Guide of Morro Jable (Fuerteventura)

Morro Jable is a town located on the south coast of Fuerteventura, one of Spain's Canary Islands. Situated on the Jandia Peninsula, Morro Jable is an excellent location for diving with a great variety of tropical sea life.

A brief history of Morro Jable

Fuerteventura is the oldest of the Canary Islands, dating back to a volcanic eruption at this Canary hotspot over 20 million years ago, but the majority of Fuerteventura formed about 5 million years ago and since then has been eroded by wind and precipitation. In pre-colonial times there were two kingdoms near present-day Morro Jable, called Maxorata and Jandía. In the 11th century BC, Phoenician settlers landed in Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, then later, some Portuguese and Spanish organized colonial expeditions to the island around 1340. In 1402 the conquest of Fuerteventura began, commanded by two French knights and crusaders. Over the years, the island suffered many pirate raids, and in 1593 the Berbers invaded, so castles were built along the coastline for protection in response. In 1708, a garrison was instituted on the island, and its colonel assumed the title of Governor at Arms, a hereditary, lifelong appointment which then remained in the Sánchez-Dumpiérrez family. Finally, in 1912, the Canary Islands obtained self-governance, and in 1927, Fuerteventura became part of the province of Gran Canaria. By the 1940s the island had an airport and mass tourism began to arrive in the mid-1960s, today around 74,000 people live on the island.

Things to do in Morro Jable

There are lots of water sports available in Morro Jable, from windsurfing, sailing, jet-skiing, kayaking, fishing, catamaran sailing, deep-sea fishing. There is also stand up paddle, jet ski and pleasure craft hire. Diving is a popular activity, and the sea around Morro Jable is ideal for both first-timers and experienced divers. Morro Jable has a beautiful seabed, that is rich in flora and fauna. For those who like shopping, the weekly Morro Jable market happens every Thursday, located near Cosmo shopping mall, on Avenida del Saladar, there is a vast range of things to buy including jewellery, clothes, liquors and sweets and most of the stalls belong to Moroccans and Africans, and there are some really unusual souvenirs to be found! For nature lovers, why not drop into the little Turtle nursery, Children and adults are welcome to visit some of the recently rescued turtles that are recovering in tanks before they are released back into the wild. The Morro Jable Lighthouse is also worth a visit, it is situated at the edge of the beach in Morro Jable and was completed in 1991 as the tallest lighthouse in the Canaries, standing at 59 m high.

Beaches around Morro Jable

The beaches in Morro Jable are perfect, long sandy beaches, which can become quite crowded with sunbeds and umbrellas in peak season. Morro Jable beach is very long and has beautiful white sand; it is considered one of the best beaches in the world. You can also find a variety of water sports activities on Morro Jable beach. There is also Playa del Matorral which is a broad sandy stretch featuring sun loungers, the lighthouse, showers and even a naturist section!