Jandía Natural Park: All the Highlights and Our Tips for Your Visit

Good to Know: The Jandía Natural Park on Fuerteventura

Before we dive in, we need to clear something up: “What exactly do people mean by the south of Fuerteventura?”

Sounds simple, but it’s actually not. When someone on Fuerteventura says they’re heading south, it could mean two very different things:

• You want to check out the resort towns in the south (like Costa Calma, La Pared, and Morro Jable). Strictly speaking, though, those aren’t at the very tip of the island.
• Or you want to explore the Jandía Natural Park — the truly outermost point of the island.

This article is about the latter — we’ll walk you through a route through the Jandía Natural Park.

Is the south of Fuerteventura worth it?

The far south of Fuerteventura is absolute wilderness — remote, raw, and wild. You’ll encounter very few people and almost nothing man-made.

On the flip side, it’s arguably the most authentic, natural part of the island. Out there, it’s just you, the volcanoes, and stunning beaches. For us, a trip into the Jandía Natural Park is easily one of the top things to do on Fuerteventura.

Is a day trip enough for the south of Fuerteventura?

You can totally tackle the Jandía Natural Park in one day. You almost have to, since apart from sleeping in your own van, there are no overnight options out there.

That said, if you’re traveling from the north — for example from Corralejo — we’d suggest spending a night in Costa Calma or Morro Jable first. The drive from the north alone takes about two hours.

A good plan: drive south on day one and explore the Jandía Natural Park. Then on day two, wander around Costa Calma and Morro Jable before heading back north.

Map of Our Route Through the Jandía Natural Park

We’ve put together a route for a day trip through the Jandía Natural Park. It covers 6 highlights, which we’ll describe in detail below.

To help you picture it, we’ve mapped out the full route through the south of Fuerteventura.

Tour Start in Morro Jable

The starting point for any trip into the south of Fuerteventura is the harbor of Morro Jable. The well-maintained FV-2 road takes you all the way there.

Shortly after you pass the access road into the Jandía Natural Park, the tarmac ends and it’s nothing but a dirt track. You follow it for about 30 minutes, with a breathtaking ocean view on your left the whole way.

Don’t be surprised if a goat or two blocks your path along the road. If you’re traveling to Fuerteventura with kids, that’s a real highlight!

Eventually you’ll turn right at the fork toward Cofete. As soon as you crest the hill at the Centro de Interpretacion Parque Natural de Jandia viewpoint, the panorama of steep mountain slopes will seriously take your breath away.

Heads up: The viewpoint is very exposed and strong winds blow here. Leave anything in the car that could blow away.

The (Almost) Abandoned Village of Cofete

From the viewpoint, you head down a steep stretch into the small, nearly abandoned village of Cofete. Only two families still live here and there isn’t really much to see.

Besides a few wooden shacks, you’ll find a small restaurant where passengers from jeep safaris are dropped off.

What really surprised us: Fuerteventura is famously barren, but on the way to Cofete you’ll find — depending on the time of year — genuinely green mountain slopes.

Playa de Cofete

A few minutes further you’ll reach Playa de Cofete, one of the most beautiful beaches on Fuerteventura. The sandy beach stretches for kilometers, with an impressive mountain range as a backdrop. And the best part: there’s virtually no one else on the beach.

Whatever you do, don’t swim at Cofete! The currents are deadly and people drown here regularly. Honestly, it’s best not to even put your feet in the water. Giant waves can appear out of nowhere and sweep you off your feet.

Right next to the beach is a small cemetery. Villagers were buried here so their souls could drift away across the Atlantic. The wooden crosses half-buried in the sand have a really special atmosphere.

Heads up: Sea turtles lay their eggs on the beach at Cofete. The animals are incredibly cute, but please don’t touch the turtles or their eggs, and keep a few meters of distance. There are signs on the beach with guidance on how to behave.

The Legendary Villa Winter

From Playa de Cofete, you can already spot Villa Winter up on the hill. The house has inspired a huge number of conspiracy theories.

What’s certain is that German engineer Gustav Winter built the villa in 1936. Theories that a secret submarine base was planned here, or an airport to fly Nazis to South America after the war, are most likely pure fantasy.

Who owns Villa Winter today remains unclear. An elderly brother and sister currently look after the place. For a small tip, visitors are welcome to tour the building.

