Fuerteventura – Days 4 & 5: From Windsurfing to Wave Watching: A Coastal Escape
Day 4 – Windsurfing
Our planned stargazing trip for the evening was postponed due to a forecast of high winds. I’d already noticed the forecast, and with so many wing-foilers, windsurfers, and kite-surfers out on the water, I felt the need to take advantage of the conditions for some wind-based watersports fun.
Since we’d been unsuccessful in finding the hire centre on Flag Beach, I decided not to waste time trekking out there again. Instead, I looked into a hire centre closer to our apartment and spent the morning in my usual fashion—waiting for the wind to fill in. After lunch, as the forecast predicted, the wind started picking up, so I hired some kit and headed out for a nice little blast around the bay. I was on a 125L board with a 6.0m sail—bigger than I’m used to—but it was still good fun.
With my windsurfing itch scratched, we wandered through town and then along the coast to watch people wave-sailing as the swell continued to build. Weather alerts for severe coastal conditions were coming through, warning of a huge swell about to hit the Canary Islands.
Unsurprisingly, our planned boat trip to Isla Lobos for the following day was soon cancelled. As we strolled around town, we started thinking about alternative activities for tomorrow, had dinner in Music Square, popped by the carnival stage to witness the ongoing chaos, and then relaxed for the evening.
Day 5 – Lajares and El Cotillo
With our planned activities postponed due to the huge swell, we jumped on a bus to the small surf town of Lajares. Despite being known as a surf town, it’s not actually on the coast, but it had a relaxed vibe. We stopped for elevenses at a chilled little café, browsed the shops, and then waited at the bus stop to continue our journey to El Cotillo on the west coast.
El Cotillo was another place I was familiar with from the surf scene, and today, the massive swell was smashing against the rocks. We sat on the beach to eat our packed lunch, wandered around town and up onto the cliffs, and then just chilled, taking in the views until it was time to catch the bus back to Corralejo.
In the evening, we returned to 13 Bistrot for dinner, where we shared some tapas and a lovely goat stew.
