Surfing The North Track

Right Reef · Best Oct-Mar · 2-8 ft · Crowd 4/5

Clean swell, reasonable size

Derecha, also called The Bubble, is a short, hollow right over shallow lava reef on the North Track, a short drive from Corralejo. It's the best-known wave on that stretch of Fuerteventura.

It stands up fast and on good days has a short barrel section. A channel next to it makes the paddle-out easier than at some other reefs nearby. It gets crowded, and the reef is sharp, so wear booties.

The season runs from October to March, when north-west swells are most consistent. The dirt road along the North Track is rough, so many rental companies don't allow it; check before you drive. Corralejo has the places to stay, and if The Bubble is too crowded, Majanicho and Mejillones are close by.

Right Reef · Best Oct-Mar · 2-8 ft · Crowd 3/5

Clean NW swell

Majanicho is a small fishing hamlet on the North Track, with several reef peaks around it, lefts and rights over shallow, sharp lava reef. The waves are punchy and often hollow, and the takeoffs are critical.

It's for experienced surfers who are comfortable over shallow rock, and reef boots are a must. The North Track has many similar reefs, so look around before you paddle out.

It's best on a clean north-west swell in winter. There's nothing in the hamlet itself, so bring water and food. Corralejo is about fifteen minutes away on the dirt track, and Lajares, inland, is the nearest village with cafés.

Reef · Best Year-round · 1-6 ft · Crowd 3/5

Small-mod swell

El Muelle is a left that breaks over lava reef behind the harbour wall in Corralejo, so it's the only good wave in the north of Fuerteventura you can walk to from town. It's best at low tide on a medium swell. At high tide the reef gets close.

It's no secret, so expect company, but it's handy on short trips or when you don't feel like the dirt track. Wear reef boots.

It's a handy wave on smaller days, when the North Track reefs aren't breaking, and Corralejo has everything around it: surf shops, cafés and places to stay.

Right Reef · Best Oct-Mar · 2-8 ft · Crowd 2/5

Clean swell

Spew Pits is a short, heavy right that barrels over shallow lava reef on Fuerteventura's north shore, along the dirt track that links Corralejo and El Cotillo. It needs a clean swell and an offshore wind, and it's one of the hardest waves on the island.

The reef is sharp and very shallow, so it's only for surfers with plenty of reef experience, and booties are a must. The spot is easy to miss from the track, so ask in Corralejo or El Cotillo before you go.

Reef · Best Oct-Mar · 2-8 ft · Crowd 1/5

Clean swell, low tide

Suicides is a shallow wave over a lava ledge on the North Track in Fuerteventura. Badly timed takeoffs get punished.

It can be very good when the tide and swell line up, but there's little room for mistakes. Only for experienced surfers, with reef boots, and ideally with someone who knows the spot.

On the same stretch of track, The Bubble and Majanicho are better known and a little more forgiving.

Left & Right Reef · Best Oct-Mar · 2-8 ft · Crowd 1/5

Clean swell

Mejillones is a reef on the North Track in north Fuerteventura, near Majanicho, with lefts and rights. It breaks in deeper water than most of the reefs along this dirt road, so it handles a bit more size.

It needs a clean swell and suits experienced surfers. Conditions change a lot along the North Track, so check a few spots before choosing.

It's best on a clean north-west swell in winter. Like the rest of the North Track, it's reached on a rough dirt road, and there's nothing on the coast itself, so bring water. Corralejo is about fifteen minutes away.

Right Point · Best Oct-Mar · 2-7 ft · Crowd 3/5

Clean N-NW swell

Los Lobos is a long right point on the small island of Lobos, off Corralejo, reached by ferry or boat. On a good north swell it peels for a long way over rock and reef, and it's one of the longest waves in the Canary Islands.

The island is a natural park with almost no buildings and no facilities for surfers, so bring food and water and check the boat times back. It gets busy on the best days, when the boats from Corralejo bring surfers over.

Beach Break · Best Oct-Mar · 2-8 ft · Crowd 3/5

W-NW swell, E offshore wind, all tides

El Cotillo is the fishing village at the western end of the North Track, and the beach just south of it, Playa del Castillo or Piedra Playa, is one of the most powerful beach breaks in Fuerteventura.

It faces west and catches almost every swell. On a good day it throws heavy, hollow waves close to the sand, and the shorebreak can be dangerous. It's best with an easterly wind, which is less common than the north-east trades, so early mornings are the usual time.

The lagoons north of the village are calm and good for swimming on flat days.

Beach Break · Best Oct-Mar · 2-6 ft · Crowd 1/5

W-NW swell, E offshore wind, high tide

Esquinzo is a wild beach south of El Cotillo, reached on a dirt track. It's a quieter alternative when Cotillo is crowded.

It picks up west and north-west swell and is best around high tide with an east wind. There are no facilities and few people, so bring water and don't surf alone on a big day.

El Cotillo, a few minutes north, has cafés, places to stay and the calm lagoons for swimming.