Parque Natural de Jandía

The natural park covers the southwestern end of Fuerteventura and protects a dry mountain landscape that drops straight into the Atlantic. Its backbone is the Jandía massif, crowned by Pico de la Zarza, from which the cuchillos run out as knife sharp eroded ridges. On the far side lies the slope of Cofete, an open coast that has stayed almost entirely unbuilt. The flora is the scientific case for the park, since aridity and isolation have left endemic species confined to a handful of spots.

This is a large area with no services inside it, so the route is worth planning before setting out, along with water and sun protection. The approaches are mountain roads and tracks, and it pays to check the state of the road before driving in. On the Cofete side the coast faces the open Atlantic and takes the full swell, so bathing calls for caution and often for staying out of the water. Keep to the marked tracks and paths, because the soil and the vegetation are the fragile part of the whole system.