Fuerteventura is a gorgeous island, and one of the main reasons for this is that so much of it has been left to preserve its natural features (the majority of it is made up of Natural Parks). However, many people that visit stick to the main resort areas such as Corralejo, Morro Jable, and Caleta de Fuste, missing out on the wild side. Recently I visited Majanicho, a small village to the North of the island that’s far more off the beaten track.
The Waves
Despite being a fishing village, the main attraction of Majanicho and the surrounding beach areas is its suitability for surfing, which is a popular activity across the island. Majanicho is situated on the West Coast of Fuerteventura, unlike the resorts that are all over on the Eastern side. Due to the high winds and exposure to swells from the Atlantic ocean the waves get wild on this side – not good for swimming, or even paddling sometimes (hence the lack of resorts), but excellent for riding the waves.
Majanicho is part of the North Track, a route along the North coast that contains some excellent surfing spots. If you’re going for surfing, windsurfing, or kitesurfing then the best time to visit in between October and March, when those swells are really apparent, and you can expect frequent waves of up to 6ft. Waves are still present in the summer time, however are smaller and more erratic meaning the conditions for water sports aren’t quite as good.
When we visited there were a few kite surfers out there, though the waves weren’t overly large – we found a nice spot to watch them out by the rocks where you can also find small examples of salt flats where the water has evaporated from the sun.
The Village
The village area of Majanicho is itself purely residential, with no shops or restaurants to be found. This may sound dull to some, but I loved how tranquil and calm the place was when we went. There were about three other people there during our visit, plus a few others out on the waves. We had a nice walk around the village area, admiring the cute little buildings dotted around the place (which don’t have electricity, so I believe many of them are used over the winter by frequent surfers).
Despite the wild waves out at sea, Majanicho is home to a lovely lagoon area which is perfectly calm. This is a lovely place to paddle or sunbathe, and good for little ones as the water is shallow. It also makes a nice spot to watch the various water sports going on.
If you have actually heard of Majanicho before then you’ll most likely know it as Popcorn Beach, due to an interesting phenomenon where the main beach part is made of not sand but dead coral. The coral pieces are white and look exactly like popcorn! It may not be the most comfortable surface to walk on barefoot (I tried, and I regretted it) but it looks gorgeous and you can create some wonderful photos from it. I need to be very clear about one thing here though – if you do visit Majanicho, or Popcorn Beach, then please respect the area and residents by leaving the “popcorn” where you find it, rather than taking it home and damaging the environment.
Local Areas Of Interest
Majanicho is situated in La Oliva, meaning that it’s not too far from both Corralejo and El Cotillo (roughly in the middle). Both of these are must visit locations if you haven’t been there – Corralejo is the busier and more vibrant of the two, perfect for shoppers and excursionists, whereas El Cotillo is quieter and more residential, perfect for those who want to chill out by the lagoon or perhaps explore some smaller shops and restaurants.
The town of Lajares is also close and, unlike the other two, lies inland. It’s become primarily an expat community so a wide range of cuisines can be found, and it’s known for having a population quite focused on sustainability and exo-tourism. We stopped off for a drink there on the way back and ended up with these gorgeous vegan smoothies in the most adorable cactus glasses.
One other place of interest close by is a series of volcanoes known as Volcanes de Bayuyo, seen in the photo below. These are a great sight for the trekkers out there, with a walking route crossing six different volcanoes between Corralejo and Lajares. It’s at least a couple of hours long, so make sure to take plenty of water if you attempt it!
What You Need To Know
As Majanicho is so off the beaten track there isn’t any form of public transport that goes there – your nearest bus stop would be in Lajares (from either Corralejo or El Cotillo), which is about 7km away. Cycling from Corralejo is certainly possible, however it’s important to time your journey as cycling during the middle of the day in the summer heat (with no shade, and few if any spots that offer refreshments along the way) could result in an uncomfortable journey.
The best way to access Majanicho is of course by car, but if you’re using a hire car then make sure to read the insurance policy before you go! Some hire companies will void an accident if it occurs on a track road or path rather than one that has been built specifically for driving on, and once you get close to Majanicho it’s pretty much just dirt track and nothing else.
As with many natural places in Fuerteventura there aren’t any shops in Majanicho so this is something to be aware of. Take your own food and drink (including lots of water) and make sure to wear a hat and sunglasses to protect yourself from that burning sun – you won’t find much shade. There also aren’t any public toilets to my knowledge so it’s best to plan a short trip to the location, and maybe plan a toilet break at one of the nearby towns if necessary.
Final Thoughts
Visiting Majanicho was something I’ve wanted to do for a while and going there certainly didn’t disappoint. It makes a nice change from the more touristy areas of the island and really showcases the natural beauty that Fuerteventura has to offer. If you’re on holiday over there and have a spare day going then I highly recommend you check out Majanicho, along with other areas of the North Track.
Where’s your favourite holiday place to visit off the beaten track? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to like and pin! You can read some of my other Fuerteventura reviews here:
Isla de Lobos
Lanzarote Sur
Fuerteventura Grand Tour
This place looks beautiful!
That looks so peaceful. I love the coral beach and had no idea something like that even existed! Definitely worth a trip for anyone who’s in the area just to get to see that beach.
It’s so bizarre compared to normal beaches!
I’ve never heard of this place, and your post is fascinating – love “popcorn beach”! Terrific photos as well!
Thank you 😊
Oh my god that smoothie in that glass! So cute! This looks like a lovely place – I can’t surf to save my life but I’d be quite happy to watch!
I can’t either but watching them really made me want to learn!
Wow, Majanicho and the surrounding area looks so beautiful! The Popcorn Beach is very cool — I’d love to visit one day. Thanks for sharing your trip with us!
It is so lovely! There are loads of hidden places like this on the island so I’ve definitely got loads more exploring to do 🙂
I think I’ve been here and it was so quaint and oldy worldy
Rosie
It’s so beautiful 🙂
It looks beautiful…never been to the canary islands. Need to add it to the list!
It is honestly such a beautiful place! Each of the islands have something unique about them… I can’t wait to explore the others!
That ‘popcorn’ beach is amazing, I’ve never seen anything like it! The whole area looks so beautiful and peaceful though, totally unique and unspoilt!
I think that’s what I love about it so much – it’s getting harder and harder to find such places!