Cofete: the beach that makes you read your hire contract
Cofete sits on the Jandía peninsula at the southern tip of Fuerteventura, and it is one of the most striking beaches in the archipelago: kilometres of sand open to the Atlantic with the massif behind. Getting there has one requirement, and it is not distance: it is the track.
What stands between you and the beach
A mountain dirt track: narrow, with tight bends, no crash barriers along much of it and an uneven surface. You cross the massif over a pass and descend the other side. There is no surfaced alternative.
You drive it slowly. Very slowly. Satnav times do not account for that.
The hire car problem, which is real
Many hire contracts expressly exclude driving on unsurfaced tracks. If there is damage — underside, tyre, suspension — the insurance may not cover it, and punctures are not rare on a track like this. This is not a generic warning: it is the specific clause to read before deciding how to go.
The honest options
- An organised trip in a suitable vehicle. It solves the contract, the knowledge of the track and the parking. The sensible route if you do not want to take the risk.
- Your own vehicle, or a hire that permits it in writing. Some companies do allow it; confirm it rather than assume it.
- Not going. A legitimate option: if your contract forbids it and you do not want to pay for a breakdown, the island has plenty of accessible beaches.
What is there when you arrive, and what is not
An enormous beach and very little else. Practically no facilities, no shade and no lifeguard.
And this is the important part: Cofete is not a swimming beach. It is open to the Atlantic, with strong currents and undertow. Swimming there is dangerous, and the lack of supervision makes it worse. You go to look, to walk and to take photographs.
When it looks best
Under a clear sky, so the whole massif shows behind the sand. With low cloud — which happens here — the beach loses its backdrop and with it exactly what makes it different.
Frequently asked questions
›Can I drive to Cofete in an ordinary hire car?
It depends on the contract, and you must read it: many companies exclude driving on unsurfaced tracks, and the only access is a mountain track. If there is damage to the underside, tyres or suspension, the insurance may not cover it.
›Can you swim at Cofete?
It is not advisable. It is open to the Atlantic, with strong currents and undertow, and there is no lifeguard service. It is a beach for looking, walking and photographing, not for swimming.
›How long does the track take?
Far longer than a satnav estimates. It is a narrow mountain dirt track with tight bends and an uneven surface, and it is driven slowly. Give it a whole morning rather than squeezing it between two other plans.