Lobos Island

From the top of Montaña La Caldera the whole island lies open: the crater falling away to the sea on one side, lava ground running north towards the lighthouse, and across the strait the dunes of Corralejo and the long coast of Fuerteventura. The climb to 127 metres is manageable, and the view repays it.

On the western shore, Playa de la Concha curls round a sheltered lagoon of pale sand and clear, calm water, with plenty of fish for snorkelling. Signed trails cross the lava to the Punta Martiño lighthouse, and the lighthouse end of the island is quiet.

The reserve protects seabirds — Cory's and little shearwaters nest on the cliffs — and more than 130 plants, among them a siempreviva found nowhere else. History runs deeper than it looks: Roman purple-dye makers camped here, and in 1405 Jean de Béthencourt used the island as a supply base for the conquest of Fuerteventura.

• Food on the island is unreliable: the restaurant fills up and is not always open. Bring food and water for the whole day.
• Want lunch at the restaurant? Book it as soon as you step off the boat.
• There is no shade on the trails. A hat, sunscreen and comfortable shoes are essential.
• Walking the whole island, caldera and lighthouse included, takes three and a half to four hours; check the last boat back before you set off.
• Camping has been banned since 2007, so Lobos is a day trip only.

Lobos is reached only by boat. Regular ferries cross from Corralejo harbour on the northern tip of Fuerteventura, and the ride is short: the island sits two kilometres offshore, clearly visible from the town's seafront. Hiking and snorkelling tours also run to the island.

Boats land at the jetty, and from there everything is on foot. Signed walking trails lead across the lava to the top of Montaña La Caldera and on to the Punta Martiño lighthouse at the northern tip, with Playa de la Concha the place to swim on the way back.

Best: an early boat, with the walk to the caldera and the lighthouse done in the morning and the afternoon left for the water at Playa de la Concha.

Avoid: the long walk to the lighthouse in the middle of a summer day.

The island is bare volcanic ground with no shade anywhere on the trails, so the heat builds quickly once the sun is high.

Lobos is a natural park and a special protection area for birds, and the rules follow from that. Visitors may walk only on the signed trails; the rest of the island is closed off to protect the conservation areas and the seabirds nesting on the cliffs and rocks. Camping has been prohibited since 2007, so there is no staying overnight.