We pulled into Corralejo bang on schedule at 10:25 am and within twenty minutes we were locked and loaded into our new rental car and ready to hit the road. When you visit Fuerteventura for windsurfing then the options are normally to either head south to the turquoise beaches and offshore winds down at Sotavento or to base yourself in the north in Corralejo, the main access point to the legendary north shore spots as well as Glass Beach, Flag Beach, Rocky Point and Puerto Lajas down along the north east coast. There’s well established freeride spots at both ends of the island, but for waves, the north shore definitely has the lion’s share of options, although subtle shifts in the wind and swell direction can mean a thirty minute drive to take you to the optimum spot. Corralejo has grown to become the largest resort on the island and despite the number of tourists, the former fishing village still maintains an element of charm.
I was based in Corralejo on my first ever trip to the Canary Islands as a photographer back in 1990 and stayed in an apartment with Rich Foster and his buddy at the time, Martin ‘Corky’ Kirkham, an enthusiastic young sailor fresh on the island from Newcastle! Rich Foster now resides in Maui, Hawaii, but good old Corky is still on the island today having set up a successful bar business and still windsurfs every day possible, just as enthusiastic as ever!
