Fuerteventura - Natural Beauty With a Pinch of Salt

Of all the beaches we visited, Majanicho was the strangest. Known the world over as Popcorn Beach, the white algae fossils which cover the shore bear an uncanny resemblance to the popular puffy snack. 

Initially red in colour, these marine algae are called rhodoliths and turn white over time, the waves push them ashore giving them their unique shape. 

Despite Popcorn Beach apparently being a big thing on Instagram we didn't have to dodge hoards of selfie takers when we combed the shore for sea glass and shells, the only nuisance was the weird electric blue jellyfish washed up by the waves. 

My friend Nigel thinks this is actually a Portuguese Man 'O' War (HERE) which is a hydrozoan and not a jellyfish. 

Travel a few kilometres along the coast and you'll reach El Camino Natural, a walking trail running 160 km from Corralejo in the north of the island to Pájara in the south, taking in some diverse and breathtaking landscapes, including the Corralejo dunes, the Tindaya Mountain, Betancuria and the Jandía Nature Reserve. As its accessible by road you can join the trail wherever you fancy although wouldn't a walking holiday, stopping off at little guesthouses along the way, be a lovely way to spend a fortnight?

This dry stone wall bisects the length of the island and parts are believed to date back to Pre-Hispanic times when Fuerteventura was divided into two and ruled by Guise and Ayose*, the great Mahos tribal chiefs. 

*Represented by the huge bronze statues Jon was standing by at the viewpoint in my last post (HERE). 

Having never ventured further than the beach when we'd visited in the 1990s, we'd left with the impression that Corralejo, the island's largest resort, was a chilled and laid-back town so were disappointed on our return trip to discover an overdeveloped tourist strip offering all day English breakfasts, roast dinners, Bingo and copies of the Daily Mail - not our kind of thing at all, home or away.

However, away from the main drag, the charming old town with its labyrinthine alleys, quirky street art and crumbling buildings was an absolute delight as was the sleepy harbour with its dazzlingly clear water and pristine boats.

We had lunch in Corralejo a couple of times during our stay, once at the fabulous Tapas Oscar, where you normally have to book in advance but got lucky and found a table free.

Along with a couple of small beers, padron peppers, cheese and spinach croquettes, the ubiquitous papas arrugadas with mojo sauce, savoury gofio biscuits and freshly baked bread with aioli we were brought complimentary slices of Iberian ham tortilla (which Jon ate) and shots of Canarian honey rum (which I drank as Jon was driving!) Delicious and great value at less than 25€. Honestly, who on earth would want a stodgy roast dinner when you can can have tapas?!

 

We also ate at Cofradia de Pescadores, a restaurant on the harbour which, despite the name, had plenty of vegetarian-friendly dishes at very good prices.

As well as freshly baked bread and glasses of Tropical beer (again, the non alcoholic version for Jon) we feasted on garlic mushrooms, pan-fried cheese and - of course - papas arrugadas! 

The best sand dunes in all of the Islas Canarias are to be found at Corralejo National Park which extends for over 10 km along the coast. 

With the dunes offering some welcome shelter from the wind, you soon felt every bit of those delicious 27°C temperatures.

Be warned, even on the cloudy days the UV index in Fuerteventura is very high all year round, do not venture out without smothering yourself in Factor 30. We saw some very lobster-like tourists during our week on the island. 

Lazing on white sand, gazing out at turquoise waters and basking in 27°C heat in early March....it's hard to believe we were just a four hour flight from Birmingham!

Unlike us, the dunes have scarcely changed in the 27 years we'd been away....

The pinch of salt in the blog title? Museo de la Sal (The Salt Museum) was the third of the museums that the combi ticket we'd purchased at the cheese museum included. 

The salt produced at Fuerteventura's Salina del Carmen comes in a variety of sizes but is always small-grained and bright white. The sodium chloride content is one of the lowest on the market and the trace elements it contains (magnesium, zinc and calcium) make it healthier and tastier than processed table salt. 

Unlike other traditional salt flats, production of salt at Salina del Carmen is completely natural, using only the force of the sea, the wind and gravity. The wind pushes the waves against the rocks and due to the impact, a foam is formed which migrates into a natural pool. This is then led by gravity to the "cookers" where it is left to warm in the sun until it reaches the optimum temperature. The artisans (salineros) then channel it to the pits where the sun causes it to evaporate slowly leaving the salt deposited at the bottom. The salt crust is then removed carefully & left to drain on the edge of the pit where it is bleached and dried by the sun before being transferred to the warehouse.

Oh hello!

Here's another of the real whale skeletons on Fuerteventura's Path of the Cetaceans (La Senda de los Cetáceos), an open air exhibition celebrating the diversity of the island's natural environment. 

These spotty looking buildings are typical of Canarian architecture, aren't they lovely?

Inside the museum you get to peep into what the home of Manuel Velázquez Cabrera would have looked like when he took over ownership of the Salinas del Carmen back in 1910. 

Needless to say, we purchase a bag of Salinas Del Carmen salt from the museum shop so we could try and recreate papas arrugadas at home. 

Here's the final of our picks for sites of natural beauty in the North of Fuerteventura, the remote El Toston Beach, situated 5km from El Cotillo.

Due to the dangerous current, swimming is prohibited on this wild and rocky beach and the sandstone & basalt rocks make lounging impossible. On the other side of the lighthouse there is a stretch of coastline formed by lava and fossils, the entire area being one of the main palaeontological sites in Fuerteventura.

The only plant that can survive in the salty conditions is a variety of succulent that can be seen around the headland.

Thanks for reading! I'll be back with my fourth & final travelogue very soon.