Fuerteventura is the second largest of the Canary Isles after Tenerife. From the north to south, between the two capes Punta de la Tiñota and Punta de Jandia, it is a full 98 km as the crow flies. It is 30 km across at its widest point, but only 5 km at its narrowest point, the Istmo de la Pared, which separates the main part of the island, Maxorata, from the Jandía peninsular.
Apart from Pico de la Zarza in the south, the highest peak in the western interior ist the Atalaya mountain (Betancuria), which is 724m high.
Of all the Canariy Isles, Fuerteventura is the closest to the African coast, with about 100 km separating the Punta de la Entallada from Cape Juby in the south of Morocco. Its climatic conditions are similar to those of the Bahamas, and of Florida, Mexico and Kuwait, which are all on or around the same latitude. Iceland, Ireland and Senegal are on the same line of longitude as Fuerteventura.
The time zone is one hour behind CET, in other words in central Europe it is always one hour later than on the Canary Isles.
Although Fuerteventura has been the most levelled out by erosion, its scenery is nonetheless interesting: sweeping plains, gentle hills, jagged rocks, steep cliffs, black lava flows, caves of volcanic origin, and sandy beaches that are among the most beautiful in Europe…
ORIGINS
Fuerteventura is generally regarded, as scientific fact, as the oldest of the Canary Isles, (though sometimes Gomera is also named), and its contours have been shaped in a series of volcanic episodes.
The basic complex (the mountainous region of Betancuria) consists of sub oceanic crust. This consists of sedimental rock dating back to the Cretaceous period and sub oceanic volcanic rock, and rose up out of the sea in the shape it had acquired under the waters. The rest of the island is of basaltic origin, i. e. it was formed by eruptions at the surface.
In the OLDEST VOLCANIC CYCLE, about 17 to 12 million years ago, lava emerged through cracks in the Earth’s surface and solidified, only to be covered by ash and repeatedly flooded by further flows of lava. The result was plate formations stacked up one above the other and more then 800 m high, that shaped the topology of Jandia and the south-west of the island.
The SECOND VOLCANIC CYCLE began about 2 million years ago. The lava spread relatively evenly, creating sweeping planes in the north and north-east, with stony soil containing chalk and clay.
The MOST RECENT VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS on Fuerteventura occurred only a few thousand years ago in the Quartiary period, and created the characteristic malpaís in the north (del Norte, de Arena) and in the interior between Tunieje and Pozo Negro (Malpaís Grande, Malpaís Chico). Malpaís means “bad land”, not fertile, worthless, and is used for areas covered by up to several metres of deep lava scree.
Tourist Offices
Puerto del Rosario:
Patronato del Turismo, Avenida de la Constitución 5, Tel. 928 53 08 44, Fax 928 85 18 12 (Mo–Fr 8–14 Uhr); Büro am Flughafen, Tel. 928 86 06 04
Corralejo:
Oficina Información y Turismo, Plaza Pública de Corralejo, Tel. 928 86 62 35, Fax 928 86 61 86 (Mo–Fr 9–13 und 16–19, Sa 9–13 Uhr)
Caleta de Fustes:
Oficina Información, Centro Comerciál Castillo, Tel. 928 16 32 86 (saisonbedingt variieren die Öffnungszeiten)
Jandía:
Oficina Información, Centro Comerciál Jandía Beach, Local 88, Tel. 928 54 07 76, Fax 928 54 50 44 (Mo–Fr 9–15 Uhr)
Emergency Numbers
Police (Urgencia): Tel. 928–53 10 29
Policía Municipal: Puerto del Rosario Tel. 928 85 06 35, Corralejo Tel. 928 86 61 07, Jandía Tel. 928 54 10 22
Guardia Civil: Tel. 928 85 05 03
Red Cross: Tel. 928 85 13 76
Ambulanz: Tel. 928 80 09 89
Hospital: Puerto del Rosario Tel. 928 53 17 99.
Time
same as in Great Brtiain
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