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FuerteventuraFuerteventura · Jandía peninsula

Jandía and Cofete: things to do in the south of Fuerteventura and how to get there

Jandía is Fuerteventura's southern peninsula: Morro Jable, endless beaches and, on the other side of the mountain, Cofete. You don't need a 4x4 to get there: there's a public bus, line 111, twice a day. What you mustn't do at Cofete is swim: it's dangerous.

Where
southern tip of Fuerteventura, municipality of Pájara
From the airport
Morro Jable about 85–90 km, 1 h 15 by car
Cofete by bus
line 111, €8.70 each way, leaves at 10:00 and 14:15
Swimming at Cofete
no: no lifeguard, heavy surf and strong currents
Ferry
Morro Jable–Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 1 h 45–2 h
Highest point
Pico de la Zarza, 807 m

Updated 2 October 2026Facts checked against official sourcesContains affiliate links

Jandía & Cofete
Aerial view of the road to Cofete on Fuerteventura, Canary Islands · Photo: dronepicr · CC BY 2.0

In October · Fuerteventura

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Things to do in Jandía come down to the two faces of one peninsula. On the sheltered east side are Costa Calma, the Sotavento lagoon and Morro Jable, with beaches that run for kilometres, big hotels and the port. On the windward west side is Cofete: a wild beach of about 14 km beneath the mountain, a hamlet of about 25 residents and Villa Winter. All of it is part of the Parque Natural de Jandía, home to the Jandía cardón, an endemic euphorbia.

Jandía suits you if you want long beaches, wind for sailing or a day on the track to Cofete. It doesn't work as a base for seeing the whole island: Corralejo is about 2 hours away by car and there's no direct bus. Pick one half of Fuerteventura and stay there.

Getting to Jandía and Morro Jable

From the airport it's about 85–90 km to Morro Jable, around 1 h 15 by car (Costa Calma is about 65 km). By bus, the island bus company Tiadhe runs two lines from Puerto del Rosario:

  • Line 1, via Gran Tarajal and Costa Calma: €10 to Morro Jable, €7.55 to Costa Calma.
  • Line 10, direct: €9.70, about six departures a day in each direction.
  • Line 5, Costa Calma–Morro Jable: €2.70.

You pay the driver in cash, with no notes over €50. From the airport without a car, line 3 takes you to the Puerto del Rosario bus station, where you connect with the 1 or the 10.

Ferry from Morro Jable to Gran Canaria

Ferries to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria leave from Morro Jable port. Baleària Canarias takes around 1 h 45, with three sailings a day, and charges visitors €70 (residents €18). Fred. Olsen Express takes 2 h, with three or four sailings; the "from €14" on its website is a resident fare. That's how Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and Tenerife link up without flying: we explain it in island hopping, and the operators in Fred. Olsen and Baleària Canarias.

N ↑ Costa Calma1Sotavento · Risco del Paso2La Pared3Oasis Wildlife4Pico de la Zarza5Morro Jable6Cofete7Punta de Jandía8
  1. 1Costa CalmatownDirections ↗
  2. 2Sotavento · Risco del PasobeachDirections ↗
  3. 3La ParedbeachDirections ↗
  4. 4Oasis WildlifeparkDirections ↗
  5. 5Pico de la ZarzapeakDirections ↗
  6. 6Morro JableportDirections ↗
  7. 7CofetebeachDirections ↗
  8. 8Punta de JandíasightDirections ↗
Outlines: © OpenStreetMap contributors

Things to do in Morro Jable

  • Playa del Matorral and the Saladar de Jandía: behind the beach lies a tidal salt marsh of 115.6 hectares and more than 2 km long, a Ramsar wetland. Explore it on the paths or the boardwalk, never cross-country; next to it is the Morro Jable lighthouse.
  • Sea turtle centre: in the port, the Cabildo (the island council) runs a sea turtle recovery and conservation centre. Visits are free and must be booked, on Thursdays from 10:00 to 13:00 except public holidays; an earlier notice also listed Tuesdays, so confirm on the Cabildo's page. Without a booking you only get in if there are places left.
  • Dolphin boats: Morro Jable is by far Fuerteventura's main port for dolphin and whale watching, with about 14 licensed boats (see below for what to expect).

How to get to Cofete: by bus, by car or on foot

Cofete is on the windward coast and the only way in is a dirt track from Morro Jable. The idea that it's "4x4 only" is a myth: there are three ways to get there, and the public bus is the cheapest.

By bus: line 111

Tiadhe runs a special service along the track every day, line 111 Morro Jable–Cofete–Puertito de la Cruz–Faro de Punta de Jandía (timetable at tiadhe.com):

Departure Return
From Morro Jable 10:00 and 14:15 —
From Punta de Jandía lighthouse — 12:15 and 16:15
Passing Cofete towards Morro Jable — around 13:00 and 17:00 (estimated)

The ticket costs €8.70 each way, in cash. Seats can't be booked, so get to the Morro Jable stop early, especially for the 10:00. Tiadhe doesn't publish the arrival time at Cofete. The simple plan: out at 10:00 and back on the bus passing around 13:00 if you only want to see the beach, or the one around 17:00 if you want to walk and go up to Villa Winter.

By car

Ordinary cars use the dirt track. There's no official information on its length or condition: drive slowly and stay on it. Inside the natural park, driving off the tracks or on the sand is not allowed.

