What to see and do on Lobos Island in a day
Lobos lies 2 km off Fuerteventura, northeast of Corralejo. It has been a Natural Park since 1982, is a Special Protection Area for Birds and a Special Area of Conservation (Natura 2000), and has been part of the Fuerteventura Biosphere Reserve since 2009. There are no hotels, no cars and barely any shade: you explore it on foot or by bike, and only on the marked paths.
What not to miss
La Concha beach
The Lobos postcard: a pale-sand cove with turquoise water that looks like a natural pool. It is under a 10-minute walk from the jetty, so it is the first thing almost everyone does after landing.
El Puertito
The handful of fishermen’s cottages by the jetty, with its crystal-clear pools. It is also where the island’s only place to eat is.
La Caldera
The island’s highest point, a volcanic cone with a path to the top and views over Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. No shade the whole way: cap, water and sun cream.
The island loop
There is a circular route of about 12 km around the island through lava fields, salt flats and coves. Do the maths: with a 4-hour permit, walking the full loop and swimming and eating is very tight.
Where to eat: there is exactly one place (and it closes at weekends)
The Lobos Antoñito El Farero beach bar, in El Puertito, is the island’s only restaurant — known for its paella. And the detail that ruins plans: it closes on Saturdays and Sundays.
If you want to eat there, the sensible move is to book before you go (travellers warn that without a booking the choice shrinks and the paella may not be available). If you’re going at the weekend, or would rather not depend on it: bring food and water from Corralejo. There is no shop on the island.
What to pack
- Plenty of water, and food if you’re not eating at the beach bar.
- Sun cream, a cap and sunglasses: the island is low, volcanic and treeless. There is no shade.
- Closed shoes if you plan to walk: the lava field is sharp rock, flip-flops won’t cut it.
- A snorkel mask: the water is crystal clear and the pools and coves are perfect.
- Your authorisation on your phone: you can be asked for it at any point during the visit.
- A bag for your rubbish: park rules say you take it away with you.
The park rules (they are serious)
Straight from the Natural Park rules: you travel on foot or by bike and only on the marked paths, and it is not permitted to build stone cairns, feed the wildlife, collect natural items (plants, shells, sand…), light fires, make disturbing noise or fish outside the authorised area. Pets are not allowed on the boats.
Three things almost nobody knows about Lobos
- The name comes from the “sea wolves” — monk seals that populated the island centuries ago and are long gone.
- There is a Roman site. In 2012 a workshop producing purple dye — the most expensive pigment of antiquity — was discovered at Playa de la Calera, dated between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD.
- It has a plant found nowhere else on Earth: the Lobos sea lavender (Limonium bollei), endemic to the island alone. That is why the ground matters so much, and why you must stay on the path.
None of this happens without the Cabildo authorisation. If you’d rather not fight the 5-day window, there’s a ferry with the permit already handled.
BOOK WITH THE PERMIT INCLUDED →Natural park facts verified on the official Cabildo de Fuerteventura website and practical details with the operator, on 14 August 2026. Restaurant hours may vary: confirm before relying on them.