Fuerteventura Weather and Climate

Historic Climatic Data

When is the best time to visit Fuerteventura?
When rain does occur it is usually between late October and March and it brings a touch of green to the North-West part of the Island and the mountainous areas around Betancuria. However, it is still scarce enough around the main resorts on the East coast to ensure that the landscape remains desert-like all year round. Many visitors claim that the best time to visit the Island is September and the first half of October; the weather is still summer-like at this time, the trade winds are at their lightest and the sea is at its warmest.

Climate Overview
The climate of the Island is classified as a hot desert climate according to the Koppen-Geiger classification and is influenced by many factors: the North-East Trade Winds, subtropial-latitude, proximity to Lanzarote, proximity to Africa, lack of altitude and the relatively cold Canary Current. According to Unesco, Fuerteventura is home to the largest area of desert and semi-desert in Europe.

Unlike the Western Canary Islands (and like its nearest neighbour, Lanzarote), Fuerteventura does not have high mountains. This means that the moisture-laden air just passes over the Island without depositing rain. The only exception to this is at the peaks of Jandia in the very South of the Island, which just about makes it into this zone. Lanzarote, although also a low-lying island, also provides a mild rain shadow effect as it lies to the North-East of Fuerteventura (the direction of the prevailing wind). For this reason, Fuerteventura does not experience the pronounced difference in cloudiness between the North and South that is experienced in most of the Canary Islands.

Sea Temperatures
The cold Canary current means that water temperatures are slightly cooler than you might expect at this latitude – although at 22 or 23 degrees Celsius in late summer, they are still very pleasant.

Calima
Sometimes (usually during the summer) the wind changes to a more Easterly or South-Easterly direction, bringing the dust-haze or ‘Calima’ along with searing temperatures from the Sahara Desert.

Micro-climates
There can be quite a bit of variation in weather conditions from place to place according to time of year. Costa Calma can become very windy at certain times of the year (there is a reason why the Windsurf and Kitesurf Championships are held at nearby Playa Sotavento), while nearby Morro Jable is sheltered by the Island’s highest mountain range. Sea conditions also vary considerably around the Island: Surf might be up in El Cotillo, while it is flat calm in Jandia. Corralejo is often cloudy in the morning, but this tends to ‘burn-off’ as the day progresses. The driest, sunniest and warmest part of the island is Morro Jable – where it is often 2 or 3 degrees warmer than in the North.

And while Caleta de Fuste might not offer the most spectacular beaches on Fuerteventura, the sheltered lagoon can offer water temperatures that are several degrees higher than in the open sea.

Click here for a breakdown by month of the weather in Fuerteventura.

More on Fuerteventura

Top things to do in Fuerteventura
Top places to visit in Fuerteventura
Where to stay in Fuerteventura

Live Weather Data provided by Aemet – the Spanish National Meteorological Service.