Parque Natural de las Dunas de Corralejo

At the northern tip of Fuerteventura, beside the town of Corralejo, a vast sea of golden sand forms the largest dune field in the entire Canary archipelago. The natural park protects more than 2,600 hectares where mobile dunes drift slowly under the steady trade winds, fringed by beaches of turquoise water and, toward the south, a volcanic landscape of reddish tones crowned by the Montaña Roja.

It is a protected area of great ecological sensitivity, a haven for seabirds and rare habitats, and a wonderful place to walk barefoot across the dunes or wander its shores. One thing worth knowing: a widespread belief is mistaken, as the sand does not blow in from the Sahara. It is organic in origin, made from crushed shells, molluscs and other marine organisms; nearly 90 percent of it is carbonate, revealing that it came from the sea floor.