On foot: the Gran Valle path

The official Gran Valle trail crosses the mountain to Cofete: 6.4 km and about 2 h 30 one way, starting next to the Morro Jable–Punta de Jandía track. It pairs well with the bus that passes Cofete around 17:00 for the return. Trail details at visitfuerteventura.com. More routes in our hiking in the Canary Islands guide.

Cofete Beach and Villa Winter: what to see

The beach. About 14 km of sand (some guides say 12), about 50 m wide, with near-constant wind and the mountain rising steeply behind. Beside the sand there's a small cemetery.

Villa Winter. The house you see standing alone on the hillside was built by the German engineer Gustav Winter between 1946 and 1954; the plans were submitted to Pájara town hall in 1949. The stories about submarines and Nazis are legend: Winter's widow maintained that it was built for farming. It isn't a museum: it's shown by a caretaker who lives there, with no fixed hours and no priced entry. Visitors report that you see the rooms for a donation and that the basement costs about €5; bring cash and don't assume it'll be open.

Punta de Jandía and Puertito de la Cruz

Line 111 carries on to Puertito de la Cruz and the Punta de Jandía lighthouse, returning from the lighthouse at 12:15 and 16:15. The lighthouse interpretation centre is closed for works, but you can still visit the point and the hamlet.

Pico de la Zarza: climbing Fuerteventura's highest peak

At 807 m, Pico de la Zarza is the highest point on the island. You climb it on the waymarked PR-FV 54 trail, in just over two and a half hours to the summit; confirm the starting point at the tourist office before you set off. Start early and carry all your water: there's nothing at the top.

Costa Calma and the Sotavento lagoon

Costa Calma is the peninsula's other resort area, next to the natural park. Its big draw is Sotavento, the wind beach: in spring and summer it blows hard and steady, and every summer, in July, it hosts the windsurfing and wingfoil World Cup. The Sotavento lagoon (Playa Barca, Risco del Paso) only fills on big tides; the René Egli centre publishes a calendar of lagoon days every year. More in surfing, kitesurfing and windsurfing in Fuerteventura.

Things to do in Jandía with kids

The big day out with kids is Oasis Wildlife, at La Lajita, 15 minutes from Costa Calma and 30 from Jandía on the Oasis Bus, which now charges a fare: €4 on the south line, with pick-ups in Jandía from 09:00 to 09:30 or from 10:20 to 11:00 and returns at 16:00 or 17:00 (review in Oasis Wildlife). For quieter mornings: the turtle centre on Thursdays with a booking, the flat Saladar boardwalk and the Sotavento lagoon on big-tide days.

Cofete Beach jeep tours and dolphin boat trips

A jeep excursion isn't essential, but it makes sense if you have no car, if your insurance doesn't cover the track or if you don't want to depend on the bus timetable. A return trip on the 111 costs €17.40; a tour, from €57.

Our pick

1

Cofete and Villa Winter

Four hours and the best rating of the Cofete tours; for anyone without a car or unwilling to risk the hire car on the track.

2

Cofete and Roque del Moro

Four hours along the track with a stop at Roque del Moro; an alternative at a similar price.

3

Long Jandía safari

5 to 7 hours, to see the whole peninsula in one go.

4

From Gran Canaria

Ferry to Morro Jable and a safari to Cofete in a single day; only if you can't stay overnight in Fuerteventura.

5

Dolphins from Morro Jable

Two hours with drinks and a swim, from €49; the trip with the most reviews in the south.

See all options on GetYourGuide →Prices checked on 2 October 2026

Dolphin and whale watching in Morro Jable

Outside Tenerife and La Gomera, these trips are mainly about dolphins: whales depend on animals passing through, and nobody can promise them. Check that the boat flies the yellow Barco Azul flag with a current authorisation period. Swimming with wild dolphins or whales is illegal in Spain; the "swim" on the trip takes place well away from the animals. We compare every island in whale watching in the Canary Islands.

For the rest of the island, from the dunes in the north to Betancuria, see our Fuerteventura guide.

How do you get to Cofete without a 4x4?

On Tiadhe's bus 111 (leaving Morro Jable at 10:00 and 14:15, €8.70 each way, no booking), in an ordinary car along the dirt track, or on foot on the Gran Valle trail (6.4 km, about 2 h 30).

Can you drive to Cofete in a hire car?

Ordinary cars use the track, but many hire agreements don't cover damage on unsealed roads. Check yours before you go and stay on the track.

Is it dangerous to swim at Cofete Beach?

Yes. There's no lifeguard, and the surf and currents are strong. It's a beach for walking and looking, not for swimming.

Is Villa Winter a museum?

No. It's a house shown by a caretaker who lives there, with no fixed hours or official entry; visitors mention a donation for the rooms and about €5 for the basement.

What can you do in Morro Jable in a day?

In the morning, Cofete on the 10:00 bus, back on the one around 13:00; in the afternoon, Playa del Matorral and the Saladar boardwalk. On Thursdays, book the free turtle centre visit in advance.

Keep exploring

FuerteventuraFuerteventurafrom €17 FuerteventuraCorralejo & the dunesfrom €17 FuerteventuraCaleta de Fustefrom €15 FuerteventuraLobos Islandfrom €16 FuerteventuraSurfing in Fuerteventurafrom €44