Swimming on Fuerteventura: find out why Costa Calma beach is so popular

Sun lovers see Costa Calma on Fuerteventura as a fine place to relax and swim. But why is that beach in particular so popular? A nuance in ‘wildness’ tips the balance.

Strong wind on Fuerteventura

Fuerteventura is known as one of the quietest of the Canary Islands. In terms of tourism, that is. Because in terms of weather it is far from always that calm.

Yes, the sun shines, it feels good and warm. But the wind blows too. Sometimes quite hard. The literal meaning of Fuerteventura is, logically enough, ‘strong wind’.

Beautiful beaches, wild waves

The beaches here are mostly golden. The blue ocean water completes the inviting palette. Beautiful beaches, with wild waves. At Ajuyabove all, where there is even a black beach.

And the bottom sometimes drops away steeply. A phenomenon comparable to Zakynthos: beautiful beaches, only not immediately ideal for swimming. So where can you swim in peace?

Swimming along the coast of calm: Costa Calma

The answer lies in the resort called the coast of calm : Costa Calma. Relative calm, because the wind can blow here too. In fact surfers love coming here.

And yet this beach has a decisive advantage. In short, it is all just a little less ‘wild’. You can cover some distance before the bottom drops away. The waves are often ‘manageable’.

The sand feels pleasant, too. Kilometres of beach. Kilometres of sand. A wonderfully golden scene, and with the sun above it a scorching whole. Which is exactly what makes the refreshing ocean beckon.

Swimming at Morro Jable

Fuerteventura has more beaches where the swimming is good, of course.

• A little further south than Costa Calma lies Morro Jable, for instance. That resort is slightly larger and offers good swimming too.

Tip: in the morning walk from Morro Jable to the Pico de la Zarza. After a demanding mountain walk you have earned a hearty lunch and some cold drinks. And then a dive into the ocean. I am going for a swim!