El Cotillo Viewpoint & Sunset Lagoons
Twenty kilometres southwest of Corralejo, the whitewashed fishing village of El Cotillo guards a string of shallow turquoise lagoons protected by a natural lava reef — and the sunset viewed from the clifftop above the Torre del Tostón castle is one of Fuerteventura's most celebrated spectacles. Locals drive out specifically for it.
The Lagoon Beaches
The lagoons north of El Cotillo village — locally called Las Lagunas de El Cotillo — are enclosed by a long lava reef that tames the Atlantic swell into a series of calm, knee-deep pools of impossibly clear water. The colour shifts from jade green to Caribbean blue depending on the light.
These beaches are ideal for young children and for stand-up paddleboarding. The sand is fine and pale, and because the area is slightly off the main tourist trail, they rarely feel overcrowded even in peak season.
Torre del Tostón and the Village
The 18th-century Torre del Tostón watchtower stands on a promontory above the village and is open for visits most mornings. Climb to its roof for an unobstructed view of the reef, the lagoons and the open Atlantic — a genuinely spectacular photograph at any time of day.
El Cotillo village itself has a handful of excellent fish restaurants around its small working harbour. Restaurante La Marisma and El Goloso are both well regarded locally for fresh grilled fish caught the same morning.
Catching the Sunset
Arrive at the clifftop car park north of the lagoons about 45 minutes before sunset. The light turns the lava reef copper-red and the water glows amber — photographers set up tripods here most evenings between October and March when the sun sets directly over the Atlantic horizon.
After sunset, walk back into the village for dinner. The pace is genuinely slow and local; El Cotillo has resisted large-scale resort development and still feels like a real Canarian fishing community.
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