Here is finally the amazing report of Marco's last winter trip to Lanzarote and Fuerteventura (Canary Islands): quality waves and wind, and lots of windsurfing and waveriding sessions.

Windsurfing, report: Lanzarote and Fuerteventura (by M. Maywald)

For a few years now, I've had the habit of wintering in the Canary Islands during the Christmas holidays with my family. While it's not the best time for wind frequency, the excellent winter swells, spring-like temperatures, and the ability to work remotely without connection issues (the Canary Islands are in Europe) and time zone issues have led me to extend my stay from 2 to 3 weeks, thus increasing the possibility of windsurfing trips. Even if you're not lucky with the wind, there's never a shortage of waves for surfing.

This year, we decided to split our stay between two neighboring islands: Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.

I'm now well acquainted with Lanzarote, where there are mainly three spots on the west coast. Last year, I found a new spot in Orzola, in unusual wind conditions. It resulted in a wonderful solo outing in side-off conditions, sharing the waves with a few local surfers.

Last year, I went to Fuerteventura for a week. However, I wasn't lucky with the wind and only managed one float session with an easterly wind at Mahanicho. It was beautiful, but very challenging due to 3-meter waves and almost nonexistent wind.

This year, however, I found several days of wind and waves on both islands, allowing me to try different spots in different conditions. That's why I decided to write this short report, which I think will be helpful to anyone, especially in Lanzarote, who, like me, encounters these unusual conditions.

Lanzarote

The three classic spots with trade winds are: Las Cucharas, where all the windsurfing and wingfoiling schools are located; just a little further north, Los Charcos, a local spot with decent waves between the bay's breakwaters, but not surfable at low tide; and the radical, expert-only spot of Jameos de l'Agua. But I don't want to focus on these spots, especially since you can find other articles describing them.

I want to focus on spots to frequent with southern winds.

Right after Christmas, a series of Atlantic disturbances brought rare wind and sea conditions to the Canary Islands. Unfortunately, there were no articles describing possible spots with south-southwest winds. The schools didn't provide any guidance, closing their doors at Las Cucharas due to conditions being too onshore, and the locals who normally hang out at Los Charcos had disappeared.

So, looking at the map of Lanzarote and selecting the beaches (not many, in fact, given that Lanzarote is the most volcanic island of the archipelago, therefore very rocky) I went in search of surf spots.

Day 1: South Wind

Last year, with this wind angle, forecast at up to 25 knots, I found good conditions in Orzola. However, this year there was no north/northeast swell. Therefore, I immediately ruled out the spot because I would have found very flat water.

I ruled out Famara, which I knew only works with southwest winds, even after checking the only decent webcam on the island. I also ruled out the entire west coast, where there might be some interesting spots, but I would certainly have been alone.

So I set off to explore the east coast, looking for beaches with less onshore wind. From Papagayo Point to Puerto Calero, there's only rock. Arriving in Puerto del Carmen, a popular destination for English tourists, I found a few beaches that might suit me. However, I didn't find any windsurfers, kitesurfers, or wingsuits (there are plenty here too), and access to the beaches was difficult. I then moved to Costa Teguise and stopped at Los Posillos. The beach is sandy, but since it's artificial, the reef still produces decent waves. Furthermore, the bay is wide and arched. So, depending on the entry point, you'll find side/onshore wind, but the exit is doable. Even though I'm alone, I enter with the Wave 94l and the 4.7 and have a lot of fun, but I'm worried that the shore break will soon become dangerous. After half an hour, I spot two kites upwind and feel less alone, but soon they come out. As expected, the shore break becomes killer (similar to the one at Bordighera or Riva Ligure during south swells). So I surf for another hour, trying to avoid the waves close to shore, and then I go out on a downwind run at crazy speed to avoid the undertow. It went well for me, and I unkit happily.

While I'm unkitted, I meet a Spaniard named Sebastian who went out wingfoiling at the spot just upwind, Playa Matagorda. He also struggled a lot, because the beach entrance is full of rocks, and he risked damaging his gear when he got out of the water. He went out alone, like me, and we exchanged numbers to decide what to do the next day.

Day 2: Southwesterly wind

At this angle, the wind at Playa de Los Posillos is side-off. This morning, I check the webcam (Puerto del Carmen Webcam - Playa Los Posillos - SkylineWebcams) and, although there are still some waves from the previous day, the wind is not strong enough. Meanwhile, the wind increases, but the waves disappear.

