Hiking in Northern Fuerteventura – Where Volcanoes Fall Silent and Space Speaks
There are places you don’t describe – you enter them, and they describe you. The north of Fuerteventura is one such place. Those who begin to hike here venture into terrain that stores time in its own layers: in cooled lava, in forgotten springs, in crater rims that channel the wind like ancient amphitheatres.
Hikes in northern Fuerteventura are not a leisure activity. They are an encounter.
Fuerteventura on foot – Why the north is special
The island is considered the oldest of the Canary Islands, and yet its north has something surprisingly young about it. Here lie volcanic craters that, in geological terms, have only just formed. The landscape feels raw, unfinished, as though the earth here has not yet had its final say. Hiking trails in Fuerteventura’s north lead through this timelessness – past black rock, wide plains, and horizons that the eye can barely take in.
What makes it special: these hikes can be undertaken throughout the year. The mild climate of the Canary Islands makes the north of the island a reliable destination – in January just as much as in October.
Circular walk Calderón Hondo – Gazing into the throat of a volcano
Around 5 kilometres, minimal elevation gain, and yet one of the most impressive hikes in Fuerteventura: the circular walk around the Calderón Hondo volcanic crater near Corralejo is easy to walk and yet of an intensity that you simply don’t expect.
A volcano that formed only yesterday
The Calderón Hondo is young – at least in volcanic terms. Around 50,000 years ago, the earth split open here. What remained is a perfectly formed crater, whose interior descends 70 metres into the depths. Those who reach the rim along the well-marked path stop. Inevitably.
The view into the crater chamber is simultaneously still and mighty. You stand at the edge of a maw that once spat fire, and now hear only the wind.
Vastness in every direction
From the viewpoint at Calderón Hondo, a panorama opens up: the neighbouring volcanic cones of the north, the blue of the Atlantic in the distance, the dunes of Corralejo. The unique nature reserve near Corralejo shows itself here at its most impressive.
The Calderón Hondo circular walk is suitable for all age groups – it is one of those hiking trails in Fuerteventura that you simply don’t forget.
The GR 131 – Hiking Fuerteventura from north to south
Those who want more, who truly wish to cross the island, will find their way along the GR 131. The Camino Natural de Fuerteventura is the island’s great long-distance trail: nine stages, from the small Isla de Lobos in the north to the southern tip of Fuerteventura.
The GR 131 Fuerteventura is no stroll. It is a journey through the interior of the island – through villages that hardly anyone knows, through landscapes no postcard has ever captured. Hiking on Fuerteventura means here: being on the move, arriving, moving on.
Spring hike at Montaña de la Muda – Water in the desert
Who would have thought that Fuerteventura has springs? The hike to the Fuentes de El Chupadero at Montaña de la Muda disproves all the clichés about this barren island.
Short, but demanding
At 4.2 kilometres and around 268 metres of ascent and descent, this tour is manageable – and yet no walk in the park. The path to the springs is well marked and pleasant to walk. What follows has an alpine character: a mountain trail that takes the hiker seriously.
Viewpoints with sweeping vistas
Those who take on the ascent are rewarded. The viewpoints on Montaña de la Muda offer a view that permanently corrects the image of Fuerteventura as a flat island. Up here you feel the island – the wind, the depth of the sky, the stillness that settles in when you are high enough.
The full description of this mountain hike in Fuerteventura can be found on Sunhikes.com.
Hiking in northern Fuerteventura – A conclusion that doesn’t want to be one
You don’t come to Fuerteventura to tick off hiking routes. You come because this island has something to say to you. The north whispers it with particular intensity: at the crater rim of the Calderón Hondo, at the quiet springs of the Chupadero, along the long path of the GR 131.
Hikes in northern Fuerteventura are encounters with a landscape that leaves no one indifferent. You set off – and return changed.
