The island's colonels lived in the stately Casa de los Coroneles in La Oliva village, and from 1834 to 1860 the village was the capital of Fuerteventura. Today it is the small, quiet centre of a municipality that spans the whole north of the island. Corralejo, the port and beach resort at the northern tip, holds about half its people; Geafond, Villaverde, Lajares and El Cotillo are the other main settlements. The Corralejo dunes have been a protected park since 1982, and the islet of Lobos lies just off Corralejo.
La Oliva
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Language
- Spanish; English, German in resorts
- Power plug
- Type C/F, 230 V
- Visa
- Schengen
- Time zone
- UTC+0 / UTC+1 (WET/WEST)
- Tap water
- Desalinated
- Tipping
- Not expected; 5–10% for great service
- Emergency
- 112
Things to do
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When to go
High season
Nov – Mar
Winter sun fills Corralejo with northern Europeans, while Atlantic swell breaks hard on the west coast at El Cotillo; never turn your back on the sea there.
Shoulder
Apr – Jun
Spring brings long days and thinner crowds, with the trade wind building across the dunes.
High season
Jul – Aug
Summer holidays fill the resort again, and the trade wind blows steadily over the north coast.
Shoulder
Sep – Oct
Autumn keeps warm days after the summer holidays end and the crowds ease.
How long to stay
Two to three days covers the municipality at an easy pace: a day for Corralejo and the dunes, a day for El Cotillo and Lajares, and a few hours in La Oliva village around the Casa de los Coroneles. A week suits a beach holiday based in Corralejo, the largest town.
What to see
Destinations in La Oliva
Frequently asked questions
Is Corralejo part of La Oliva?
Yes. Corralejo, the port and beach resort at the northernmost point of Fuerteventura, is the largest town in the municipality and home to about half its population. La Oliva village itself is far smaller.Was La Oliva ever the capital of Fuerteventura?
Yes, from 1834 to 1860. The island's colonels had their seat here, in the Casa de los Coroneles, and La Oliva took over from Betancuria as capital until Puerto de Cabras, today's Puerto del Rosario, replaced it. An anonymous manuscript dates the village's founding to 1500.What is the story of the hotel on the Corralejo dunes?
La Oliva allowed a RIU hotel to be built on the dunes in the 1970s, before they were declared a park in 1982. In 2024 the Spanish government ruled that the hotel had expanded without consent, declared its concession expired and ordered it demolished. The Canary Islands government appealed, and the Constitutional Court ruled that the national government had authority and ordered the demolition.Does La Oliva include the islet of Lobos?
Yes. Lobos lies to the northeast, just off Corralejo, and belongs to the municipality.