Los Molinos

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Over on the west coast of Fuerteventura, you will find the small coastal hamlet of Puertito de los Molinos, usually known just as Los Molinos, or sometimes as El Puertito, consisting of just a few simple homes and a couple of restaurants.

The first thing that greets you is the almost dry riverbed of the Barranco de Los Molinos, with several ducks taking advantage of the trickle of water and pond created by it.

There are plenty of places to park, either just as you get to Los Molinos, or you can drive across the riverbed on a small path for a car park.

At the top on the left hand side you will find steps carved into the cliffs, giving you access to the top, and giving you a fantastic view down onto the hamlet and the beach.

Whilst the beach is surrounded by tall cliffs, being on the west coast, they do not give much shelter. The beach itself is made up of smooth stones, however, at low tide in the summer months a lovely sandy beach is revealed. It is at this time that the sea is calmer and generally safe to swim in, however, care must be taken when swimming as there are strong swells and under currents from the North Atlantic Ocean. It is not generally advisable to swim there in the winter months.

The beach has no amenities, which means no sunbeds, umbrellas, showers, toilets or lifeguards, so go prepared! But it’s an ideal place to ‘get away from it all’, just relax and enjoy the peace and quiet.

The hamlet itself is made up of a few old typical simple Canarian style properties, which are now mainly used as holiday homes during the summer months. These sit around the Plaza Doña Narcisa, where you’ll find a small shrine dedicated to Nuestra Senora de la Carmen, the patron saint of the sea, facing, of course, west and out to sea. The hamlet has two restaurants, one just before the plaza, and another the other side of the beach.

But there is also another hidden gem and round to the left of the beach there are caves that are only accessible at extremely low tide. Our first attempt to reach the caves failed. We went in September 2018, but the tid was not low enough. Although one chap waded across to them. Everybody was watching with baited breath, as the current was strong and the rocks sharp and jagged. At one point he disappeared from view, having to swim a deep section. But he made it safely. Since then Ian has managed to reach them safely and easily. Read more about, and see our photos of the Caves of Los Molinos

A word of warning – there is not usually any reception for mobile phones here!