As part of my fastpacking attempt to complete the GR131 across all seven Canary Islands, I completed the full GR131 route across Fuerteventura. Because this was part of a larger effort, and because I was carrying a big pack and needed rest along this route, I left a lot of time on the clock. My hope was to set the standard for this complete route to inspire others to trim my record. See below for an excerpt from a blog post I wrote on this adventure.
https://ecologyofappalachia.blogspot.com/2025/12/gr-131-fuenteventura-i…
Fuenteventura means “strong winds” or “strong adventure” in Spanish. Having just traversed the 100-mile GR131 section from Corralejo to Punta de Jandia (end to end), I can confirm both are true. Both terminuses are surf towns; the north is built up and a popular destination for European vacationers. The south is very rural and picturesque with volcanic mountains and white sand beaches. Everything in between is a patchwork of tight knit farming communities. Every town has a square, a church, a good cafe, a soccer field, and a Christmas tree.
This trail was chalk full of diversity in landscapes, from massive calderas in the north, to malpais (“bad lands”) boulder fields, perched dune desert, and lots of beaches.
After staying at a hotel to charge everything up and do laundry, I got on trail and camped along the way in abandoned backyards, beaches and farmlands. Last night, near the end, having hiked 31 miles, I hung out with some local surfers in the south before making the final push. Lots of open land, barrel waves, and built out off-road camper vans that dot the landscape. They know how to live.
This effort is part of my attempt to record the @fastestknowntime across the GR131 trail on all seven of the Canary Islands. For this section, I established the fastest known time on Fuerteventura.
So many birds on this island. Some highlights include Buzzard, European stonechat, Canary Islands stonechat, black-bellied sand grouse, chiffchaff, stone curlew, grey heron, little egret, etc