Fuerteventura Keeper of secrets

The Atlantic island off the coast of Morocco may be known for its beaches and all-inclusive resorts, but there's more than meets the eye to this jewel of biodiversity and historical heritage

- STORY DARREN SMITH

The great Spanish writer Miguel de Unamuno (1864-1936) got it right when he lyricised about Fuerteventura as 'this bony land... this red protrusion thirsting for water! Yet how beautiful it is! Yes, beautiful! But only for those seeking the innermost secrets of its shape.

This 'keeper of secrets' is the second-largest island in the volcanic Canary Islands archipelago and was the first to begin rising from the ocean floor, about 20 million years ago. On the west coast at Ajuy, you can actually see the basal geological complex, which once lay just above the Earth's mantle but has now risen to the surface.

Fuerteventura lies just southwest of Lanzarote. The closest landmass in the archipelago to the African continent, it's blessed with year-round sunshine, more beaches than any other Canary Island (there are more than 150 of them) and - a lesser-known fact - it's where the archipelago's first grapevines were planted (see box, p96). Yes, the story of Canary Islands wine starts here.

Raw volcanic beauty

This rough guide to Fuerteventura is designed to help you appreciate the island's stark beauty, its rugged coastline and its ancient history, along with the precious few winemakers and -growers working to revitalise its overexploited land - to show you the real island behind mass tourism's plastic facade.

The basic route described here runs from Isla de Lobos in the north (see map, p97) to Cofete in the south. To make the most of the guide, you'll need a car and that rarest of gems, a designated driver.