Island Hopping Part #3 - Fuerteventura: Finale, Family and Nearly a Fire

A few days in Lanzarote turned into two and a half weeks, as we really enjoyed the island. However, we are now on our way back to Fuerteventura, because in a few days we will have the long-awaited family visit here. After a sunny and very calm crossing with the fast ferry to Fuerte, we will take a closer look at Corralejo once again. Corralejo is both a port town and the tourist center at the northern tip of Fuerte. From the outskirts of the city heading south, you will find a vast dune landscape, the National Park Dunas de Corralejo with dreamy beaches. Corralejo itself has only a few small city beaches. However, one can pleasantly stroll along the waterfront past cafés and restaurants and watch the surfers, who have one of their best spots here in the northwest at Playa del Pozo in front of the reef. As a city, Corralejo doesn't have much to offer and mainly consists of infrastructure for tourists.

Our plan is to ‘roll out’ Fuerteventura from south to north in the coming days, so we can set up a decent sightseeing program for the visit! Therefore, we head straight to the south from Corralejo. There’s a highway-like road to the capital Puerto del Rosario, from there a winding country road continues all the way to the very south. We spend the night in the large parking lot at Playa de Sotavento, quite far in the south right by the beach. Similar to Römö (DK), the beach here is so wide that the waterline can only be guessed at. Sotavento Beach is known for its very good wind conditions, which is why the world's largest windsurfing, kitesurfing, and wingfoiling center, established by water sports enthusiast Rene Egli since the 1980s, is located here. The next morning we will take a closer look at everything. Between Costa Calma and Jandia, there is only one large hotel and the surf stations at the giant beach. However, for the 'non-surfing' travel companions, the area has little to offer, as outside the hotel's windbreak, one gets sandblasted constantly!

Today we want to explore the southwestern tip of Fuerte. There is a 15 km long off-road track from Morro Jable to the lighthouse Faro Punta de Jandia. Betty and we will be shaken up on the way, and we wish for stable off-road AT tires instead of our normal street tires. Along the way, small gravel roads lead to lonely rock coves, where huge waves hollow and illuminated by the evening sun break on the reefs ahead. There are also some secret surf spots for experts only! Just before the lighthouse, the track leads through the small village Playa el Puertito. An outlaw town like one could find in the wild west, only the tumbleweeds are missing. At the storm-battered lighthouse, we marvel at how the large waves crash at a 90° angle from both sides of the coast, creating impressive cross-waves. In the late afternoon, we head back on the 15 km off-road track towards Morro Jable. It’s too stormy and uncomfortable for us to stay here overnight. Halfway through, a diesel smell suddenly spreads in the van. For a short time, we hope the smell comes from another vehicle, but unfortunately, we are quite alone out here in the wilderness. The diesel smell gets worse. When we stop and take a look under the hood, we see that the entire engine compartment is sprayed with diesel! Something is broken, but luckily the engine is still running! We briefly ponder the risk of a fire in the engine compartment? In light of the encroaching dusk, we decide to take the risk and tackle the last kilometers to Morro Jable at a slow pace. Until then, we leave an unsightly diesel trail on the road. When we park at the harbor and turn off the engine, the diesel thankfully stops running! However, we can no longer find the cause of the leak in the darkness.

The next morning (Betty starts perfectly!) we head to a workshop just less than 100 m away that we found on Google Maps. Unfortunately, we again leave a noticeable diesel trail. Although the small garage workshop seems to have more than enough to do, after a short wait, they take care of Betty ('Would it be okay for us to wait about 1 hour?'). The experienced mechanics quickly find the problem: the diesel return line has popped out of a mount and has been worn through by the pulley. The line will be re-installed in such a way that the defect won't happen again. After about 1 hour of repairs, we are back on the road. Muchas Gracias to FG Automocion!!! However, our car still smells like diesel for days...

Back on the move, we continue to the west coast towards La Pared, located at the Isthmus of Fuerte. La Pared is also a well-known spot for surfers. In the village, there is an oversized promenade with various artworks and sculptures, all of which have seen better days. Apparently, many Germans have settled in La Pared, recognizable by the “Hier wache ich!” signs with pictures of German shepherds at the property boundaries. We are appalled and flee! We head to Ajuy, which is located a bit further north along the west coast. This town is still firmly in Spanish hands and we immediately like it. At the edge of the town, the Barranco de Ajuy flows into the Atlantic Ocean. In the dry riverbed, one can stand and overnight super with the motorhome (of course not in the rain!). Small goat families climb directly above us on the steep rock walls of the Barranco.

For the next day, we have selected a beautiful hike nearby: We climb through the Barranco de las Penitas up to the Pena Dam and towards Vega de Rio Palmas. We are motivated by the prospect of a fantastic cheesecake that is supposedly available there (which turns out to be true). The landscape here somewhat resembles oasis valleys in Morocco. A great photo opportunity is also the wind-driven water pumps from Aermotor Chicago, which have been built almost unchanged in the USA since 1890 and exported worldwide. We spend the night in Pajara, a quaint little town inland. There stands the probably largest crocheted Christmas tree in the world. The crocheted 'crochet carpet' was made by the people of Pájara and their families stretched over a conical wire frame. The tree reaches a height of 22 meters and has a diameter of 8 meters. Very impressive!

The next day, we head over the FV-30 towards Betancuria. The narrow road winds through the coastal mountains higher and higher until we reach the Mirador del Risco de Las Penas. Besides the beautiful view, there are squirrels and ravens at the Mirador that love to be fed (which one really shouldn't do). From there, we cross the island's center and drive to the capital, Puerto del Rosario. There we pick up a package with accessories for wingfoiling (you can never have enough surf gear...) from a package delivery service. Even though the package comes from Spain, customs fees are still due for the Canaries! We originally wanted to stay somewhere around Puerto del Rosario, but we don’t find this coastal stretch attractive. So we drive straight to our favorite spot in Fuerteventura, El Cotillo. One day later, on February 22nd, the family visit begins with the arrival of my brother Tommy from England. Since we have only rented the house for the following day, he spends one more night in Corralejo. We meet him there for delicious tapas and wine, and of course, there’s a lot to talk about.

