Sailing in Fuerteventura – Where the Trade Wind Never Sleeps
Anyone who has stood on the coast of Corralejo early in the morning, when the north-east trade wind unfurls the first waves and the light of the rising sun turns the water to liquid gold, knows: this sea wants to be sailed. Fuerteventura is not an island for quiet bays and languid afternoons. It is an island of wind – and that is precisely what makes it one of the most fascinating sailing areas in Europe.
The constantly north-easterly trade wind means that sailing around Fuerteventura is possible year-round. No capricious summer storm, no windless waiting. In summer especially, the Atlantic fans out with wind strengths of 5 to 8 Beaufort – conditions in which sails billow full into the sky and the wake behind the boat foams like champagne. Nowhere else in the Canarian Archipelago will you find such reliability. Here, on the second-largest Canary Island, it is simply part of everyday life.
Three Ways onto the Water: Guided Tours, Courses and Charter
Sailing in Fuerteventura can be experienced in three ways – depending on whether you prefer to leave the sails in experienced hands or stand at the helm yourself.
1. Guided Sailing Tours – Simply Come Aboard and Enjoy
For everyone who wants to feel the sea without having to handle the sheets themselves, guided sailing tours in Fuerteventura are the easiest and most enjoyable option. Most trips last around 3.5 to 4 hours and combine sailing with snorkelling stops, meals and drinks on board.
Flounder Sailing from Morro Jable offers “real sailing” on its 40-foot yacht – no motor catamaran feeling, but an authentic sailing experience with the option to actively take part. Prices start from €88. Those who prefer a more intimate atmosphere will find what they are looking for with Sailing Trips “Kate”: a maximum of eight people share the Sun Odyssey 42, and the price starts from €70.
Magic & Sailing in Morro Jable provides luxury and nature experiences: extended trips on luxury catamarans, with dolphin watching and a lengthy swimming stop in the turquoise-blue Atlantic – from just €48. In the north of the island, Sail Experience in Corralejo offers tours to Isla de Lobos, a small nature reserve paradise with crystal-clear water and perfect snorkelling grounds, including lunch, from €75.
2. Sailing Schools in Fuerteventura – From Beginner to Skipper
Those who want to learn to sail – seriously and with an international qualification – will find professional training centres in Fuerteventura:
Sail The Canaries in Corralejo is an RYA-certified training centre and offers everything from the beginner’s course (Competent Crew) to instructor training. The British RYA qualification enjoys worldwide recognition – those who learn here can sail anywhere.
Offshore Fuerte, also based in Corralejo, focuses on hands-on learning directly from the boat. No classroom, no theory overload – the Canaries as the classroom.
3. Yacht Charter in Fuerteventura – The Boat is Yours
Those who want to set their own course with their own licence and crew can charter yachts and catamarans in Fuerteventura. For sailing boats over 6 metres, a valid boating licence is legally required in Spain – such as the SKS or SBF See.
Prices for a private sailing charter in Fuerteventura start at around €170 per day for smaller boats. Modern yachts and catamarans can cost up to €800 and more per day. Without a licence, only small motorboats up to 15 hp (max. 5 m in length) may be operated.
The Most Beautiful Sailing Areas in Fuerteventura
Fuerteventura has two sailing areas that every sailor remembers.
Isla de Lobos – Emerald Water off Corralejo
Isla de Lobos lies just a few nautical miles off Corralejo and is one of the most popular destinations for short sailing trips from Corralejo. Crystal-clear water, a nature reserve free from mass tourism and ideal anchorage bays for snorkelling. Anyone who has once dived through the water of this small island gazes upon colourful rocky reefs and loses all sense of time.
Jandía Peninsula – Dolphins and Open Sea
The south coast of Fuerteventura around the Jandía Peninsula is known for dolphin and whale sightings. Those who glide through these waters on a sailing boat or catamaran may be lucky – suddenly, bottlenose dolphins shoot out of the deep blue water alongside the bow, as if reminding people that the sea is their home.
From Morro Jable, catamaran trips also depart around the peninsula, combining snorkelling, deep-sea fishing and even jet skiing.
Hiring Hobie Cats and Catamarans in Fuerteventura
Those who want to experience sailing not passively but feel the trapeze themselves – the pull of the lines, the tilting of the hull, the spray in the face – reach for the Hobie Cat. Several specialist watersports stations in Fuerteventura offer hire and courses.
