kitesurfing on Fuerteventura, Flag Beach

General Info:
The location and the Village

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Fuerteventura (Fuerteventura simply means "strong fortune" when translated literally from Spanish to English), a Spanish island, is one of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. At 1,660 km² it is also the second largest of the islands.
The town and resort of Corralejo is located on the northern tip of Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands, facing the small islet of Lobos (Islote de Lobos). It is placed in the municipality of La Oliva. Corralejo is approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) square, making it the largest holiday resort on the island.

At its centre Corralejo remains a traditional fishing village. However, there are many new buildings behind and to the side of the town. Along the waterfront there is a promenade that is lined with cafes and restaurants. From the port there is a regular ferry service to Lanzarote.

The beaches in Corralejo are the resort's major attraction. The area has 7 miles (11 km) of fine sand starting 2 miles (3.2 km) outside of Corralejo, along with some smaller bays along the coast. In addition, there are several miles of sand dunes located nearby, which have been designated as a nature reserve.
The waters around Corralejo are clear and an intense shade of blue, but are affected by strong currents. The town'sbeaches are somewhat more sheltered and have a band of volcanic rock along the shoreline.



The seasons and Hotel info

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The best months to visit Fuerteventura are the summer months between Arpil and October (May, june, July and August are the best).

An Avarge hotel will cost you 45 euro per night per person.



Possibilities besides kiting

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Fuerteventura offers the full array of water sport activities like:
-surfing
-whale watching
-to deep sea fishing
-Jetskiing
-Catamaran sailing
-Do boat excursions

Besides these watersporst you can:
-Go biking
-Explore the whole island in a rental car
-Try out all different restaurants and bars
-Enjoy the nightlife in Coralejo


Climate

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Climate, weather: 20ºC (68ºF) in the winter months and about 25ºC (77ºF) in the summer months. A mild climate with little rainfall and change all year.



Spot conditions:
The beach

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Those who know its history say that it is the oldest of all the volcanic Canary Islands which makes the possibility for nice sandy beaches. Fuerteventura has 265 kilometers of coastline, miles of golden sandy beaches washed by the crystal clear waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Unlike the rest of the Islands, the shores are generally low-lying with broad empty beaches. Perfect for any kind of water sports or just strolling in the warm temperatures thanks to the fresh trade winds.
Flag Beach is a long (6-7 km beach, 3km kitesurf zone), sandy beach with reefs at both ends that go out to sea about fifty meters. The kitesurfspot is upwind from the windsurfspot, that is in front of the old location of the Flag Beach centre.



The water conditions

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The water is in the summer 22ºC and in the winter 18ºC. Because of the sideshore wind the water is flat to choppy. On spring lows, some rocks close to the shore and the reef about 200 meters to the North will be exposed.



The wind conditions

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The wind is sideshore from the left. In the morning the wind is light and it builds up to a steady 15-20 knots at 14:00.

Facilities

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On flagbeach there is no longer a kitecentre. So dont forget to bring food and drinks to the spot!


Downwinder and trip possibilites

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When there is no wind at Flag Beach you can try Cotillo. That is just around the headland from Flag Beach with rocky outcrops every hundres meters or so. The winds are mainly cross-on from the right. You might see or ride some big waves in the winter, in the summer the waves are less.

You can also visit the PKRA spot at Sotavento in the South. This beach is four kilometres long. The wind is off shore. On the inside is a large waistdeep lagoon that is tide dependent. On the outside you can enjoy the whole ocean.

The spots on Fuerteventura are:
- Sotavento (it's the island's most consistently windy spot
- Risco del Paso (same conditions as Sotavento, but only windsurfing is allowed here)
- Jundia Playa (wind is weaker, more tourism on this spot)
- Punta de Jandia (Rocky launch, wind weaker than Sotavento, but cross-offshore and a powerful reef-break)
- La Pared (surf spot, king-size waves in winter, wind is weaker here)
- El Cotillo (can be gusty, big waves and shore break, watch out for thieves when car is parked above the cliffs)
- Punta Blanca (one of the consistently windiest spots in the north)
- Majanicho (strong current, laucn on the rocks, first class point break, sea urchins)
- Mejillones (go here when the wind is south-west and there is a NW swell for epic conditions)
- Shooting gallery (Westerly wind with N to NW swell brings 6-7 meter waves)
- Waikiki (Start at Flagbeach and go upwind to the bay)
- Rocky point (very populair spot by surfers all year)
- Glass Beach (steep and powerful waves are possible here)
- Puerto Lajas (Northerly winds with N swell brings nice middle size waves)


Links

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Fuerteventura Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytmv7NswpKE&feature=player_embedded

Fuerteventura Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuerteventura

Fuerteventura Schools:
www.rene-egli.com (check the webcam)
www.flagbeach.com