Corralejo | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 | |
| Country | Spain |
| Autonomous community | Canary Islands |
| Province | Las Palmas |
| Island | Fuerteventura |
| Municipality | La Oliva |
| Time zone | UTC0 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (WEST) |
Corralejo (pronounced [koraˈlexo]) is a town and resort located on the northern tip of Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands, facing the smaller islet of Lobos. It is in the municipality of La Oliva.
It is surrounded to the north and east by the Atlantic Ocean, by dunes to the south and by arid desert land to the west that leads to the western coast and El Cotillo. Once a traditional fishing village, the town has grown significantly and today is one of the two main tourist towns on the island of Fuerteventura. Thanks to the large expat population, the town has a diverse population that varies from the local Spaniard, to the Italian,[1] Irish, British, German and Finnish people who have settled in the resort.
The area has 7 miles (11 km) of fine sand starting 2 miles (3.2 km) outside of Corralejo, alongside some smaller bays across the coast. In addition, there are several miles of sand dunes located nearby, which have been designated as a nature reserve. The waters around Corralejo are clear and an intense shade of blue, but are affected by strong currents. The town's beaches are somewhat more sheltered and have a band of volcanic rock along the shoreline.