Going on surf trips is an absolutely inevitable part of being a surfer. Whether you’re exploring the island paradise of Bali, are planning a road trip to the beautiful south of France or are hunting for waves anywhere else on this beautiful planet, there isn’t really anything better than the pursuit of new adventures, uncrowded waves, long empty beaches and undiscovered seas! Jam-Sessions, BBQs, sleeping in hammocks and waking up to the sound of waves – isn’t that the definition of Dolce Vita? Well, surely for us at Star Surf Camps it is!
Although we are spoiled with great surf for all surfing abilities pretty much all year round in the north of Fuerteventura, we still love to go explore! And the southern half of Fuerteventura does have some quality wave set-ups when the conditions right which we went to check out last week. From our beautiful Star Surf surf house and surf school in El Cotillo we were heading south for an epic surf trip, YEEEEOOOW!
We were on the road for about 1.5 hours as we decided to follow a dirt road south from Ajuy. The lunar landscape here is impressive, traversed by little canyons, caves and lava beaches. We finally reached our first surf spot, Playa de Garcey, also called “shipwreck”. Unfortunately, the remote and quiet beach surrounded by high rocks lost its famous namesake, the shipwreck, in 2007. Before that, parts of the ‘American Star’ lay in the water in front of the beach. Passing through the beautiful, exceptional scenery was still definitely worth the adventurous journey, and we were rewarded by solid waves and an epic view of the bay!
Playa de Garcey or Shipwreck. Beach break with rocky bottom:
- Surfing level required: Experienced
- Good swell direction: N, NW, SW
- Good wind direction: S, SE, E
- Direction of Wave: Left & Right
- Tide: All tides, best with rising and falling tide
Continuing our surf trip south, we got to a beach called la Pared, the wall. The bay in its entirety is 900m long, with light-coloured and fine sand. Due to the lack of tourists, it appears lonely and deserted. A remote beach, where you won’t hear any noises apart from the one of the crashing waves. This beach break enjoys consistent swell conditions and, with smaller swells, it’s great for beginners practicing in the white water waves. The ideal place for a relaxing surf session, long beach walks and fascinating views!
Playa la Pared. Beach break with sandy bottom:
- Surfing level required: Beginners (white water waves), Experienced (hollow, steep walls)
- Good swell direction: N, NW
- Good wind direction: SE
- Direction of Wave: Left & Right
- Tide: All tides
The southern tip of Fuerteventura is dominated by the Jandia Natural Park, an impressive blend of distinct landscapes, most notably of all is the Arco de Cofete, the Cofete Arch. When we got there after travelling along another dirt track for about 20km (4×4 recommended!!), we were taken by this seemingly never-ending, wild beach break in the middle of nowhere. At this time of year, Cofete is not a very popular surf spot because it needs a small swell without or with only very little wind for surfing; favoured conditions that mostly summer offers. But, we got lucky again and scored a nice session. Apart from the great waves and surf, the beach is also famous because, rather strangely, it has a cemetery. Once owned by a mysterious German named Gustav Winter, even today, the Villa Winter is still surrounded by many rumours about its former owner and, honestly, we did feel a rather mysterious vibe when surfing there. The surf trip to Cofete is worth your while if you’re looking to appreciate the large variety of Fuerteventura’s open spaces and their ecological influence.
Playa Cofete. Beach break with sandy bottom:
- Surfing level required: All levels (Beginners should be careful with the strong rips)
- Good swell direction: W, NW, N
- Good wind direction: SW, S, SE, E
- Direction of Wave: Left & Right
- Tide: All tides
Leaving Cofete, we followed another winding off-road track before we reached Punta del Tigre at the southwestern end of the Jandia peninsula. This break offers a powerful wave which breaks over a flat reef and works best with a northerly wind and a good size swell. An advanced surf level is recommended as hazards include rocks, strong currents and isolation.
Punta del Tigre at ‘Punta Jandia’. Reef break:
- Surfing level required: Experienced/ Advance
- Good swell direction: SW
- Good wind direction: N
- Direction of Wave: Left & Right
- Tide: All tides
Before we reached the lighthouse of Jandía, it was time for a surf spot check at Las Salinas, which is an exposed reef break that needs a big (north-)westerly swell to wrap around the south of the island to make it pump and offshore winds from the northeast. On good days it is an excellent fast, hollow right reef break. Unfortunately, the conditions were nowhere near surfable when we passed by on our surf trip, so we kept going and reached the little fishing village of Puertito de la Cruz just in time for some delicious Canarian specialties. Well deserved!
Las Salinas. Reef break:
- Surfing level required: Experienced/ Advance
- Good Swell direction: S or big NW, N
- Good wind direction: NE
- Direction of Wave: Right
- Tide: All tides
Fancy coming along on one of our surfing adventures? Good, because we’d love to be surfing with you on Fuerteventura!
Your Star Surf Camps Team Fuerteventura