Fuerteventura with Kids: Our Tips for Your Family Vacation

Where to go with kids on Fuerteventura?

When vacationing in Fuerteventura, it usually goes like this: You either stay in the north or in the south—rarely in the middle of the island.

Of course, you can take a day trip from the north to the south and vice versa. But no one wants to spend every day driving long distances with kids in the car.
From the southernmost town on the island, Morro Jable, or from Costa Calma (where you’ll find most of the large all-inclusive hotels), it takes about 1.5 to 2 hours to drive up to Corralejo in the north.

Our personal recommendation for your family vacation on Fuerteventura is the north. Since we live here, we’re naturally a little biased.
But before you make your decision, we recommend opening our following four articles and taking a look:
The 17 coolest sights on Fuerteventura
The 12 most beautiful places on Fuerteventura
The 14 best activities on Fuerteventura
The best areas to stay in on Fuerteventura
Together, these four articles give you a solid first impression of the island and help you figure out which highlights and areas appeal to you most.

Below, we’ll give you a quick overview of what awaits you in the north, the south, and the center, and which region suits a family vacation best. We’ve also included a map for easy reference.

The North with Hotel Recommendations

The north of Fuerteventura is more authentic and lively than the rest of the island, but also a bit windier. There’s a great selection of genuinely excellent restaurants and bars.
The region is ideal for active travelers, surfers, and families who love variety. Here you can learn to surf, relax on the beach, or hike up a volcano.
We also prefer the north when it comes to scenery. You get the perfect mix of rugged volcanic landscapes and vast dunes. It’s about a half-hour drive from the airport.
Where to stay:
When we say “the north,” we’re mainly talking about Corralejo on the east coast, the town of Lajares inland, and the smaller fishing village of El Cotillo on the west coast. All our tips for Corralejo are in our Corralejo insider guide.

All three places are among the most beautiful spots on Fuerteventura and are great bases for your stay in the north. While there are some large all-inclusive resorts, you’ll also find plenty of smaller, more private accommodations and vacation homes with pools.
Our favorite hotels:
Hotel Arena Beach: Beautiful apartment complex with water slides and all-inclusive service. Right in the heart of Corralejo and just 10 minutes from the beach.

Buendía Corralejo Nohotel: Stylish two-bedroom apartments in Corralejo. With a heated pool and a kids’ pool.

Barceló Corralejo Sands: One of the best hotels on Fuerteventura, with a kids’ pool, water slide, kids’ club, and optional all-inclusive.

The South with Hotel Recommendations

The south of Fuerteventura is quieter and sunnier, and home to most of the island’s 10 most beautiful beaches. They’re endless and simply gorgeous.
That makes the south perfect for a very relaxed family vacation on Fuerteventura. It’s less crowded and less windy—ideal for kids to play on the beach without a care.

The main tourist hubs are the popular Costa Calma and Morro Jable, along with the resort area of Jandia. Here, you’ll likely encounter more European package-holiday visitors than anywhere else on the island.

From the airport, it takes at least an hour by car to reach Costa Calma, and a little longer to Morro Jable.More tips on the wild south of Fuerteventura
Where to stay:
In the south of Fuerteventura, you’ll find the biggest hotel chains offering all-inclusive packages. Many of these are among the best beach hotels on Fuerteventura and are well set up for families with children.

When choosing a hotel here, it doesn’t really matter which town you’re based in. In the south, your focus should be firmly on the hotel that best suits your family’s needs.

Our favorite hotels
Occidental Jandía Mar: Family hotel with two-bedroom suites, a splash park, kids’ clubs, and all-inclusive. Very close to the beach.

Sol Fuerteventura Jandia: Chic hotel with a varied program for the whole family. Just 150 meters from the beach.

Hotel La Colina: Small, family-run place with breakfast included. In a very quiet location—a real rarity in the south of Fuerteventura.

The Center with Hotel Tips

There aren’t many vacation spots in the center of Fuerteventura. The best-known place is Caleta de Fuste, but honestly, we’re not that thrilled with it.

