They call Fuerteventura the “beach of the Canary Islands” for a reason. Nope – scratch that. They call it the beach of the Canaries for hundreds of reasons. There are over 150 stretches of individual sands here, ranging from mystical lagoons that are wrapped in wisps of cotton-hued powder to deep bays that are best for snorkelers. But where’s Fuerteventura’s best beach for swimming?
That’s where this guide can help. It scours the whole teardrop of an island on the hunt for the finest spots to don the bikini and swim shorts and dive right in. There’s a good mix on the menu – some close to buzzy resort centers, others far-flung and remote, where you can swim without another soul in sight.
The good news is that you can take a splash at our Fuerteventura best beach for swimming options pretty much any time in the year. Canary waters don’t really get uber-cold like they do further north in the Atlantic. The coolest months are December and February, when the Canary Current can bring chillier H2O of 18 C (64 F), while the summers see waters of around 23 C (73.4 F).
Butihondo Beach
You could easily be forgiven for thinking that you’d landed in the Bahamas the very first time you glimpse Butihondo Beach. This exotic run of eye-watering sand scintillates with a distinct cream hue before an ocean that’s swimming-pool turquoise.
Talking of swimming…it tends to be fantastic here because the tide washes in against little clusters of reefs. They’re easy to navigate but do create neat little sandbanks where the Atlantic waters slosh on top and warm up in the midday sun. The other joy is you know all that aqua is as clean as it comes since the bay has a coveted Blue Flag rating.
Butihondo Beach isn’t the easiest beach to get to on the island. Sadly, the headland above is dominated by a sprawling hotel resort. You’ll need to travel east out of Morro Jable and look for the small parking lot down Valle de Butihondo road.
El Caserón Beach
Ask any veteran sun seeker of the Corralejo beaches and they’re likely to wax lyrical about El Caserón. And we’d agree. This is probably the piece de resistance of the Grandes Playa string of sands that go for almost six miles down the side of the La Oliva region from the biggest resort on the island.
Those are some pretty big words, because the whole area is within the stunning Parque Natural de Corralejo, backed by monstrous dunes and fronted by cloud-white powder. So, why El Caserón? Just look at it! Long and arcing, it is 50m wide and offers endless space for sunbathing and lazing. Then you’ve got the swimming…
A reef to the north end of the bay cuts off the major swells and creates a sort of lagoon of glimmering, greenish water. It remains shallow for a stone’s throw off the shoreline, which keeps it light and shiny like something out of the Maldives. The closest hotel is the Hotel Riu Palace Tres Islas, which sits just at the northern end of El Caserón.
Playa del Castillo
A much-sought-after Blue Flag rating and a prime location right in front of its own resort makes Playa del Castillo something of a chart-topper when it comes to Fuerteventura best beach for swimming options. Yep, anyone who’s thinking of bedding down in the lively vacay hotel enclave of Caleta de Fuste simply must have this one on the radar.
There are a couple of reasons why we say that. First, this one’s perfect for families that aren’t up for trawling the island from head to toe in a rental car for the finest sands – it’s just a hop, skip, and a jump in front of some fantastic accommodations (most with pools). Second, it’s large enough to host a big crowd without feeling too busy. Third…
The swimming. Tucked behind a bustling marina, the conch of white sand that forms the bay slopes gently into a wide lagoon that’s over 400 meters from end to end. The southwestern side of it is the finest for paddlers and is usually safe enough to visit with the little ones to boot.
Gran Tarajal Beach
Gran Tarajal Beach manages to dodge the booming crowds of Insta influencers and summertime snaps takers. How? It’s got a tint of brown to its sand, which makes it less of a popular photo spot and more of a locals’ beach.
The whole thing unfolds just in front of the resort of the same name in the region of Tuineje, between two headlands on the southeastern shores of Fuerteventura. It’s a whopping 600 meters from end to end, so there’s plenty of square meterage to host all the families and couples and swimming crews that head its way.
Again, a Blue Flag award ensures the water quality at Gran Tarajal Beach is top notch. But you don’t need to know that to see it. Stand on the promenade just above and you’ll be able to peer straight through to the seaweed meadows and the rock reefs below it’s that clear.
El Cotillo
El Cotillo doesn’t just offer one of the finest Fuerteventura beaches for swimming. It offers a whole handful of them. Yep, this whitewashed cluster of surf cottages and Canarian tavernas on the northeast coast of the island is famed for its run of horseshoe bays, each with fantastically calm waters to dive into.
The best of them is probably little La Concha. Perfectly semicircular, it threads between two craggy chutes of lavastone to give a pool-like pond of saltwater that’s forever still and colored a green-blue tint. Just south of that is Playa de Marfolin, another larger horseshoe bay with a rock reef that’s fantastic for snorkel adventures.
The only beaches that we’d recommend dodging in El Cotillo are the long ones south of the town. They include Playa del Aljibe de la Cueva and Playa del Aguila. Those are where the major NW Atlantic swells hit the island, creating big waves for the surfers but not the best conditions for those looking for a relaxing paddle.
Playa Blanca
Playa Blanca remains a real local favorite on account of its location on the southern fringes of the Fuerteventura capital of Puerto del Rosario. Yep, lots of islanders come here on hot weekends in the summer to avoid the maritime traffic that comes in and out of the city’s main port. They’re not often disappointed with what they get.
Nope, Playa Blanca is a strip of brilliant white sand that faces north to gaze back over the downtown and the big cruise ship docks. Blue Flag and family friendly, it adheres to good water-quality restrictions and offers plenty of amenities – there’s even a water taxi service that can take you back to the center at the end of the day.
When it comes to swimming, Playa Blanca manages to do something that not many beaches in Fuerte can: It offers both waves and shallows to cater for paddlers and surfers. That’s all down to the underwater topography, which levels out close to the shore to temper the oncoming swells. Go further out past the netting and you can score some decent rides if you bring the board with you.
Playa de Sotavento de Jandía
Playa de Sotavento de Jandía is a secluded section of shoreline in eastern Fuerteventura that we think is a fine pick for those wild swimmers that really want to escape the crowds. A part of the uber-famous Sotavento strand, it’s everything you’d expect of this island – think swirls of white sand bathed in teal seas, high dunes behind, and endless sunshine from morning until night.
Tempted? Of course you are. The good news is that this section of beach is probably the most accessible in the region. You can get to it by parking up just above Risco del Paso north of Jandía town. There’s a sandy route that takes you from the lot to the shoreline in just a few minutes.
If you want to explore even more then we’d say don’t be shy! There are actually five whole beaches and 25km of coast to get through in the Sotavento area. Most of them offer epic swimming. Some even allow you to swim au natural (check out the runs to the south end of the Costa Calma resort part for that).
The Fuerteventura best beach for swimming – our conclusion
If you’re looking for the Fuerteventura best beach for swimming then you’ve come to the right place. This guide has outlined seven of the finest locations on this beach-heavy member of the Canary chain that we think will never disappoint on the H2O front. It includes both lively resort beaches like the ones in Caleta de Fuste but also totally remote lengths of pure white sand that will recall the Caribbean, at spots like Sotavento and Butihondo. Happy paddles!
