Spain · Canary Islands
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El Cotillo sits on the northwest coast of Fuerteventura, offering a mix of sheltered lagoon beaches and exposed reef/beach breaks. The main surf beach faces northwest and picks up Atlantic swell consistently. Volcanic rock outcrops create structure in the sandy bottom. The village retains a fishing-town character despite growing tourism. Warm water and reliable waves make it a popular European surf destination.
Picks up north and north-westerly Atlantic swells. The trade winds (north-easterly) are sideshore to offshore depending on the section. Best at mid to high tide for the reef sections. The beach break works on all tides. The 3-6ft range is ideal. Consistent from October through April. Summer has smaller but still rideable surf with warm water.
The main beach break north of the village has multiple peaks. The reef sections near the harbour produce more defined waves for experienced surfers. The lagoon beaches to the south are flat-water and not for surfing. Choose your section based on ability.
Volcanic reef is sharp and shallow in the reef sections. The beach break is more forgiving with sandy bottom. Trade winds can be strong and create choppy conditions. Currents form around the reef outcrops. The reef sections are for experienced surfers only.
Free parking along the dirt tracks near the beach. Short walks to the various spots. The village has restaurants, surf shops, and accommodation. A well-established surf tourism infrastructure.
Busy. El Cotillo is one of the Canary Islands' most popular surf spots and attracts surfers from across Europe. The main beach break sees 20-30 people on good days. Surf camps and schools operate year-round. The reef sections have fewer people due to the higher skill requirement. Dawn patrol recommended.
Fuerteventura's consistent trade winds mean mornings are usually calmest. Plan sessions early before the wind picks up. The reef break near the harbour is the premium wave but needs respect. The village has an excellent selection of fish restaurants. If El Cotillo is crowded or windblown, drive to the east coast where sheltered spots work on easterly swells.
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Based on historical weekly averages
Combining historical conditions with school holiday crowd pressure to find the sweet spot.
How busy each week is based on school holiday overlap from feeder markets.
The timing score combines two signals: historical conditions quality (how good the skiing or surfing typically is in a given week, based on 5 years of weather data) and crowd pressure (how many of this destination's feeder markets have school holidays that week).
Crowd pressure is weighted by each feeder country's share of visitors. If 40% of a resort's visitors come from France and France is on holiday, that contributes 0.40 to the crowd pressure score. Crowds can reduce the timing score by up to 35%, ensuring conditions still matter most.
Scores: 5 = great conditions with low crowds (the sweet spot). 4 = great conditions with moderate crowds, or good conditions with low crowds. 3 = average. 2 = below average conditions or very crowded. 1 = poor conditions or peak holiday chaos.
Last 29 days of logged conditions.
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Create Profile →Current conditions refresh every 3 hours when the cron runs. Hourly data updates every 30 minutes. The 7-day forecast, luck factor, and packing notes are all pre-computed at the same time.
We compare the 7-day forecast to the last 5 years of marine data for the same week at Fuerteventura/Cotillo. The delta tells you whether conditions are shaping up better, worse, or about the same as a typical mid-June.
We score each day of the 7-day forecast using the same algorithm as the leaderboard, and highlight the highest scorer.
Open-Meteo's Marine API (swell height, period, water temperature) and Weather API (wind and conditions).
Honestly, no. Every break has tide windows, swell directions and reef contours that a global model cannot see. Treat the score as a starting point, then check a local cam.
The best week for surf at Fuerteventura/Cotillo is the week of 23 November (score 3/5) with low crowds.
Next to nothing in the water. Check back tomorrow. Short-period chop. The waves lack any real push. Onshore wind making a mess of the surface. Best conditions early morning before the sea breeze arrives.
Heads up: jellyfish: peak season, and rocks exposed at low tide.
Indicators derived from forecast data, not official warnings. Always check local lifeguard or official advice.
Crystal clear water: ~15m visibility
Daily scores over the last 12 months at Fuerteventura/Cotillo