Isla Lobos - Los Lobos Island - Nature Reserve

For the few that find life on Fuerteventura too hectic there is a refuge - Lobos.

Just a short boatride away from Corralejo you'll find the Nature Reserve of Lobos almost churchlike in its peace and tranquillity. You'll have the wonderful view back to Fuerteventura and the chance to spot plants and birds not to be found anywhere else on the planet.

Above all, an experience of serenity and privilege awaits those that make the little effort required.

Map

Key to Designated Zones

• Exclusion Zone - Green
• Restricted Use Zone - Orange
• Moderate Use - Pale Blue
• General Use Zone - Red

Getting There

There are some small boats that do got to Lobos. They usually have one of the kiosks alongside the pedestrian zone of the Marina.

The Catlanza has trips with a stop in Lobos Bay for swimming.

Fauna

In days gone by Lobos was home to dense populations of seals - 'lobos del mar' (Sea Wolves) hence the island's name.

Today it's home to different seabirds that nest in the cliffs and rocks such as la pardela cenicienta (Cory's Shearwater) Calonectris diomedea, la pardela chica (Little Shearwater) Puffinus Assimilis, el paiño commún (Storm Petrel) Hydrobates Pelagicus, el petrel de bulwer (Bulwer's Petrel) Bulweria Bulwerii, el guincho (Osprey) Pandion Haliaetus ssp. haliaetus, or the gaviota patiamarilla (Caspian Gull) Larus Cachinnans.

Other birds to look out for are the extremely rare and endangered hubera canaria (Hubara Bustard) Chlamydotis undulata Fuerteventurae, el corredor (Cream Coloured Cursor) Cursorius Cursor and el alcaudón (Great Grey Shrike) Lanius Excubitor amongst others.

With luck and good timing you could be witness to the arrival of migratory birds such as charrán commún (Common Tern) Sterna Hirundo Hirundo, las garzas (Blue Heron) Ardea sp. and garcetas (Egret Heron) Egretta sp., los zarapitos (Curlew) Numenius sp., etc

Other fauna are the lagartija (Haria Lizard) Gallotia Atlantica, el perenquen (Moorish or Crocodile Gecko) Tarentola Mauritanica and el conejo (Rabbit) Oryctolagus Cuniculus

Flora

Species that are well adapted to high salinity dominate the island.

There's over 130 species of vegetation some of which are unique to the island

The Flora jewel is La Siempreviva, Limonium ovalifolium canariense - endemic on the island, which together with La Uvilla de Mar Zygophyllum fontanesii, the saltmarsh Sarcocornia fruticosa and other siemprevivas Limonium papillatum & L. Tuberculum constitute the most representative of Las Lagunitas.

Other halófilas present are : el salado lanudo Chenoleoides tomentosa, la aulaga Launaea arborescens, el balancón Traganum moquinii, el espino Lycium intricatum, la tabaiba amarga Euphorbia obtusifolia, etc

The magnificent examples of Tabaiba Dulce E. balsamifera are outstanding.

History of Its Protection

The island of Lobos was one of the first nature areas to be designated as 'protected' by the Parque Natural Las Dunas de Cirralejo e Isla de Lobos Declaration in 1982.

A law passed in 1994 reclassified Lobos and the Corralejo Dunes as separate nature parks: Parque Natural Dunas de Corralejo and Parque Natural Islote de Lobos.

The European Community Commission has now included Lobos in the Spanish areas of special protection for birds.

Geography

The island has an area of 467.9 hectores and a coastline of 13.7 km. Situated in the Canal de la Bocaina - (The Bocaina Channel) - 2km from Fuerteventura and 8 km from Lanzarote.

Climate

The climate is semi-arid with moderate temperatures - annual average temp is 18ºC.
The constant presence of the Alisios winds increases the dessication accentuating the aridity of the landscape.
The highest rainfall occurs between November and January

Geomorphology and Landscape

The formation of Lobos belongs to the Pleistocene era and is dominated by the basaltic lava fields partially covered in some sectors by organic sands.

Montaña La Caldera (The Cauldron Mountain) at 127ms is the highest point of the island.

Other notable scenic features are the delapidated Los Edificios Volcánicos (Volcanic Buildings) on the north coast, Los Hornitos (The Little Ovens), el Salador de El Faro (The Lighthouse Saltmarshes), el Jable de La Cocina (Jable of the Kitchen), el Malpais del Interior (the Inner Badlands) and la Hoya de Las Lagunitas (The Valley of the Little Lagoons).

Respect the terrain

Remember that Lobos is a Protected Nature Zone and that you can contribute to its conservation by following the rules and guidelines below:

Permitted Activities Cycle only in the General and Moderate Zones.

• Walk only on the paths.
• Prohibited Activities
• Disembarking onto the island by any point other than El Puertito (The Little Port).
• Introducing domestic animals dogs, cats etc).
• Walking off the paths
• Making fires beyond the General Use Zones
• Making noise that will disturb the tranquil ambience
• Hunting
• Littering, leaving or burying waste, rubbish or debris
• Altering, destroying or removing materials or objects belonging to the island like biological material
• In general any activity that affects the nature or landscape of the park
• Disobediance of the above will result in penalisation

Activities Requiring Authorisation from the Cabildo de Fuerteventura

• Camping in la Carpinteria
• Collecting geologogical or biological material,conducting educational or investigational projects.
• Professional filming or photography
• Access to the peak of la Caldera

Above all please remember that the natural beauty of the island is owed in part to its tranquillity and peacefulness.
Please don't spoil it.