La Pared - The small surfer village on the wild west coast

Hi, I'm Christof! I've been surfing regularly in La Pared since 2004 and have stayed there for several winters.

Like Costa Calma, the charming surfing village of La Pared on Fuerteventura is located on the narrowest part of the island. It is barely more than 5 kilometres from the touristy east coast to the wild west coast.
The name "La Pared" means the wall in English, because a wall once ran along the site of today's La Pared, separating the northern kingdom of the island from the southern kingdom.

In contrast to the tourist towns on the east coast, life in La Pared follows the rhythm of the tides and the waves. Those who come to La Pared are mostly looking for peace and harmony with nature. Surfers particularly love the large sandy beach of La Pared, the "El Viejo Rey". This sandy beach, where many surfers gather all year round to surf, is the secret heart of La Pared. Residents from other towns in the south of Fuerteventura also like to come here to surf, swim or simply relax.

In the picturesque bay next to it, "La Bahia", people sometimes also surf and in the evening you can enjoy delicious burgers or fresh fish at the sunset in the Caretta Beach restaurant.

South and east of La Pared begins the Istmo de La Pared, a desert-like area that extends to the mountains in the south and the large lagoon of Sotavento on the east coast. The unique, barren landscape has served as a film set for several Hollywood productions, including the Star Wars series.

The mountain massif of the northern peninsula of Fuerteventura begins in the north of La Pared. The highest mountain, Monte de Cardon, has a small chapel and a fresh water spring on its western flank.

The wall that gives the place its name was built by the Majoreros, the indigenous people of Fuerteventura, before 1402. The wall was about six kilometres long, 1.50 m high, 50 cm thick and made of natural stones. It began on the west coast at the level of the village of La Pared and ran down the southeast coast to the southern end of the large tidal lagoon of Sotavento.

According to historical sources, there was another wall in the middle of the island at the height of Betancuria. So far, however, no archaeological evidence has been found to support these reports.

Only a few remains of the "La Pared de Jandía" (i.e. Jandia Wall) have been preserved and are listed as historical monuments. At first glance, however, these wall remains cannot be clearly identified, as there are many old stone walls on Fuerteventura. In fact, most of the historical walls were built by the first Europeans who came to the island and were intended to border fields and prevent the intrusion of wild animals.

To distinguish between these possible pre-Hispanic and later constructions is hardly possible for a non-expert and can only be done with scientific methods and the simultaneous checking of historical records.
The remains of the wall on the isthmus near La Pared could be dated to the time before the Spanish conquest on the basis of archaeological finds, such as ceramic parts and shells.

There are no clear sources on the function of the wall. Of course, it could have served to separate different ruling territories from each other. But there is also the assumption that the wall demarcated certain grazing areas for farm animals.

The present-day village of La Pared did not come into being until many hundreds of years later. The original village of La Pared is even further away from the part of the village that is now known as La Pared. The initial village consisted of just 12 houses and is located near the small football stadium. You will pass this if you continue north from what is now La Pared to Pajara. 

In the mid 1980s, the largest part of the village now known as La Pared was built. According to the plans of Bernd Reige, many buildings and parts of the present infrastructure were built under the direction of the German architect Fritz Junkermann. These include, for example, the large avenue in the centre of the village and several detached houses and holiday homes. At the beginning of the 1990s, the La Pared sports hotel and golf course were built. There are no other hotels here, which is why La Pared has maintained its original charm to this day and is an insider tip for surfers and individual tourists.

The most famous attraction in La Pared is the large natural beach "El Viejo Rey". Powerful waves from the North and West Atlantic break here all year round. Many surfers on Fuerteventura surfed their first waves in La Pared. But even advanced surfers like to return to this beach again and again.

The second well-known beach and a popular destination is the small bay next to it, the "Bahia La Pared". Waves break frequently here too, but these waves are more suitable for experienced surfers. Due to the nearby cliffs and the reef plate under water, this surf spot is too dangerous for beginners.

Next to the bay there is a long cliff with a tunnel washed into the rock. From up here, on days with particularly big waves, you can admire the power of nature. But be careful: there are a few days a year when the waves are so big that they can even sweep people off the cliff.

Another place of interest is the "Caretta Beach" restaurant, which is well-known throughout the south of the island. The restaurant is located in the small bay called "Bahia La Pared". Here you can enjoy fresh fish, tapas and delicious burgers. You have a great view of the Atlantic Ocean and it is even more beautiful during the picturesque sunset.

There is a goat farm about 500m north of the village. Here you can purchase traditional, homemade goat's cheese. You can also get other organic and sustainable food from the region.

In La Pared there are also small shops and restaurants. In the lower part of the village, near the car park in front of the big beach, there are two small cafés, a mini-supermarket and an artist's gallery with paintings of the landscape and the ocean.

You can eat at the sports hotel in La Pared or at the restaurant "Caretta Beach" in the small bay called Bahia La Pared.

There is no nightlife with discos and clubs in La Pared. But that is just fine with the inhabitants of the village. Because those who live in La Pared want to enjoy the peace and quiet, love the sound of the sea, admire the starry sky and look forward to the next day of surfing.

In the sports hotel, there are sometimes cinema evenings where surf films are shown. In our La Pared Surf Villa, guests often sit together, barbecue and share their latest surfing experiences.

If you can't sleep and still want to turn night into day, you can take a taxi to Costa Calma, which is only 5 kilometres away. There you will find cosy bars that are open until late at night and also a disco.

The most important leisure activity in La Pared for us is, obviously, surfing. In La Pared, this refers exclusively to paddle surfing. When the wind is very strong and there are certain tides, there are also kitesurfers and windsurfers from time to time in La Pared. But the vast majority of water sports enthusiasts in La Pared are surfers who visit the beach all year round for surfing because of its sandbanks and powerful waves.

Another surf spot in La Pared is the small bay of Bahia. Here, when the swell is big, clean and, thanks to the long cliff, shielded from the wind, right-hand waves run over a reef slab. But be careful: this spot is only for advanced surfers! It is not suitable for beginners due to the nearby cliffs and reef.

Two other cool leisure activities in La Pared are, of course, hiking and mountain biking. Thanks to the unique location of the village, there are two interesting destinations for extended hiking and mountain bike tours. To the north is the mountain massif around Monte Cardon. There is also a well-marked hiking trail that leads past the goat farm to the western flank of the mountain with the small freshwater spring and the charming chapel. This trail is also good to explore by mountain bike.

Another nice destination for hikes and mountain bike tours is naturally the desert-like region of the island south of La Pared, also called "Istmo de La Pared". Here you will find many endemic plants that have adapted well to the barren conditions of the island. In this unique landscape you will encounter lonely goats, donkeys and also the small, sweet Atlas squirrels. The destination of this hike can be the endless sandy beach of Cofete or the large tidal lagoon of Sotavento on the east coast.

In addition to these tips, we arrange many other exciting excursions. From a tour of the island to a boat trip. We will be happy to advise you which excursion best suits your wishes. Just get in touch with us!