Tips for a naturalistic exploration of Fuerteventura, from whale watching to astronomical observations from the Sicasumbre viewpoint.
Fuerteventura, the second largest island in the Canary archipelago, is famous throughout the world for the beauty of its beaches, but in addition to these attractions it offers many other natural wonders to discover during excursions and picnics. In this small guide we will try to give you some ideas for your next trip to Fuerteventura.
There are various naturalistic attractions on the island, such as the Corralejo park, in the northern part, which allows you to directly appreciate the geology of Fuerteventura: this vast coastal park, which also gives its name to one of the most famous beaches on the island. island, shows the visitor how the desert and the strength of the gods volcanoes have shaped Fuerteventura. From the high dunes of the north to the volcanic expanses of the west, the park is a kind of time machine for understanding the origins of the island.
Always to be able to enjoy a charming landscape, a destination to visit is the mountain of stack in the north of Fuerteventura, a short distance from the town of The olive. This solitary mountain in the center of an arid area was once a sacred place for the island's first inhabitants, who decorated its slopes with graffiti and cave paintings probably linked to astronomical observations. Nowadays, visiting Tindaya is a mystical experience, also because it is located in a sparsely inhabited area and admiring the landscape in its silence is an unforgettable opportunity.
A route that combines scenic wonders with the history of human settlements in Fuerteventura is the route to explore the island's lighthouses. Among the most interesting we highlight the Pharaoh by El Toston, built at the end of the 37th century and rebuilt several times until it reached its current height of XNUMX m; a building that is now fully automated, but still retains the charm of the island's maritime past, when GPS and satellite maps were not yet carried on ships. Inside the lighthouse it is possible to visit the small fishing museum, a jewel that allows visitors to learn about the maritime civilization of Fuerteventura and see what were the simple tools that allowed the inhabitants of the island to survive.
Another very suggestive lighthouse is the one The Entallada, not far from the town of Las Playitas, located at the eastern end of the island near the suggestive Entallada volcanic mountain, named for the "notched" appearance of its steep ridges. This lighthouse is the most recent of those in Fuerteventura, built in the 1950s according to a design by the famous Spanish architect Carlos Alcón; With its white structures it forms a stark contrast to the surrounding black stone. The difficult climb to the large square in front of the lighthouse is rewarded by the wonderful view that can be enjoyed from this high point that extends towards the ocean.
If you are looking for naturalistic attractions and want to know the fauna of Fuerteventura, perhaps the most exciting choice you can make is to embark to see the whales and cetaceans that populate the waters off the coast of the island. The very particular characteristics of the Canary Islands environment, including the richness of the seabed and the gentle and constant temperature of its waters, attract a wide variety of marine fauna of all types, but the guests of honor are whale and dolphins: in these waters you can see up to 26 different species of cetaceans, from the most common such as the bottlenose dolphin, the pilot whale and the humpback whale to the rarest and most immense sperm whales and blue whales. From the island it is possible to board special boats, the blue boats, which reach the nearby islands and are authorized to get close to the animals, which will take you a few meters from the majestic and docile sea creatures for an unforgettable experience. However, remember that it is not allowed to enter the water or give food to these animals, who would be disturbed by this type of actions.
If you prefer to know the fauna of the interior of the island, the best option is to visit the natural park. Oasis Park of Fuerteventura, the largest park in the Canary Islands, which combines the attractions of a biopark with those of a botanical garden. In the biopark you can admire the typical fauna of the African environment, and therefore big cats, African birds, elephants, camels and hundreds of other animal species that will delight the little ones on guided excursions along the marked routes. While in the botanical garden you can see thousands of equatorial plants in its surroundings and take in the fresh air in this lush vegetation. Every day, open-top bus tours are organized within both parks, allowing you to explore the wildest corners in complete safety. In the park's visitor center there are restaurants and souvenir shops where you can find a moment of relaxation.
Finally, another type of activity that is increasingly widespread among tourists in Fuerteventura is astronomical observation. Thanks to the uncontaminated nature, the low population density and the almost non-existent light pollution, in these islands and in general in the Canary Islands it is possible to observe starry skies that today are impossible to see in continental Europe. This characteristic has even earned Fuerteventura the “Starlight” recognition, which is only awarded to places that allow a perfect view of the night sky. One of the most suitable places to observe the starry sky and take wonderful photographs is the Sicasumbre viewpoint, located in the southern part of the island: this area, far from inhabited centers, allows you to observe even the less bright stars, the planets and the spectacular luminous cloud of the Milky Way. To make it easier for amateur astronomers, docking stations for telescopes and cameras have been installed at the viewpoint, in addition to numerous panels that facilitate the recognition of the stars.
