Isla de Lobos Fuerteventura

The impressive volcanic cone close to Corralejo   

Having spent a lazy day in Corralejo for Alex and Lucy’s first full day on board, we decided to maintain the bone-idle theme and move on just a short distance to Las Isla de Lobos. The forecast for the had been a bit variable in terms of wind but, more particularly swell, so somewhat at variance with bone-idleness, we planned an early start so that if the anchorage off the Isla de Lobos should prove too rolly, we would have time to enjoy the island and still be able to move 15nm south to a more protected port before dark. Thus it was that our day’s log entries read: ‘0940 slipped from Corralejo; 1020 anchored off Islas Lobos’.

It was a totally uneventful crossing to the island. There was virtually no wind and our only slight concern was to avoid the extensive shallows on which we had watched the swell break on previous days.

Isla de Lobos   

Isla de Lobos is a highly popular destination for the many tripper boats based out of Corralejo and it is easy to see why. It’s only a short distance between the marina and the anchorage off Isla de Lobos and the scenery is impressive. Despite the early start, by the time we arrived there were already 3 other yachts anchored off the island close to the pier, the only official landing point on the island.

[Ed: Estate Agent photo without the 10 other yachts and tripper boats anchored close to us]   

Having decided that the anchorage was tenable for a nightstop, Nicky and I spent the morning cleaning BV’s bottom which had gathered a goodly collection of light weed and some tiny barnacles after several weeks in marinas and anchorages where we weren’t much inclined to swim. Alex and Lucy swam and sunbathed and general enjoyed watching the anchorage fill up.

After lunch we had planned to go ashore to explore, leaving the dinghy secured to the pier. But the swell, which wasn’t really noticeable at anchor, was generating a nasty surge at the pier and there was nowhere safe to leave the dinghy. So I dropped the other 3 off on the island to explore and returned to BV to await their call for a taxi ride back. It’s just as well that I did, as a new arrival in the anchorage spent the best part of an hour trying to get his anchor dug in somewhere about where BV’s anchor lay and seemed perpetually surprised when he ended up with his catamaran bare a few feet off BV’s bow. Paddington Bear-style Hard Stares [Ed: and a few choice words?] seemed to do the job and eventually he went off to bother someone else.

Meanwhile, the other 3 trotted off around the island [Ed: around some of the island; it’s a surprisingly large place]. (Ed continues)  There are well defined footpaths around and across the whole island as well as unofficial tracks up the caldera (which we didn’t climb) and some of the smaller hummocks one of which, close to the tiny hamlet, we did climb and from which we had great views across the anchorage and north towards the caldera.

(L) Island scenery (R) northeastern end of El Puertito bay   

From our high point we descended to the hamlet, El Puertito, and discovered a very protected and shallow bay with a few tiny stone ‘beach-houses’, presumably fishermen’s stores/work cottages in a previous life. There is a small restaurant and a visitors’ centre and there were plenty of RIBs tied up to the wooden pier close to the restaurant. We called Reg to suggest that he join us in the dinghy here but at that point he was busy glaring at our would-be neighbour, so we continued our walk without him.

Eastern coast of Isla de Lobo looking south-southeast to Fuerteventura   

The footpaths are all pretty well sign-posted, even giving an estimate of the time it would take to walk from A to B. From the pier to the lighthouse at the northern tip of the island (round the bottom of the caldera) it is, apparently, about a 50-min walk. We decided instead to stroll up the east coast a little, then cut back towards the west coast and the sandy beach that we had seen from BV.

Eastern coast of Isla de Lobo looking north-northeast to Lanzarote   

The island is almost entirely composed of black volcanic rock with some scrubby shrubs here and there. It has a rugged, bleak beauty but it’s not exactly hospitable.

Mt de la Caldera with the ‘lagoon beach’ in front   

Kite surfer off the anchorage
coming across from the Fuerteventura side    

Back on the west coast, we reached the sandy beach that we had seen from BV. Just off the shore from the beach is a volcanic rock bar which is exposed as the tide goes out, leaving a beautiful sheltered lagoon, perfect for swimming and snorkelling. The golden sandy is fantastically soft. Since it has clearly not been produced by the local rock, I assume that, like the sand on many of the golden beaches in Fuerteventura, it has been carried over from Africa by strong winds.

As we stood on the beach, admiring the view, we saw a dinghy from one of the other yachts land on it (just to the left of the picture above). Since it the waters here were so calm we were sorely tempted to suggest that Reg pick us up off the beach. But we thought it best to stick with the rules – presumably there’s a good reason that landing is only permitted on the pier – so we returned to run the gauntlet of the surge again. After a quick phone call our water taxi appeared at the pier and we all returned to BV for sundowners. Rum cocktails was the theme; training for the Carribean!

Isla de Lobos, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands