3 places to park up your campervan in Fuerteventura
The sky was turning the shade of octopus ink by the time the manager of Vans and Sands finished running us through the idiosyncrasies of the army-green T3 VW campervan that was to be our home for the next four days. Before we ventured out into the Puerto del Rosario night, he directed our gaze to the wall where a large white map of the island was pinned, strips of purple post-it notes stuck on various points to indicate desirable parking spots. I took three pictures of the map on my phone and we climbed into the van, thus beginning our campervan adventure on the island of Fuerteventura.
We didn’t arrive with a planned out itinerary of where to park up for the nights. Perhaps it wasn’t wise but we wanted to experience the unbridled spontaneity that campervanning can spark. It would have been handy, though, to have a few places in mind before embarking on our trip, so I hope that’s what this post will provide to anyone planning their own campervan caper.
Below you will find a list of three places to park up your campervan in Fuerteventura. Whether you’re after sandy shores, stunning sunrises or a lively, local atmosphere, there’s bound to be something here for you.
1. Piedra Playa
Not only is Piedra Playa a beautiful beach, it is also right by El Cotillo, a fishing village whose charm we instantly fell in love with. We arrived here after lunch and there were already several cars and campers to keep our T3 company. There’s plenty of space for everyone though and finding a perfect parking spot overlooking the beach couldn’t have been easier. After a few hours of reading, paddling in the turquoise water and playing with an energetic puppy belonging to a fellow beachgoer, I can confirm that Piedra Playa is a most pleasant place to spend the afternoon.
It’s a short walk into the heart of El Cotillo, where you can find an array of eateries for breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between. We enjoyed a dinner of sea bass for me and steak with peppercorn sauce for J at El Mirador in the town centre, plus a generous side of papas arrugadas con mojo picón, a Canary Island speciality consisting of salty boiled potatoes with a punchy red pepper sauce.
Whether you need to clear your head after a night of too many ron miels (honey rum — a local liquor I strongly recommend) or you simply want to soak up those morning rays, Piedra Playa makes for a peaceful place to take an early stroll. We squidged our way through the sand at around 8am, our only companions an elderly woman walking her two dogs and a stoic nude swimmer.
2. Costa Calma
Costa Calma is a beach situated in the south of the island, known for its crystal clear waters. The man who rented us our campervan had told us it was like the Caribbean when it wasn’t windy (Fuerteventura is famed for its ferocious wind), so we had high hopes as we drove over there.
I can’t say it wasn’t windy (we received an unsolicited exfoliation pretty much the minute we got on the beach) but the aquamarine ocean and buttery sand didn’t disappoint. Plus, the facilities include a shower and loos, which is a more beautiful sight than any beach when you’ve been in a campervan for a few days. Seriously though, it is a special spot and I would very much recommend spending some time here.
We also had our best meal of the trip in Costa Calma at La Terraza del Gatos. The restaurant looks fairly nondescript and even a tad touristy but don’t let that put you off. We dined on juicy pink prawns, freshly fried veggies and mushroom and fish croquetas, along with the most delicious pineapple cheesecake I have ever tasted. The meal ended with a surprise shot glass of ron miel brought over by the friendly waitress, topped off with a fat dollop of whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon.
The cherry on the Costa Calma cake, though, was waking up early to see the sunrise. We set our alarm clocks to 7:20am and woke up to a sky of sherbert orange and blue. The sun’s golden globe peaked out from the horizon as we poked our heads out of the van, treated to a sight of candy floss clouds floating by. You’ll likely see a few early birds taking their first dip of the day around this time and my advice to you is if you can’t beat them, join them.
3. Gran Tarajal
This is the least touristy place on the list and its black sanded beach is certainly grungier than the other two I’ve mentioned, but it was by far the liveliest and most local area we visited. We parked up at a small strip of volcanic coast, where we found two other campervans settled in for the evening, their occupants in deck chairs by the water laughing raucously and drinking from cans of beer. The location is local and low-key but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the atmosphere, a complete change from the beautiful tourist-magnet of Costa Calma.
The beach is very rocky and I wasn’t tempted to swim or sunbathe, although we did see a few local kids having fun splashing around in the water and jumping from the rocks. It was a peaceful spot to relax in the van, though, and I enjoyed spending a couple of hours listening to music and scratching my head over a sudoku.
The town of Gran Tarajal is really buzzing with local life and there was barely another tourist in sight. We had dinner at a local beachside restaurant called Sal de Mares, where we feasted on fish croquetas, fried goat’s cheese, courgettes with honey and a humongous plate of padron peppers. Then the next morning we went to a local bar whose name I forget for churros and hot coffee — the breakfast of champions.
Of course, seasoned campervanners know that in the world of campervanning, planning can only get you so far. There will always be the odd twist and turn along the route, metaphorical or otherwise. We, for example, discovered that the beach we’d selected for our first night of the trip turned out to be more of a building site. It being too late and us being too tired, we wound up spending a fitful night’s sleep there which we shook off in the morning with plenty of caffeine before heading to a more desirable destination.
All twists, turns and building sites aside, hopefully this guide has provided fuel for your Fuerteventura campervan plans or simply encouraged you to add this incredible island to your bucket list. I for one can’t wait to get back out there again and I hope to see you on the road too!