While the town still has a small, traditional center, it’s mainly lined with club hotels and resorts.

Most hotels cater specifically to guests from the UK, and the restaurant scene is almost exclusively geared toward tourists—you’ll find virtually no authentic atmosphere here.

The only upside for us: it’s just a 10-minute drive from the airport.

Where to stay:

As mentioned, Caleta de Fuste is primarily home to large resorts. Even though we’re not fans of the area, one of the 11 best beachfront hotels on Fuerteventura is located here.

The Barceló Fuerteventura Mar is a genuinely great hotel for a family vacation on Fuerteventura. It features modern rooms, a packed entertainment program for the whole family, and a delicious all-inclusive option.

How and where to book your trip and hotel in Fuerteventura?

How you book your family vacation in Fuerteventura really comes down to personal preference.

Personally, we love planning our trips independently and making spontaneous decisions. But we get it — there are real advantages to having everything organized for you.

Either way, Fuerteventura has some seriously beautiful hotels that you can book on their own — for us, the perfect compromise between comfort and freedom.

Book flight tickets

There are direct flights to Fuerteventura from many major European cities. We prefer to compare flights and prices using Skyscanner.
Flight prices can fluctuate daily, so it’s worth checking back frequently. We recommend booking your flights directly with the airline. You can also save money by not booking a large checked bag for everyone.

Fuerteventura has one airport, located in the northeast of the island.

Check flights on Skyscanner

Book a hotel

You can find most hotels and vacation rentals on the booking platform Booking.com. Especially for the winter months between October and March, it’s worth booking well in advance.
You can also browse vacation rentals on Airbnb. There are a few more private rental options listed there.

Book activities

You can book most activities at the last minute or even on-site. We always book through GetYourGuide in Fuerteventura (and everywhere else in the world).
There’s a huge range of things to do listed there. We’ll share the exact links to our favorite activities with kids in Fuerteventura below.
Check out activities on GetYourGuide

Rent a car

A rental car is a must when traveling with kids in Fuerteventura if you want to do more than just relax on the beach—you’ll want to explore the island too.

We recommend comparing rental car prices through Discovercars or booking directly with the local company Cicar. Just see where it works out cheaper. At Cicar, child seats are always included for free. On Discovercars, you’ll need to filter for that specifically.
A note on child seat quality: At the cheapest car rental companies, child seats can be pretty basic. If your kids can already sit up on their own, they’ll be fine — but for babies, we’d bring a seat from home.
Compare rental car deals on Discovercars

Attractions and places on Fuerteventura with kids

Of course, most large hotels have an entertainment program for children. But if you’d rather get out and explore with the little ones, here are our top seven must-sees for kids on Fuerteventura.

Ajuy Pirate Caves

What you need to know: Pirates of Fuerteventura? Yep, that’s no joke. Fuerteventura was actually a hotspot for pirates from the 15th century onward. Today, the caves are a real highlight for kids. You can get there on foot in about 20 minutes via an easy trail that starts in Ajuy. Since our youngest turned three, she’s been walking the trail on her own. Make sure the kids wear sturdy shoes — you have to do a bit of climbing to get into the second cave.

Our tip: On the way to the caves, you’ll spot not only goats but also a few Atlas squirrels — they’re typical of Fuerteventura. Watching them is absolutely fine, but we’d skip the feeding.

Good to know: Ajuy Beach is also absolutely beautiful. Stick to the northern side of the bay, where the water is a bit calmer. Don’t let the children go in alone, though — this is the open Atlantic, and waves crash hard onto the coast. The currents are strong and the swell is unpredictable. Swimming is not something we’d recommend here.

Dunes of Corralejo

What you need to know: The dunes of Corralejo are a seriously spectacular highlight on Fuerteventura — for the whole family. The sand dunes stretch for a full eleven kilometers through the Parque Natural de Corralejo. Kids can run around in the sand, roll down the dunes, and swim in the sea. Adults can relax and take photos — the dunes are one of the best photo spots on the island!

