Natural Park of Lobos Island in Fuerteventura

Lobos Island is a small islet located northeast of Fuerteventura (Canary Islands, Spain), just 20 minutes by boat from Corralejo. Its name comes from the monk seals, also known as sea wolves, that once inhabited the area. It was one of the first natural spaces in the Canary Islands to be protected, following the declaration of the "Corralejo Dunes and Lobos Islet Natural Park" in 1982.

Law 12/1994, of December 19, on natural spaces in the Canary Islands, reclassified Lobos and Corralejo dunes as two separate natural parks: Corralejo Dunes Natural Park and Lobos Islet Natural Park.

Currently, the management of the Lobos Islet Natural Park is regulated by the Master Plan for Use and Management, approved by Legislative Decree 1/2000, of July 5. The European Commission has included Lobos Islet in the Spanish Network of Special Protection Areas for Birds (ZEPA), under Directive 79/409/EEC of the Council, dated April 2, concerning the conservation of wild birds. The natural space of Lobos Islet is part of the Natura 2000 Network as a Site of Community Importance established by the Government of the Canary Islands. This designation is justified by the presence of habitats and species listed in the Habitat Directive (habitats and species of community interest).

Here you can discover the zones of Lobos Island designated for general, moderate, restricted, and exclusionary use, as well as the main route to visit the most important points of interest: "La Caldera" Mountain, "Faro Martiño" Lighthouse, "El Puertito," and more...

Map of Lobos Island

Geographical Location

The park occupies the entire island, covering 467.9 km² in surface area and with a perimeter of 13.7 km. It is located northeast of Corralejo (La Oliva municipality), in the Bocaina Channel, 2 km from Fuerteventura and 8 km from Lanzarote.

Climate

The climate is semi-arid with moderate temperatures and an annual average of 18ºC. The constant presence of trade winds increases dryness, accentuating the arid landscape. The highest rainfall occurs between November and January.

Natural Values

• Presence of vulnerable and endangered seabirds and migratory species, such as Shearwaters, Storm Petrels, Bulwer's Petrel, etc.
• High biodiversity, with endemic species unique to the islet, such as the "Siempreviva de Lobos" (Limonium bollei).
• Representative character of the natural system and its minor subsystems (salt marshes, jable de los hornitos, tabaibal areas, varied halophytic vegetation of the coasts and saline hollows).
• Freatomagmatic hornitos.
• Ethnographic elements: salt flats, lime kilns, and "Faro Martiño" lighthouse.
• Paleontological deposits from the Jandiense and Erbanense periods.

Geomorphology and Landscape

Lobos Island emerged during the Pleistocene due to a basaltic fissure originating north of Fuerteventura (Bayuyo Volcano), extending northeastward. The highest point is the volcanic cone of "La Caldera" (127 m). To the southeast, a basal platform extends, covered with hills, depressions, and rocky outcrops. In the north, raised beaches with Jandiense marine deposits stand out. Between the islet and Fuerteventura, seabeds covered by sand extend at depths of approximately 5-15 meters.

Other notable landscape elements include the dismantled volcanic structures of the northern coast, the Hornitos, the El Faro Salt Marsh, La Cocina Sand Dunes, the interior Malpaís, and the Hoya de Las Lagunitas.

Recommendations

If you plan to visit Lobos Island, it is important to know that you are entering a Protected Natural Area. Please contribute to its conservation by respecting the rules of use, permitted and prohibited activities, as well as those requiring authorization. We recommend:

• Bringing enough water and food.
• Wearing appropriate and comfortable footwear for walking (sports shoes and sandals), as the trails are sandy and rocky.
• Using sun protection (sunscreen, hats, umbrellas…).
• Not leaving trash or organic waste, as it may attract predatory species that threaten migratory birds nesting on the island.
• Respecting all signs and indications.

Rules À l'île de Lobos

Prohibited Activities

• Recreational fishing with rods and shellfish gathering in "La Caldera," "Las Lagunitas," and bathing areas.
• Landing on the island at any point except the dock.
• Bringing domestic animals such as dogs or cats.
• Walking outside authorized trails.
• Accumulating combustible materials and making fires outdoors.
• Making noises that disturb the tranquility of the environment.
• Climbing "La Caldera" Mountain during the breeding season.
• Placing advertising signs.
• Hunting activities.
• Dumping, burying waste, rubble, or garbage.
• Altering, destroying, or extracting materials or objects of heritage value, as well as biological material.

Permitted Activities

• Walking along designated trails and natural paths.
• Riding bicycles on authorized paths.
• Sport fishing with a rod and gathering crabs for bait along the coastline between "Punta El Marrajo" and the "Roques del Puertito."