At the northeastern tip of Fuerteventura, one of the least developed of the Canary Islands, this Spanish fishing village turned resort blends a little of the old with a lot of the new. The old town, with narrow streets of sailors’ cottages winding down to the harbour, offers a chance to eat and drink alongside the locals, or to browse the craft fair that takes place beneath the belltower every Thursday and Sunday. But the many beaches that stretch out from the centre of town are the chief attraction here, and a magnet for watersports enthusiasts, especially surfers, windsurfers, and kiteboarders.

The in-town beaches are lined with bars and restaurants, with the extensive sweep of the Playa de Viejo Corralejo offering plenty of space for families and sun worshippers alike. Towards the south end of the town, the beaches that emerge from the area’s famous sand dunes stretch away for miles, while to the north is the highly photogenic Playa El Hierro, nicknamed Popcorn Beach for the nuggets of calcareous algae that make up its shores.

Corralejo is a 30-to-40-minute car ride from Fuerteventura Airport (FUE); there are no public transport links so you’ll need to take a taxi to your villa or rent a car. It’s worth doing the latter if you want to see more of the island’s beaches or enjoy its volcanic interior; buses connect Corralejo with other towns and points of interest, such as Puerto del Rosario, but the trips can be time-consuming. You can also arrive at Corralejo by sea: Its port is only 8 miles from the Lanzarote coast. The ferry ride across takes 25 minutes.

Spring and autumn are the quietest seasons in Corralejo, but thanks to the subtropical climate of the Canary Islands, temperatures remain balmy here year round. There are some colourful local festivals in autumn, including the religious pilgrimage of the Fiestas del Carmen in late September. Temperatures spike between June and August, and another busy period is between December and January, when Europeans flock here for its winter warmth. There’s also the draw of February’s Carnival, which includes masked parades and processions and plenty of music and dancing. February is also the month that La Oliva―the region to which Corralejo belongs, named after the wild olive trees that sweep across its plains―celebrates its patron saint, Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria.

Parque Natural de Corralejo

For seven miles to the south of the town, the golden-white dunes of the grandes playas, or big beaches, are a breathtaking sight. To one side lie the turquoise waters of the Atlantic, and to the other a volcanic backdrop; it’s a protected coastline that’s truly a back-to-nature experience.

Los Lobos Nature Reserve

The island of Lobos sits a mile to the north of Corralejo, and its richly protected flora and fauna make it a stunning day trip. Take the short ferry across to trek among its salt marshes and volcanic mounds, surrounded by the many bird species that are its only inhabitants.

Red Mountain

The chain of volcanoes to the south of town may look like an uninviting landscape — arid, steep, and stony — but hiking them isn’t hard, as you can drive partway up, and the summits aren’t more than a couple of hundred metres. They also offer incredible views from the rim of their craters.