Our tip: Just pull over on the road near one of the large dunes (to Google Maps). If you have a bodyboard, bring it along — you can use it to zoom down the dunes too.

Boat trip to Los Lobos

What you need to know: Just across from Corralejo lies the small island of Lobos, which is basically one big volcano. Seals used to live here, but they’ve since moved on — a shame, but there’s still plenty to do with the kids. There are short, easy hiking trails and crystal-clear water that’s perfect for snorkeling.

Good to know: You can take a trip to Lobos independently (at the port of Corralejo, you’ll find plenty of operators who can get you there by boat in 15 minutes) or book a guided boat tour.

We recommend a catamaran tour. We’ve already done it with the whole 22places team. Really cool!

Catamaran tour with snorkeling

Hike to a volcano

What you need to know: Alongside water sports, Fuerteventura is known for its many volcanoes. Don’t worry — none of them are active anymore. But there are some incredibly huge craters you can peer down into from the rim. One of the best volcanoes for a hike with kids is Calderón Hondo near Lajares. The climb takes only about 20 minutes and is totally manageable even for little ones! Along the way, keep an eye out for Atlas squirrels — always a highlight for our kids.

Our tip: Park in the free parking lot (to Google Maps) and start your hike from there. Sturdy shoes are a must. You can also book a guided tour if you prefer.

Hike to the Calderón Hondo volcano

Kite Festival

What you need to know: If you’re traveling with your family in winter, we have a great under-the-radar tip for Fuerteventura: don’t miss the kite festival! It takes place at two beaches — La Concha in El Cotillo and the dunes of Corralejo. From early to mid-November, huge, colorful kites fill the sky. Check the exact dates on the La Oliva municipality website.

Our tip: Right across from La Concha Beach in El Cotillo is the Azzurro Chill Out Restaurant — our absolute favorite spot to eat on Fuerteventura! They serve seriously delicious Italian seafood dishes and tapas. Our kids love the food there too!

Activities on Fuerteventura with Kids

There are some really cool things to do with kids on Fuerteventura — and there’s something for almost every age group.

Here are our top eight favorite activities for families on Fuerteventura.

Buggy Tour

What you need to know: Does your family love action? Then a buggy tour is a must. You’ll drive right through the sand dunes and go completely off-road, with stunning views of the dunes along the way. Children must be at least five years old and always ride with an adult. Our son Mio had an absolute blast!

Our tips: Have the kids wear goggles and a scarf over their mouths — it gets very dusty. The buggy tour is honestly the one activity on Fuerteventura that books up quickly. We recommend reserving your spot as early as possible through GetYourGuide.

Buggy Tour from Corralejo

Oasis Park Jandia

What you need to know: Oasis Wildlife Park is a zoo on Fuerteventura and arguably one of the most popular destinations for families with children. There’s a huge nature and adventure park with more than 3,000 animals and an enormous variety of plants. There‘s also a really fun sand playground and a new water playground right next to the restaurants — so be sure to pack swimwear.

Tickets for Oasis Park
Our tip: If you want to see animals with the kids without visiting the zoo, here are two free alternatives:

1. In front of Jandia Playa

,

1. you’ll find the original skeleton of a 14-meter-long whale — the longest on the island. There used to be a zoo right behind the whale skeleton too. It has since closed, but the exotic birds didn’t want to leave, so you can now often spot them in the wild — completely free of charge.
2. Near Morro Jable, there’s a turtle breeding station that’s open every Thursday. Admission is free, but you’ll need to reserve a time slot in advance on the website.

Water Park in Corralejo

What you need to know: We now have an annual pass for the Acua Water Park in Corralejo. It’s the only water park on the island and one of the most popular activities with kids in Fuerteventura. There are seriously cool slides, a wave pool, a lazy river, a fast river, and a dedicated toddler zone with smaller pools. Our kids love it — and even we parents have tried every single slide.