The next morning, we do a little shopping tour through Corralejo with Tommy. Afterwards, on February 23rd, we check into our little Villa Casa Chani in El Roque, a small and quaint place very close to El Cotillo. Although 'we check in' isn't quite accurate, as old nomads, we both prefer to sleep in the van in front of the house. In the afternoon, our sons Leon and Tim arrive together with Leon's partner Ben. Everyone is immediately excited about the tastefully furnished house, with the large terrace framed by a high stone wall and the wonderful heated pool! Naturally, a large pool splash party follows! In the evening, we all cook together and are very happy to see each other again after such a long time!

The next day is Leon’s 28th birthday. We decorated the house with materials and decorations from the local China shop. Especially the large inflatable '28' brings a lot of joy and looks fantastic in the pool. The boys are not very interested in sightseeing yet, they would rather chill by the pool and soak up the long-missed sun. Tommy has borrowed a surfboard in El Cotillo and we take the opportunity and dash off to surf the waves.

Weather-wise, we have caught a fantastic week, with almost constant sunshine and pleasant warmth. Everyone enjoys the time in their own way. With Tommy, Tim, and Susi, we take a little hike to the crater rim of Calderon Hondo. Leon and Ben would rather continue soaking up the sun at the pool. The next day is once again dedicated to surfing. However, it takes a while before we find the right spot. At Piedra Playa near El Cotillo, we find it and have a nice session in the beach break. Meanwhile, Susi documents our heroic rides with the camera. In the evening we all go out to eat delicious food together at the Azzurro Chill Out restaurant in El Cotillo. My parents have not traveled to the Canaries this year (see travel blog Diamonds on Tenerife), but kindly invited us to dinner from afar. Muchas Gracias!

A nice excursion destination is also the Lighthouse Faro el Toston. At low tide, large parts of the reef are exposed and are perfect for 'rock pooling'. In rock pooling, you climb over the rocks and examine what is crawling and swimming in the seawater pools. We are particularly taken by the brightly colored red rock crabs. The next day, we take a joint day trip to Ajuy. Here are the Huevas de Ajuy, huge caves in the rocks that were once partly used as a harbor (Puerto de la Pena). The numerous Atlashörnchen and goats that wander around the coastal rocks also serve as additional photo opportunities. On the way back, we stop in the old capital Betancuria and eat delicious burgers at the trendy restaurant La Sombra, where we are lucky to still get a table.

This beautiful week with family went by quickly, today is already Saturday, March 1st. On one hand, today marks the definite last month of our long break. On the other hand, Tommy is already departing back to England today! Since his flight is not until the evening, we take the opportunity for a surf session at Playa del Castillo. The next day, Leon and Ben also head back, kindly taking some of our extensive surf gear back to Germany. One day later, it’s Tim’s turn to return, and we are 'alone' on the island again. A little melancholy sets in for us and the weather is no longer playing nice. Susi takes a wonderful bike tour of almost 50 km, leading back to the coast from Lajares and La Oliva to El Cotillo. Meanwhile, I sit in the van and do paperwork. Susi enjoyed the tour so much that we tackle the almost same route again the next day. This is also the first bike ride for my injured left hand, but everything goes well! Fuerte is a paradise for mountain bikers with an almost endless selection of off-road trails. In the late afternoon, we head back to the beach to catch the last Canarian rays of sunshine on our journey!

On March 7th, our last full day on Fuerte, we soak in everything that makes for a perfect day: morning exercise at the beach, then swimming, followed by breakfast with a view of the sea, another small surf session, and finally browsing the cool craft market in El Cotillo for souvenirs for ourselves and our friends back home. On Saturday, March 8th, it's time to say goodbye: We bid farewell to the island of Fuerteventura – and our motorhome acquaintances, such as Wacki from Austria, who happens to show up at our beach parking lot one last time that morning. After 14 months 'on the road', we are now truly heading home. However, our return journey will not be without stops: As a little buffer, we have decided to visit many old and new friends and family along the way – and to take our time doing so. We don't want to arrive in Hamburg before the end of March to allow the spring sun time to land with us in Hamburg! 

On the way to the ferry, which departs from Puerto del Rosario towards Cadiz, we encounter the Canary Carnival. Despite the somewhat rainy day, the Canarios are flocking in droves to celebrate Carnival in imaginative and colorful costumes. Luckily, we reach the harbor just in time, before the police close the harbor street for the big Carnival parade! Now we are queued up with many other van lifers, whose journey – at least in the Canaries – is also coming to an end, waiting for the ferry. The weather forecast promises a stormy voyage, a huge Atlantic low stretches from the Bay of Biscay all the way down to the Canary Islands. Shortly after 6 PM, we roll onto the ferry and a new and final chapter of our break begins!

Conclusion: The last stages of our journey were characterized by great diversity: natural wonders, adventures, breakdowns, a lot of family, and many small moments of joy. Fuerteventura offered us everything once again – deserted beaches, wild coasts, sporting highlights, and moving reunions. The participation of our family at the finale of our break was a gift. Now, parting is hard for us – from the island, from the sun, from the feeling of boundless freedom. But we take a lot with us: memories, encounters, experiences – and the hope that a conscious and slow return home can be just as valuable as setting off.

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On the road: 411 days
Distance covered: 26,000 km
To be continued