Unbroken North: dried river bottom, sea shells and stunning views
Fuerteventura is the 5th island on our route over Canary Islands. We have visited Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera, and La Palma. Having arrived here we were most impressed. This is no doubt the most beautiful island of all the Canaries. Even when we went to Lanzarote Island afterwards, where we were more struck and gave the first prize to it.
But now, looking at the photos and deeply analyzing it’s very difficult to choose one island for the first place. Since Fuerteventura blows the head away not by the wind (although it’s quite possible) but by the scenery – this is another reality, another land. Too unusual, if you constantly live on the plains, where there are dense forests, fertile black earth, simple young mountains and grey concrete cities, where rainy days outnumber the sunny ones.
In the north of Fuerteventura there’s another sandy desert, much smaller but steeper than the southern one – Jable. There’s only one large city and two smaller towns all over the North. All the rest is desert land where it’s even difficult or impossible to drive so far due to lack of roads.
Corralejo desert cuts the edge of the ocean used as a beach, since there’s no steeps like in Jable. It’s bordered by the main asphalt road. It’ll take just 40 minutes to reach the cultural youth capital of Corralejo staring your way from the main capital. Lanzarote island and the smaller one, Lobos, are seen from here quite well.
Incredibly beautiful mountains. Absolute liking of them!
Lobos Island is a small natural reserve where no one lives. But there’s a port where you can sail from Corralejo just in 15 minutes for having a walk, it’s worth 15 € per person.
It’s very cool to drive along the road with lots of sand running before the front wheels. From one side to the other, as if playing.
There are beaches and a lot of parking spaces here, though it’s too cold to swim but probably not for everyone.
You’re driving as if on some other planet.
Corralejo town is the right spot for the youth, nomad digital from around the world. There’re many coffee shops, burger cafes, bars, and even hubs. It’s here young people should search for accommodation. All the rest cities are resorts.
The very capital, Puerto del Rosario, is very boring and only older tourists mingle there, if any at all. It’s nice in Corralejo, although having just some stores, shopping centers, and eateries in the center. It’s felt that youth comes here for a long time, works online and surfs, lives free life.
Usual island’s landscape: little white houses with palm trees here and there, and volcano crater in the background )
Corralejo is a little town, a former fishing village being transformed into a youth spot.
We didn’t live in Corralejo but went there to mingle a little and to work with good Internet. We were in burger cafe Citrus, worked in the Hub , and drank coffee in a nice but unappetizing coffee shop Trigo .
Then we headed for the other side of the North. At first, the road was good, though unsurfaced.
We failed to drive along the island’s edge due to lack of any road, so we moved closer to the center of the island and stopped in El Cotillo – also very popular destination because there are beach near it and surfers hang out there.
It’s impossible to meet anyone in the streets. All are sitting or working in restaurants.
This town is cool by the exhibition of large photos on the facades decorating the streets. Judging by captions to the photos, local restaurants, and possibly hotels, sponsored the printing and thus advertised their establishments on plates under the photos. And it resulted in the town’s aesthetic decoration.
In general, in the streets you here can find much of handmade; it’s a very creative town.
After that we went to the Faro de Toston lighthouse to the north of El Cotillo.
Along the way we saw small natural pools of turquoise waters and violet-pink shades. It’s convenient to swim here since there’re no large waves, everything looks calmer.
And if you go the other way – to the south of El Cotillo, there begin steep cliffs and spacious beaches, again with strong winds.
But the scenery here is cooler!
There’re more surfers, lots of cars on the road and little ants floating on the boards in the water in this part of the island.
We went to the south from El Cotillo still meeting the parked cars and surfers in the water along the road.
We liked the shapes and texture of Fuerteventura mountains) They have something mysterious, hypnotic.
The monument is a real whale skeleton. We met several such skeletons on Fuerteventura – the residents fight against the extermination of these large mammals who live near the island.
It’s infinitely beautiful here!
And then we went to look for a special place.
We went to search the bed of the river, which left its imprint perhaps a million years ago. We were driving through its broad creekbed and then walked.
Such a strange feeling when you walk along a wide path surrounded by vertical walls with forms washed away by water. Once water was flowing with great power here. And there’s not a droplet here now. Some grass blades are here and there.
And what’s most surprising: all rocks and the bottom are strewn with white shells.
There were yet very few people in this neck of the woods, only a few shoes’ traces, so all the shells are unbroken.
When you go over such bottom and see the scale of the river it’s a little scary to think how many tons of water per second flowed here. And what would happen to you if the water ran again out of a corner )
But it’s a desert now without anyone around. Several birds’ nests and that’s it.
Not a stream is now on Fuerteventura. Maybe this place was the ocean bottom owing to the shells scattered everywhere – huge amount of shells.
Wind, water and time have toyed with sand and created a maze of incredible patterns!
The river is very long, we passed a small piece, one hour there and then back because the sun was about to come beyond the horizon. The maps depict many rivers, but in fact all of them have dried up.
We found traces of ATVs. Here, perhaps, someone is or was riding along the river bottom – cool route, but it would be a pity to spoil such beauty.
It’s so beautiful. Interesting feeling of walking along the river bottom, not to mention its sizes. We were astounded by what we saw!
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