Our tip: If you’re visiting outside the summer season, we’d recommend a neoprene shorty for the kids if they — like ours — get cold easily. You can find them at a good price for kids at Decathlon (see neoprene shorty).

Good to know: You can easily plan the water park as a full-day outing — there’s a restaurant and a snack bar on-site.

Surfing

What you need to know: There’s almost nothing cooler than learning to surf on Fuerteventura — the conditions for beginners are genuinely ideal. We recommend the surf courses run by Riders in El Cotillo. It’s run by a woman who has a young child herself. If your kids are strong swimmers, you can book a family surf course there too. Just send them an email or give them a call ahead of time. Feel free to mention you got the tip from 22places!

Our tip: Find out which months are best for learning to surf in our article on the best time to visit Fuerteventura.

Bodyboarding

What you need to know: If your kids are still a bit young for surfing, bodyboards are the perfect alternative! With these small boards, kids can jump right into the water and ride small waves in the surf zone. You can rent boards all over the island, so you’re not limited to the north.

Our tip: In the north, the best places to rent bodyboards are Riders in El Cotillo or Blue Planet in Corralejo.

Hiking with goats

What you need to know: Fuerteventura is goat territory: whether it’s goats by the roadside, soap made from goat’s milk, or the super delicious Queso de Cabra — goats are simply everywhere. A wonderful experience for kids is a guided hiking tour with the goats. The kids even get to feed them, and there’s a little snack thrown in too.

Our tip: There’s also a dedicated cheese museum and various goat farms where you can learn all about cheese-making and visit a small petting zoo.

Guided hike with goats

Snorkeling

What you need to know: Snorkeling is really a must on any family vacation in Fuerteventura. All around the island, you’ll find crystal-clear water, lava rock, seagrass beds, and plenty of colorful fish — perfect for snorkeling beginners and kids of all ages.

Our tip: Since we lived in Corralejo for a long time, we’ll share our best snorkeling spots with you:

1. Between the hotels by the dunes and Corralejo (on Google Maps).
2. On the right side of Playa de los Verilitos — one of Corralejo’s town beaches.
3. At Playa Corralejo.
4. There are often lots of small fish to see next to the Boutique la Marquesina hotel (to Google Maps).

Dolphin Tour

What you need to know: Dolphin and whale tours are by far the most popular boat tours on Fuerteventura — and kids absolutely love them! They run from both the north and the south. Of course, sightings are never guaranteed, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed for you!

Our tip: If you have young children, we’d go for the one-hour trip on a glass-bottom boat. You’ll sail all the way around Lobos Island and make a stop at sea where you can swim and snorkel. If your kids have more patience, a longer boat tour with a real focus on dolphin and whale watching is a great option too.

1-hour glass-bottom boat tour from Corralejo

Dolphin and whale watching boat tour in the north

Speedboat dolphin and whale watching in the south

Top beaches for kids on Fuerteventura

For us, Fuerteventura is one of the most beautiful islands in Europe. A big part of that is the sheer variety of beaches. Here are the most beautiful beaches on Fuerteventura for families.

City beaches of Corralejo

Right in the heart of Corralejo, there are two beaches we highly recommend. The first is Playa Corralejo, the main beach in town. It isn’t huge, but it’s great for a quick dip to cool off.

The beach sits right between the Avanti Lifestyle Hotel and the Hotel Boutique La Marquesina, two of the best adults-only hotels on Fuerteventura — our recommendation if you ever visit the island without the kids, haha.

The second beach in Corralejo is Playa de los Verilitos (also known as Waikiki Beach). This one is quite a bit larger than Playa Corralejo.

There are a few lounge chairs where you can relax. The beach is shallow and the water is usually calm — ideal for families with small children.

It’s not the most stunning beach we’ve seen, but we love it because there are great bars and restaurants right on the sand. Our favorite is the Waikiki. It’s also within walking distance of the town center.