Important: As the coastal waters are demanding due to currents and consistent wind, most providers require a brief check sailing session or the VDWS Catamaran Basic Certificate before hire.
Providers for Hobie Cats and Catamarans 2026
| Provider | Location | Offer & Prices | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flag Beach | Corralejo (dune beach) | Courses & hire; sailing trips to Isla de Lobos. Courses from €160 | +34 609 02 98 04 |
| Watersports Fuerteventura | Costa Calma (Matas Bay) | Hire & courses in a sheltered bay | +34 630 40 02 27 |
| Oceanride Sailing | Playa Blanca (Lanzarote/Fuerte) | Dart 16 / Hobie Cats; 360° camera service | +34 691 01 77 82 |
| Robinson Club Jandia Playa | Morro Jable | Large Hobie fleet; hire for club guests and non-residents | +34 928 54 40 00 |
Hire Prices for Catamarans 2026
The hire prices for catamarans in Fuerteventura remain stable in 2026 between €35 and €70 per hour, depending on model and station:
| Provider | Model | Price/Hour | Specifics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flag Beach | Hobie Cat 15 / 16 | from €35–50 | Directly on the dune beach of Corralejo |
| Watersports Fuerte | Hobie Cat 15 / 18 | approx. €45–60 | Shallower water – ideal for beginners |
| Oceanride Sailing | Dart 16 / Hobie 16 | from €70 | Incl. safety boat supervision |
| Robinson Jandia | Hobie Cat 15 / 16 | Inclusive (guests) | External guests: day rate by arrangement |
Money-saving tip: Many stations offer 10-hour cards or weekly flat rates. The effective hourly rate then often drops below €30.
Check Sailing: For the first hire, a brief check sail of 15–20 minutes is almost always obligatory – a one-off charge of approx. €20 to €30. Trapeze, wetsuit and life jacket are included in the hire price at professional stations such as Flag Beach.
Beginner tip: The bay of Matas Blancas (Costa Calma) is considered one of the safest areas for catamaran beginners in Fuerteventura – the water is shallower, the wind is usually offshore, and falls are soft.
Vela Latina – When Tradition Meets Full Throttle
Away from modern sailing tourism, a form of sailing survives in Fuerteventura that is older than all licences and charter catalogues: the Vela Latina. Lateen sailing is one of the most tradition-rich sports in the Canaries – and anyone who has once witnessed a regatta never forgets the sight.
From Fishing Boat to Racing Boat
Originally the Barquillos – as the boats are called on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura – were simple working tools of the coastal fishermen. Today they are highly specialised racing boats with enormous triangular lateen sails, whose sail area in proportion to the hull is so monstrous that the boats would capsize immediately without the crew.
This sounds like a design flaw. It is a stroke of genius.
The Crew as Living Ballast
No deep lead keel, no stability anchor – only people. The sailors of the Vela Latina must lean out over the hull with their full body weight at every gust to keep the boat on course. A moment of inattention, one gust too many – and the boat capsizes. That is part of it. The thrill is part of the soul of this sport.
Regattas in Fuerteventura
On Fuerteventura, the Vela Latina focuses on Barquillos in the 5-metre and 8.50-metre classes. There is a dedicated island championship (Campeonato de Fuerteventura), with many races starting in Corralejo or Puerto del Rosario. At the end of the season, the island champions compete at the Gala de la Vela Latina against the champions of the neighbouring islands – a final that enjoys cult status among connoisseurs.
Similar traditions exist in parts of the Mediterranean, for example in Italy and southern France. But the competitive density and professionalism of the Canarian Vela Latina is unique worldwide.
Tip for visitors: Anyone who is in Corralejo during a regatta should make a point of going to the harbour. The rigging of the enormous sails on the small hulls is a photographic spectacle – and when the boats race off, salt air and ambition fill the air.
Conclusion: Sailing in Fuerteventura – Something for Everyone
Whether a relaxed trip with a view of dolphins off the Jandía coast, adrenaline-soaked hours on the Hobie Cat in the trade wind, a professional sailing course Fuerteventura with an international certificate or the quiet thrill of lying at night on a budget yacht beneath the Milky Way sky of the Atlantic: Fuerteventura offers sailing in all its variations.
The island is no gentle sailor’s paradise for windless days. It is honest, direct and reliable – just like its trade wind. And those who once surrendered to it come back. Again and again.
Note: Prices and provider information correspond to the status of 2026 and may change. Reservations by WhatsApp are recommended during the windy months of May to September.
