Punta Jandia Lighthouse

The road simply runs out here, and past the whitewashed walls there is only the Atlantic, a deep, almost unreal blue that goes all the way to the horizon. This is the south-western tip of Fuerteventura, and the wind comes straight off the open ocean.

The tower, 19 m of masonry, roughly the height of a six-storey building, rises from the sea-facing side of the keeper's house, its stonework picked out in dark volcanic rock. Inside the old house, five rooms painted in different colours each take one part of the Jandía nature reserve: volcanic geology, plants, animals, sea life, and the lighthouse itself.

The real draw is the isolation. There is no promenade and no café, nobody selling anything. In the evening the sun goes down over open water.

• There are no restaurants or cafés anywhere near the lighthouse. Bring food and water for the whole trip.
• No toilets at the lighthouse, and none nearby.
• The interpretation centre does not always open when its sign says it should. Treat getting inside as a bonus.
• The point is wide open to the wind. Check the wind forecast before you drive out.

The lighthouse stands where the road from Morro Jable ends, and the last stretch is around 20 km of gravel through empty country. Little else uses the road. In an ordinary car it can be driven if you take it slowly; in a standard hire car it can feel like a poor idea, so weigh that before setting off.

Set your navigation to Faro de Punta Jandía. The newer Morro Jable lighthouse (Faro de Morro Jable) stands near the town, 22 km to the east, and the two are easy to mix up.

The car park sits right beside the lighthouse, and from there you walk straight up to the building.

Best: late afternoon on a day of light wind, staying on for sunset.

Avoid: days of strong wind.

The point faces the open ocean to the west, so the evening light falls straight across the sea, and the wind decides whether standing out on the headland is a pleasure or an ordeal.