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PROTECTEC SPACES. AN ISLAND OF NATURAL SPACES

Throughout the whole of the island of Fuerteventura visitors will find beautiful and unique natural spaces to admire, such as the dunes at Corralejo, with its kilometres of sand dunes, Tindaya Mountain, one of Fuerteventura's most characteristic geomorphologic elements, and without forgetting some impressive landscapes, particularly in the area of Arco de Cofete in Jandia.

CORRALEJO DUNES

Corralejo Dunes Corralejo Natural Park lies in the northern part of the island and is made up of a large area of dunes, a solidified lava stream, and the Montaña Roja (Red Mountain) volcanic cone. Its considerable sandy habitat contains plant species such as the Canarian Bean-Caper ( Zygophyllum fontanesii ), Shrubby Sea-blite ( Suaeda vera ) and a member of the amaranthus family ( Traganum moquinii ). It also has the largest colony of Houbara Bustards ( Chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae ) on the island.

LOBOS ISLE NATURE PARK

At one time (15th c.) Lobos Isle was considered amazing because of the size of the colony of Mediterranean Monk Seals ( Monachus monachus ) that lived there. None remain today, however Lobo Isle is still home to around 130 species of plants and a variety of animals that need to be protected and preserved to avoid history repeating itself. A small islet (around 5 square kilometres), Lobos Isle is situated some 2 km northeast of Fuerteventura, separated by a stretch of water no deeper than 10 m called El Río, in the Bocaina Straits. The isle is clearly visible from Corralejo. Its coastline is dotted with waterlogged areas that form salt marshes of extreme biological importance, where several species of birds come to nest on the cliff faces of La Caldera Mountain, particularly Herring gulls and Cory shearwaters. The beautiful seabed surrounding the isle, which has been declared a Submarine Natural Reserve, contains great ecological wealth.

Lobos Isle lighthouse was the birthplace of the poet and potter, Josefina Plá, a benchmark in contemporary Hispanic-American literature.

MALPAÍS DE LA ARENA

Malpaís de la Arena The volcanic eruptions on the island, the last of which occurred around 10,000 years ago, produced a monument of great beauty and which Man has not significantly altered over time. This is perhaps why the solidified lava stream is the habitat of the best colonies of Fuerteventura Chats ( Saxícola dacotiae ) that live among communities of Spurge ( Euphorbia obtusifolia ), Gorse ( Launaea arborescens ), Kleinias ( Kleinia neriifolio ) and Lichens.

TINDAYA MOUNTAIN

Originating from the basal complex of the Betancuria Massif, Tindaya Mountain still conserves on its peak aborigine podomorphic engravings, thought to have a religious significance. The mountain, one of the most characteristic geomorphic features in the island, is visible from any point in the north of Fuerteventura as it stands, tall and proud, over the plains that reach out to the Atlantic.