Fuerteventura is the second largest island in the Canary Islands. Politically, it belongs to Spain, but geologically it belongs to Africa: it is located around 100 kilometres from the west coast of Morocco in the Atlantic Ocean and is the oldest island in the Canary Islands from a geological perspective and is of volcanic origin. Fuerteventura is characterised by bizarre, desert-like landscapes. Erosion has carved down the once mighty volcanoes into rugged but rather flat mountain and hill ranges. Today, the island is heavily influenced by tourism, with around one and a half million tourists per year for every 120,000 inhabitants. The tourist infrastructure is correspondingly well developed.
Moderate climbs
The road network is well developed, albeit with a manageable number of kilometres; after all, Fuerteventura is just over 98 kilometres long and 28 kilometres wide. While the majority of visitors are drawn to the long dream beaches, for example on the east coast, the mountains in the centre and south-west of the island are particularly interesting for racing cyclists. Lonely, winding routes open up the mountain world, but apart from a few short ramps, it doesn't get really steep. The Pico de la Zarza, the highest mountain, measures 814 metres, but is located in the southern mountain range, which is not accessible by road bike due to the lack of tarmac roads. The roads are generally well developed, apart from a few sections with unpleasantly rough tarmac. Tip: Fit 28 mm tyres; they roll well and are easy on the nerves and wrists. The traffic is also mostly manageable. But: For coherent laps, busy transit routes are unavoidable. The locals generally overtake respectfully, but unfortunately many tourists do not; they also cause heavier excursion traffic in the otherwise lonely mountainous region during the main season (winter).
Best time to travel
The main season is October to December. Thanks to the year-round mild climate of around 25 degrees, you can almost always go on a short holiday - it is not for nothing that the Canary Islands are nicknamed the "islands of eternal spring". Fuerteventura's climate is desert-like and dry with an average of only eight days of rain per year. Trade winds usually keep the hot air masses from the Sahara away. If not, an easterly wind called Calima blows with temperatures of up to 34 degrees.