Faro de Punta Jandia

From Cofete, you continue south until you reach the very tip of the island — where the Faro de Punta Jandia lighthouse stands. There are a few wind-sheltered benches where you can take a nice break and soak in the views.

Just a few minutes from the lighthouse is the small village of Puertito. It’s incredibly remote, yet people actually live here year-round.

There are three good restaurants in the village. We’ve tried them all and especially recommend El Caletón for its lovely ocean view.

Right below El Caletón is a nice beach. A small staircase leads you straight down from the restaurant.

Playa de Ojos

Most tourists end their road trip at the lighthouse and turn back for the drive home.

But if you continue a little further along the coast, you’ll reach some beautiful beaches like Playa de Ojos. It sits sheltered in a cove, with a small wooden staircase leading down to the sand.

You’ll meet very few people here — except maybe the occasional nudist.

Do be careful about currents at these secluded coves — they’re unguarded and the current can quickly pull you out onto the reef.

How Do You Get to the Jandía Natural Park?

With a rental car, you can get pretty much anywhere on Fuerteventura without any trouble. It’s one of those beautiful European islands where distances feel short. But the south is a different story — there’s only a dirt track down there. Here are your options for exploring the Jandía Natural Park.

Driving a Rental Car

This is probably the easiest option — but also the riskiest. We were honestly surprised by how many regular rental cars we saw down there.

Just make sure you’re clear that your rental car’s insurance won’t cover damage caused on the dirt track — a flat tire, for example. On top of that, the track is slow going, so bring plenty of patience.

If all of that sounds fine, there’s nothing stopping you from doing the road trip yourself.

Renting an SUV

Some rental car companies also offer SUVs for which driving the roads in the south is permitted. If you can get your hands on one of these four-wheel-drive vehicles, go for it!

The catch is that they’re very popular and tend to book up quickly. We recommend searching early — compare rental car deals on Discovercars to find the best available option.

Guided Jeep Safari Tour

Believe it or not, we actually went on a jeep safari ourselves.

No question about it: it was exactly the kind of tourist conveyor belt we’d imagined. But it was also super convenient.

Here are the pros and cons of a jeep safari:

• You get insider knowledge from your local guide
• No worries about damage to a rental car
• No need to plan a route yourself
• Pick-up directly from your hotel
• Very touristy
• Hardly any flexibility over where you spend how long

To the Jeep Safari to Cofete

Public Bus

There’s also a public bus (Line 111) that goes to the south. The buses look pretty funny — they have huge tires to handle the rough terrain.

The bus departs from the bus station in Morro Jable and runs twice daily, at 10 AM and 2 PM. It stops at Cofete, among other places, and goes all the way to the Faro de Punta Jandia. The return journey departs from the Faro de Jandia at 12 PM and 4 PM.

We recommend taking the earlier bus so you get the most out of your day.

The ride costs €8.70, making it definitely the most affordable way to reach the south. You can find more information on the Tiadhe bus website.

Our Hotel Recommendations for the South of Fuerteventura

If you’re coming from the north of Fuerteventura, it’s really worth spending a night in the south. Otherwise, the drive alone eats into your time in the Jandía Natural Park.

We recommend Costa Calma and Morro Jable as the best places to stay. Our top hotel picks for both towns are below.

You’ll find detailed tips on where to stay on Fuerteventura in these articles.

Staying at Costa Calma

Costa Calma is about a 15-minute drive from the Jandía Natural Park. It’s a quiet, relaxed town — perfect for beach lovers. There are plenty of large hotels as well as some smaller places to stay, and the restaurant scene is solid.

Our hotel recommendations at Costa Calma:
Innside by Meliá – situated between the sea and the desert, great views, adults only

Hotel Risco del Gato – lovely boutique hotel, right in the center and within walking distance of the beach

Staying in Morro Jable

Morro Jable and Jandía together form one large town — we’re counting them as one.

Morro Jable is the older part. In the historic center you’ll find plenty of shops, lovely restaurants, and great cafés. The harbor is a perfect spot for an evening stroll.

Jandía, on the other hand, is home to most of the large hotels and is the better choice if you want to go out to a bar or club in the evening. The beach at Jandía is also the most popular for swimming.

Our hotel recommendations in Morro Jable:
Casablanca Fuerteventura – small and stylish boutique hotel with ocean views, close to the old quarter

Garden and Sea Lodging – modern studios with a private jacuzzi, 100 meters from the beach