Nofred Journals: The Wild North of Fuerteventura With Kids

Two people standing on a beach with clear blue sky and ocean.

TRAVEL WITH KIDS

The Wild North of Fuerteventura With Kids

In the village of Lajares, Anika found the places her family returns to again and again - from market mornings to pizza in the dunes at sunset.

@KIDSWELLTRAVELED

TRAVEL GUIDE

Anika is the founder of kidswelltraveled, one of the largest communities for modern family travel in the German-speaking world.

She and her husband Christian have travelled with their two boys since a first road trip along Australia’s east coast, chasing warm coastlines from Mexico to Costa Rica to Sri Lanka and of everywhere in the world, the place they keep coming back to is a quiet village in the north of Fuerteventura, one of Spain’s Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, where this October marks their fifth trip.

A woman and a child sitting on the deck of a white sailboat, viewed from behind as they look out toward the open ocean under a blue sky.

A woman in a bright orange tracksuit runs hand-in-hand with two young children across a sandy dune during golden hour, with sparse desert shrubs in the background.

WHAT DREW YOUR FAMILY TO FUERTEVENTURA, AND HOW DID YOU END UP IN LAJARES?

“Honestly, this came by surprise, also for us. We first travelled there because it’s a wonderful winter escape — warm and sunny basically all year round — and then the magic of the island got us. The north especially is wide, long roads, few people, wild and natural. The beaches are huge and never crowded. It’s laid back and not posh, with an amazing surfer vibe. Everyone is relaxed, the food is good, and there are amazing Airbnbs that feel like home away from home. And you can surf! Not always easy for beginners, but there are always days where you can catch some waves. That’s why we keep returning year after year.”

“We came for the winter sun and stayed for everything else”

A collage-style lifestyle scene showing a woman walking away on a desert road and a child at a table making or playing with colorful sea-themed crafts and small figurines. The overall composition uses a white background with a decorative blue wave graphic near the bottom.

A person with a white backpack walks away on a paved road between sandy terrain and the sea under a pale blue sky.

A child in an orange and white striped shirt sits at a table surrounded by handmade sea-themed resin crafts, including sea turtles, octopus figures, shells, and a blue tray, viewed from above.

HOW'S FUERTEVENTURA AS A FAMILY DESTINATION?

“Fuerteventura is known for its big resorts in the south. But the north is a different island entirely.

We highly recommend staying in one of the beautiful Airbnbs on the island, or in a smaller boutique hotel, and enjoying the relaxed surfer vibe of the north. It’s also the perfect place to take a surf lesson — recommended for kids from around 8 years old, because the Atlantic can be really rough! They say autumn is the best time for beginners.”

WHERE ARE THE BEST PLACES TO EAT?

“The north of Fuerteventura is where the good food actually is. Places like Lajares, El Cotillo and Villaverde have a lot to offer in terms of good food and family-friendliness.

Our favourite spots in Lajares are Almirante for breakfast, Oken for lunch with bowls and sushi, Oum, a delicious Lebanese restaurant, and Amiga Mia for ice cream. In El Cotillo, the best restaurant is Pez Gordo, but La Vaca Azul is also lovely because it’s directly by the sea. In Villaverde, they say there are the best restaurants on the island, but they’re a bit more traditional.”

“Everyone is relaxed, the food is good, and no one is in a hurry”

A top-down view of a young child with blonde hair wearing a red and white striped shirt, holding a sprinkle-covered ice cream cone on a textured beige tiled floor.

Two plated dishes on a wooden table with a red-and-white checkered placemat: a white bowl filled with a colorful salad and a teal plate with roasted green vegetables on a beige base, alongside orange chips and a small dipping sauce.

WHERE WOULD YOU GO FOR SHOPPING?

“In Lajares, there are so many beautiful shops around the marketplace, like Manawai Surf & Yoga Boutique, B.E.A.C.H. for interior shopping, Pulaumi next to Oken, or Wild for clothing. You shouldn t miss the Artisanal Market every Saturday, with a lot of handcrafted goods like candles, oils, sunglasses, bags and ceramics.”

WHICH PLAYGROUNDS OR ACTIVITIES WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR CHILDREN?

“There’s a playground right next to the Artisanal Market in Lajares — the kind of detail that makes a place work for families. The kids play, mum shops. There’s also a big water park in Corralejo with a lot of water slides.

The Oasis Wildlife Park in the south of the island is worth a day trip too: besides a lot of animals, it has a huge playground where kids can spend hours!”

Recomendations

Almirante

Oken

Pez Gordo

Oum

Amiga Mia

La Vaca Azul

Pulaumi

Manawai Surf & Yoga Boutique

B.E.A.C.H.

Oasis Wildlife Park

Corralejo water park

Outdoor playground scene with a child climbing a black ladder structure near a white building, under a blue sky. Playground equipment includes a blue boat-shaped panel with a white anchor and red-and-white life preserver motif, green turf flooring, and wooden railings.

A young child with blonde hair is seen from behind, wearing a light blue t-shirt with a black palm tree graphic and gold text. The child is holding an ice cream cone in a shop setting with a white subway tile wall, a wooden counter, and an iced coffee in the background.

Two children playing on a sandy dune under a bright blue sky with wispy clouds. One child is sitting on the sand while the other stands on their shoulders.

A young boy in a light gray t-shirt reaches over a wooden fence at a zoo to feed a giraffe, with a sandy hill, palm trees, and other animals in the background.

A woman in a black shirt and a young boy in a plaid shirt hugging on a rocky beach with the ocean in the background.

WHICH OUTDOOR AREA DO YOU USE THE MOST, AND WHY THAT PARTICULAR ONE?

“In Fuerteventura, of course, it’s all about beaches! Though the Atlantic can be cold, our kids never mind. If your kids are a bit sensitive to cold, bring neoprene suits — problem solved. Due to the tides, there are very often big puddles with warm seawater at the beach, absolutely perfect for kids to play in! The sand dunes of Corralejo are another big natural playground. Ours can play ALL DAY with what they find in the sand — barefoot, happy and exhausted by the end of the day.”

IS THERE ANYTHING SPECIAL YOU'D RECOMMEND TO PRIORITISE?

“We always end up choosing a beach destination — it’s where I feel most alive, and life with kids is simply easier there. Going to new places that are a bit exotic, just different, and maybe not as convenient as home: for me, this is life. It keeps me grounded and thankful. It gives me humility towards our beautiful world and openness to new cultures — and this is what I want to teach my kids.”

IS THERE ANYTHING SPECIAL YOU'D RECOMMEND TO PRIORITISE?

“A whole day to ourselves is hard to imagine these days, but a perfect one looks like this. We wake up in our Airbnb in Lajares and take a stroll to Almirante for breakfast, then let the kids play a little on the nearby playground. Coming home, we pack our beach essentials, load the surfboards onto the car and drive 10 minutes to El Cotillo or El Moro beach for a little surf session.

When we’re done and hungry, we go home, take a quick shower and walk to Oken in Lajares for lunch — I stop by the Pulaumi boutique next door and buy a cute pair of shorts or a T-shirt. After lunch we chill by the pool. For sunset, we grab some pizza at Marameo in El Cotillo and go down to Playa Esquinzo to watch the sun go down. Perfect day!”