Next-door neighbours on Playa Barca, at Sotavento. ZEL Fuerteventura, from about €210, if you want adults only from 16, a heated infinity pool facing the Atlantic, a 24-hour gym and HIIT, Pound and barre classes; Paradisus by Meliá Fuerteventura, from about €340 all-inclusive, if you would rather bring children to the slides and the kids' club, with a tidal lagoon below the gardens around each full and new moon.
The active oneThe adults-only ZEL hotel, the brand Meliá created with Rafa Nadal, on Sotavento's lagoon beach, a four-minute walk from the René Egli kite and windsurf school.
€€From about €210 a night
Choose ZEL Fuerteventura if
The catch
Sotavento is a strong-wind spot all year: perfect for kiting, but some days are too blustery for lying on the sand or an easy swim
The family oneAn all-inclusive beach resort above the spot where Sotavento's tidal lagoon fills at spring tides, with slides and a kids' club for the children and an adults-only Reserve.
€€€From about €340 a night
Choose Paradisus by Meliá Fuerteventura if
The catch
The lagoon fills only around the full and new moon, for a few hours around the daytime high tide, on about half the days of the year; it is also the windsurf school's teaching water
| Best for | ZEL Fuerteventura | Paradisus by Meliá Fuerteventura |
|---|---|---|
| Best beach hotels in Fuerteventura | On the list | On the list |
| Best family hotels in Fuerteventura | Not on the list | On the list |
| Best adults-only hotels in Fuerteventura | On the list | Not on the list |
| Best hotels with a view in Fuerteventura | Not on the list | On the list |
ZEL FuerteventuraParadisus by Meliá Fuerteventura
ZEL Fuerteventura
Paradisus by Meliá Fuerteventura
The verdict
Next-door neighbours on Playa Barca, at Sotavento. ZEL Fuerteventura, from about €210, if you want adults only from 16, a heated infinity pool facing the Atlantic, a 24-hour gym and HIIT, Pound and barre classes; Paradisus by Meliá Fuerteventura, from about €340 all-inclusive, if you would rather bring children to the slides and the kids' club, with a tidal lagoon below the gardens around each full and new moon.
Hand-picked: only the best, one version of each, researched so you don’t have to.
The foodFrom €854.9(490)
The animal parkFrom €41.504.6(3,900)
Dolphins, from the southFrom €504.6(4,300)
The buggyFrom €604.6(1,600)
Questions people ask
Next-door neighbours on Playa Barca, at Sotavento. ZEL Fuerteventura, from about €210, if you want adults only from 16, a heated infinity pool facing the Atlantic, a 24-hour gym and HIIT, Pound and barre classes; Paradisus by Meliá Fuerteventura, from about €340 all-inclusive, if you would rather bring children to the slides and the kids' club, with a tidal lagoon below the gardens around each full and new moon.
The hotel to book when the wind is the reason for the trip: the school next door, the World Cup beach in front and a sea-view terrace to come back to. Check availability for a Zel Ocean View. A mid-sized, adults-only hotel built around the beach and the wind: the kite and windsurf school is next door and the classes, pool and music keep the days busy. Remote and self-contained, at a sensible price.
It has an outdoor pool. A public beach is within walking distance.
A five-star base for a family beach week, with slides by the pool and, at spring tides, the lagoon on the doorstep. Check availability for the Suite, and time the dates to René Egli's lagoon calendar. A big, self-contained family resort where the beach, the pools and, at spring tides, the tidal lagoon are the holiday, and all-inclusive keeps you on site. Far from the towns, priced above the island's usual all-inclusives.
It has an outdoor pool. A public beach is within walking distance.