Trip to Cofete
Cofete beach
Cofete is a beach which is good for watching, thinking or marvelling! There's something mysterious in it. Deserted, solitary, lonely, and in the background you can see the 800 m high mountains of Jandia where the clouds get caught. The weather is always breezy and the waves are very high. The beach appears breathtakingly eerie but nevertheless beautiful! On the approx. 2-3 km long beach there are no tourists or locals. You shouldn't bathe here because of the high waves and the strong current. Thus, the beach is absolutely unsuitable for children!
If you visit Fuerteventura, you should take a day's time for exploring this piece of pristine nature. Apart from that there are no other sights but the mysterious "Villa Winter". Moreover, there's also the little village "Cofete" with a pub.
For a trip to Cofete we recommend an all-terrain vehicle. The reason for this is the insurance coverage, which would not apply for normal cars as soon as you leave an asphalted road. Since the road is very bumpy and rocky, driving an all-terrain vehicle is also much more fun because you don't have to drive as carefully as with a normal car. An all-terrain vehicle easily manages the tour. Only persons with backache could possibly get problems since the road is so bumpy.
Alternatively, you can also explore Cofete with a mountain bike. But be aware that there's poor or no reception on the way and hardly any civilization (if you have a breakdown or need help).
What you can expect:
Cofete village is a little accumulation of houses and a small bar. More precisely the houses are no real houses but rather "shanties". The great attraction is the long beach (Playa de Cofete) and the exceptionally mysterious atmosphere in Cofete.
The trip to Cofete is a great adventure. You drive through a bizarre landscape with bumpy roads and gravel paths, sometimes quite close to the abyss. But if you drive slowly and carefully that's no problem. The very trip through this area with an all-terrain vehicle is a great experience!
The complete round trip is about 40 km.
How much time you should allow:
You should allow at least half a day for the trip to Cofete. If you also want to visit "Punta de Jandia" (most southern point of Fuerteventura), you should add another hour.
Directions:
The tour:
You drive on the high street through Morro Jable towards the port. Shortly before you reach the port there's a little turnoff on the right-hand side which you can easily overlook. The sign here says "Punta Jandia/Cofete". Here you turn right.
The road is asphalted until you reach the cemetary. Then it becomes a bumpy gravel road.
Then you drive through the bizarre landscape. The charm of this area is its loneliness. After approx. 12 km you reach a fork. On the left-hand side the road leads to "Puerto de la Cruz (Puertito)" and to "Punta de Jandía", on the right-hand side to "Cofete" (see picture). Here you turn right. From here it's another 8.2 km along the mountains of Jandía.
After approx. 2 km there's a viewpoint where you can have a short rest. From there you have a wonderful view of Cofete which you shouldn't miss!
From there the road leads along the mountains. Before you reach narrow bends you can blow the horn in order to warn the oncoming traffic. This behaviour is normal here since the road is often very narrow and the brink next to the road is sometimes very deep.
When you come to the beach you preferably park your vehicle on the very back (e.g. near the ancient cemetary). Driving on the beach if officially prohibited.
Then you can just enjoy the atmosphere, the beach (Playa de Cofete), and the sea. Moreover you can walk along the beach, of course.
Further tips:
If there's still time you can also make a short detour to "Villa Winter" (but it's not open to the public), to "Punta de Jandia", to "Punta Pesebre" or to "Puerte de la Cruz (Puertito)".
