Guide Fuerteventura
Visiting Lobos Island from Fuerteventura: ferry and permits
Complete guide to Lobos Island from Corralejo: free visitor permits, ferry options, El Puertito natural pools and walking routes.
Contents
Just two kilometres off Corralejo's northern coastline lies Lobos Island (Isla de Lobos), an uninhabited nature reserve spanning less than five square kilometres across the Bocaina strait. It takes its name from the Mediterranean monk seal colonies ('sea wolves') that once populated its volcanic bays when Norman voyagers arrived in 1402.
Today it is a protected haven free of cars, paved roads or power lines, sheltering rare seabird colonies and turquoise lagoons. To protect its marine and bird life, the local government caps daily visitor numbers. Here is everything you need to secure your permit, pick a boat and hike the island.
Lobos Island fast facts
Mandatory island permit: 4-hour slots
Stepping onto Lobos Island requires an official digital permit from the Cabildo de Fuerteventura. Access is split into two four-hour shifts:
- Morning slot: 09:30 to 13:30 (best for hiking before midday heat).
- Afternoon slot: 14:00 to 18:00 (ideal for swimming and snorkelling in El Puertito).
How to get there: ferry and water taxis from Corralejo
Boats depart from Corralejo's main harbour. You can choose between two main vessel types:
- Regular passenger ferry: comfortable two-deck catamarans taking 15 minutes to reach the island's southern jetty.
- Water taxi RIBs: 12-seater speedboats that offer quick crossings and frequently detour to look for bottlenose dolphins.
Boat and dolphin search trips around Lobos Island
What to see on Lobos Island
A well-signposted dirt trail circles the island on an easy 12-kilometre loop (roughly 2.5 to 3 hours walking):
- El Puertito: a cluster of stone fishermen huts around an inlet of glass-clear turquoise water, ideal for snorkelling.
- Playa de La Concha: a crescent-shaped bay of soft golden sand sheltered from ocean swell, perfect for swimming.
- La Caldera summit (127 m): an ancient volcanic cone reached via a 20-minute stepped trail with panoramic vistas across Fuerteventura and Lanzarote.
- Faro de Martiño: an 1865 stone lighthouse at the island's northern tip, birthplace of celebrated Canarian writer Josefina Plá.
Essential tips before you board
Things to do on the island
Experiences in Fuerteventura
Plans on the island, with duration and price up front.
See all 13 experiences in Fuerteventura