Grandes Playas

Next to the miles-long dunes in Corralejo lies Grandes Playas — an endlessly long and wide sandy beach. With all that sand, you can build not just a sandcastle, but an entire city.

One thing to watch out for: depending on the season and water level, the seabed can drop off suddenly in places. There are plenty of shallow areas though, and a lifeguard is on duty in the summer.

Las Dunas on Google Maps

Beaches in El Cotillo

#1 Playa la Concha

This beach in El Cotillo is very popular with families. The rocks form a sort of natural swimming pool, so no waves break on the beach and there is hardly any current. There’s also a great café called Torino with restrooms just a two-minute walk away. Note: there is no lifeguard.

Los Lagos on Google Maps
#2 Caleta del Marrajo

Just north of the lighthouse in El Cotillo, you’ll find a lagoon that, especially at low tide, resembles a giant wading pool. You’ll need to drive a few hundred meters down a gravel road, but the turquoise-blue water is something you’d otherwise probably only find in the Caribbean.

Caleta del Marrajo on Google Maps

Sotavento

Sotavento is a beach on the southeast coast of Fuerteventura that’s very popular with families of young children as well as windsurfers and kitesurfers, thanks to its very shallow water.

The sand here can get seriously hot, so be sure to bring a beach towel or a shelter. We’d also recommend packing some snacks — there aren’t many places nearby to buy anything.

Sotavento on Google Maps

Playa de Esquinzo

Esquinzo — a long, white sandy beach — is located between the towns of Jandia and Morro Jable. Unlike Sotavento, it’s not as remote.

There are lounge chairs and umbrellas, restrooms, and a few beach bars where you can grab refreshments and snacks.

Playa de Esquinzo on Google Maps

Playa Jandia

Playa Jandia is right next to the lighthouse, so you really can’t miss it. There’s plenty of parking, and the beach is accessible via wooden walkways.

You’ll also find several beach bars and lounge chairs. On the way back, don’t miss the giant whale skeleton nearby.

Playa Jandia on Google Maps

The Best Hotels for Families on Fuerteventura

For your family vacation on Fuerteventura, you’ll find some really great family hotels in both the north and the south.

We’ve personally checked out every single one and have put together the ten best family hotels on Fuerteventura in a dedicated article.

The north of the island works especially well for independent-minded families. Our top pick is the Hotel Arena Beach, which has a kitchen, water slides, and is just ten minutes from the beach.

In the south, you’ll find more traditional family-friendly resorts. The Occidental Jandía Mar offers an all-inclusive package with a splash park and separate bedrooms.

General tips for your vacation in Fuerteventura with children

No matter where you stay or what you plan to do, there are a few things worth keeping in mind for a family vacation in Fuerteventura. Here are our top three tips.

#1 You can’t get around without a rental car.

If you’re spending your whole vacation by the pool or on the beach in front of your hotel, this doesn’t apply. But if you want to see the sights, getting around Fuerteventura without a car is seriously difficult.

Many attractions are out of the way with no bus service at all, and the overall bus network is quite limited. Especially with kids, you want things to be as quick and hassle-free as possible.

There’s a great selection of rental cars available, so we always compare prices in advance on Discovercars.

Find the best rental car on Discovercars

#2 Never underestimate the wind and sun.

The Canary Islands are known for their mild climate year-round, but it’s almost always windy — especially in summer. Because of the wind, there’s an extreme risk of sunburn since you don’t realize just how strong the sun is. So never underestimate it, and always apply sunscreen.

While it gets very hot during the day — especially inland — it can get quite chilly once the sun goes down or along the coast. Be sure to pack some warm layers on your family packing list.

#3 Off-road – beautiful, but proceed with caution.

Many of the most beautiful beaches on Fuerteventura are only reachable via gravel roads. The risk of a flat tire on these tracks is real.

Although the towing service on Fuerteventura will reach you almost anywhere, rental car insurance typically only covers you on paved roads.

If you do venture onto dirt roads, keep an eye on your cell phone signal. A flat tire with no signal is a very bad combination!