ramshackle windmills which are still dotted everywhere. Cheese is produced from the herds of goats which wander across the hillsides.
Weather, Food and Crafts on Fuerteventura
Even in mid-winter the temperature on Fuerteventura reaches the 70s almost every day with at least six hours sunshine. Rain is rare though the island can be windy.
For eating, a food speciality served everywhere is "paps arrugadas"(potatoes baked in their jackets and served with spicy "mojos" sauce). Goat stew is also popular. Local crafts include basketwork, embroidery and hand-made pottery
Fuerteventura is Special
For a holiday in the Canary Islands, Fuerteventura is distinctly special. It offers the usual tourist amenities and pleasant weather but has the added attraction of its dramatic scenery and nude beaches that provide pplenty of opportunities for naturists to get an all-over tan.
Gillian Thomas - Having left the BBC's Paris news office to return to England and get married over 20 years ago, I have freelanced as a journalist ever ...