I tell Sebastian that the ideal spot today is Famara. However, he calls me at 11:00 a.m. saying that the wind is very off and there are no waves, perhaps due to low tide. I check the webcam (Famara Live Webcam | Red Star Surf Lanzarote) and confirm that there are no waves. Someone tells Sebastian that it should improve with the rising tide in the afternoon.

So, we head to Arieta. The spot is located a few hundred meters before reaching the town and is called Playa de la Garita. There is a dirt road on the right, coming from the south. We park next to the La Casa de la Playa restaurant, a few meters from the beach. The wind is already 4.7, but the bay, due to the lack of swell, is completely flat. The winger is already in the water, and I follow him for a short session, first with the 4.7 and then with the 4.2.

The wind is gusty, and with no waves, I quickly get bored. Meanwhile, a young man (so to speak, he's my age, maybe a few years older) arrives with a Goya 4.5 like mine. He confirms that waves should be coming in at Famara after 2:00 PM. To conserve my strength, I pack up and decide to head for Famara.

After a 30-minute drive, I arrive at the spot. The bay is very beautiful. You can approach it from above, and already a few kilometers away I can see the bars unfurling in an interesting wave. There are already 4 or 5 windsurfers in the water and several wave surfers. The wind is very gusty side-off, but I see everyone has small sails, even some 4m. I rig my 4.2 and dive into the water.

I have one of the best sessions since I learned to surf waves. Waves around 2m with sets of up to 3. Smooth and fast, I manage to do 3-4, sometimes even 5 bottoms, and even some aerials. I also try the wave 360, which I almost manage to land, even though I'm off the wave. Two hours of pure bliss. Then I glimpse lightning with an approaching storm. The wind suddenly shifts side-on/side-on, and I manage to get back just before it dies down and it starts to rain. I dismount and head back satisfied.

Day 3: South/Southwest wind

I go out again to Los Posillos. An hour with some nice waves floating on the 4.7. Maybe I could have gone to Famara again, but I have a ferry to Fuerteventura this afternoon, and I've run out of credit with my wife.

So I'm happy with that. Besides, the wind doesn't last long because the rain stops everything.

Fuerteventura

There are many spots here. Depending on the wind direction and swell, you can choose from different spots, all of which are high-quality. I'm obviously talking about North Fuerteventura. On waterwind.it, you can find a detailed review of all the spots on the Northeast and North/Northwest coasts of Fuerteventura.

In winter, the wind direction changes slightly compared to summer. Furthermore, with winter weather disturbances, swells are significant, and the winds often shift.

In recent years, I've been unlucky and never encountered decent wind conditions. On the other hand, I've found days with significant swell. I managed to go out in Majanicho with waves over 3 m and winds of 4.7 m at the waterline.

But this year, the forecast is excellent for at least four days of my week-long stay.

Already upon arriving at Corallejo at sunset on the ferry from Plaja Blanca, I glimpse the windsurfers at Rocky Point enjoying the last waves of the day. Marco Nardone, an Italian and now local, tells me about a great session with mast-high waves.

Day 4: West wind

Same wind direction as the day before, but the swell is decreasing. By morning, I'm at the Rocky Point spot just outside Corallejo. Today, I'm with my son Riccardo, so we'll have to share my gear.

He's 26 and already a stronger freestyler than me (it doesn't take much), but he's not very familiar with the waves. There's still little wind, but enough to get planing at times. Having just arrived in Fuerteventura and being at least 10 kg lighter than me, I offer him the chance to go with the first session. I advise him not to get tempted and to avoid surfing all the way to the beach. The spot is called Rocky Point for a very specific reason...

On the beach, I see one of the Moreno sisters with other locals from Gran Canaria. We enter from the leeward beach and then do a couple of tacks, heading up toward the waves in the middle of the bay.

I watch Ricky surfing with the 4.7 for an hour, but shortly afterward I see him coming out of the upwind reef with his gear in hand. I go over to him and discover that he's been snagging the reef rocks.

He saved the board, but the sail scraped against the rocks several times. The result: the sail has several cuts on the mast pocket, some measuring 20 cm, and the mast has several marks. Luckily, it's an ultra-resistant MaverX.

I leave a few tears on the beach (the sail was new), and decide to go in myself. The wind picks up. For almost two hours, I catch waves over 2 meters and have a blast. The wind increases and it's sideways. The conditions are excellent. Then the wind drops, and the high tide ruins the waves. I suffer the last half hour and decide to head back, satisfied. The spot is very beautiful, but it was crowded. I'm told it's much busier than usual for winter.

Day 5: North/Northeast Wind

After purchasing some ultra-strong Gorilla tape and covering my 4.7 with very good results (I'll actually decide not to have it repaired), we head towards Flag Beach.

It's the only spot that's sufficiently exposed to the wind today, albeit a bit swell. It's expected to gradually increase over the next two days with swells above 2 meters.

Local Marco tells me he'll be working Puerto Lajas starting the next day. Unfortunately, he has to return home and confirms that Flag Beach is the only attractive spot with these conditions, even though the waves will be awful.

And indeed, he's right. I let Riccardo out, still feeling guilty for ruining his sail. He has fun for two hours, occasionally planing since he's quite light. I get a few tacks at the end of the day.

The beach and seabed are beautiful, but the waves are in your face and messy. We're still setting a bar today.

Day 6: North/Northeast Wind

The wind is strengthening, with increasing swell in the afternoon. I set off alone after lunch because the "puppy" is tired. I've never been to Puerto Lajas, and friends from home suggest I stop first at El Burro, since it's on the road. A girl from the Czech Republic is in the water. There's little swell, and her boyfriend tells me she's there precisely because she wants to avoid the waves. So I head quickly toward Puerto Lajas.

When I arrive, I see windsurfers, kites, and wingsuits already gliding in the water. It takes me a while to figure out where to park, because there are cars right next to the pebble beach several meters upwind of the bay. Some are even entering downwind.

I see there are two reefs: one in the center of the bay and one at the beginning of the upwind bay. The waves on the latter seem much better, so I park in the center of the bay.

I head up to the upwind reef with my 4.7 and 94-liter tank and enjoy the first waves. They're easy and I find them quite slow. You have to select them carefully, however, to get some decent bottoms.

I surf for a couple of hours, satisfied, because they tell me that high tide will ruin the quality a bit.

I leave my gear on the upwind beach to avoid having to do any more upwind legs. When I get out of the water, I see that there was a dirt road leading to the upwind bay area. So I eat a sandwich, and with my wetsuit on, I move the car closer to the campers. Here I'm 20 meters from the beach and it's much more comfortable.

I surf for another hour and decide to mount the GoPro on the boom handle. I catch several waves with three or four bottoms and am already anticipating the videos I'll download. The camera's position, however, is awkward and a bit dangerous.

In fact, it hits my head during a tight gybe. I go back to fix the GoPro but realize I haven't recorded a single second of the ride. Also, a German guy tells me I'm bleeding.

I touch my head and discover a hole. I think I'll change the GoPro's position... The German surfer's wife offers to treat me, suggesting I go to the emergency room for some stitches.

I thank him and go home where I'll make a DIY bandage.

Day 7: North/Northeast Wind

Last day of wind and waves above 2 meters. Puerto Lajas confirmed as a spot, I set off with my son at 9:00 AM. Today we want to make the most of the day, since they won't be blowing any more for the next few days until our return. As soon as we arrive, the bay welcomes us with beautiful 2-meter bars, especially in good weather. This time, I park directly on the beach north of Puerto Lajas. It's called Playa Barlovento. Coming from Corallejo, turn left at the roundabout before the town. Watch out for rocks because it's all dirt. But we park 30 meters from the beach.

The wind is already 4.2. My son gets in and, after 15 minutes, we're doing a stalled speed loop. I wish I were 30 years younger...

There's a large rock just below the reef where surfing takes place, where you can take videos and photos. Low tide allows you to stay a few meters from the shore, protected by the large boulder.

I shoot several videos, and after an hour and a half it's my turn. I spend over two hours in the water. The wave is beautiful and easy, even if it doesn't push much. You can do three or four consecutive bottoms until you reach the bay. Riccardo also does a lot of filming. He also knows a former surfer and Italian photographer who takes some great photos and sends them to me that evening (those included in this article).

I return exhausted, ready to grab a sandwich to relieve Riccardo. But he's already taken off his wetsuit and got cold during filming. So, I eat my sandwich and get back in the water for another hour and a half until I'm exhausted. An unforgettable day!

What can I say: the Canary Islands in winter have something special. This year they've given me beautiful and different outings.

See you, I hope, next year.

Aloha

Marco