La Lajita

Overview

La Lajita is a small fishing village located on the east coast of the Pajara municipal in Fuerteventura. During the day, La Lajita is a peaceful abode, with the residents busying themselves with fishing and daily chores. However, at night the town comes alive, as the locals gather for a drink after a hard day’s work.

The La Lajita beach is made up of fine volcanic black sands, with pebbles further back. It is dotted with colourful fishing boats and the water here is clear. Next to the sea is a small white church, which fits perfectly into the panorama of the blue ocean.

Although not especially big, La Lajita attracts tourists from all over the island to its Oasis Park: one of Europe’s biggest zoos and botanical gardens, where you can even ride with the camels.

History

La Lajita continues to be a fishing village today and became so around the 17^th century, with the installation of port ‘La Pared’. La Lajita is constantly growing, attracting a vast number of immigrants, and so the Government expanded the municipality. Whilst primarily a fishing village,  La Lajita today has also incorporated tourism into the area.

Culture

With 1700 inhabitants, La Lajita is a fairly small town. On entering the area, you will come across a number of modern, multi coloured houses, which juxtapose beautifully against the older buildings. From this, you can see straight away, that this town has a contemporary yet characteristic edge to it.

The church of La Lajita is small, white, and modern. It sits on the beach front and looks very quaint and pretty against the backdrop of the blue ocean. Locals come here to pray and honour the Virgin Mary.

Economy

As La Lajita is a fishing village, the majority of its inhabitants make their living through fishing and associated trades. The Oasis Park also brings in many jobs to the town of La Lajita. In turn, tourism increases helping the local businesses to grow.

How to get there

By Bus:
From Puerto del Rosario, the capital of Fuerteventura, you can take the Tiadhe bus number 10. This runs four times daily, from Monday to Sunday until 18:00. There are also the Tiadhe bus number 25 which goes from Morro Jable to La Lajita every hour from 06:00 until 00:15. From Tuineje, you can catch Tiadhe bus number 11 but bear in mind there’s only one departure a day at 08:00.

By Car:
If you are driving, La Lajita is located off of the FV-2 motorway on the east coast.

Activities

With a Camel Farm, and a variety of animals to see at the Oasis Park, La Lajita is a haven for animal lovers.

Oasis Park Fuerteventura

It is fair to say that the Oasis Park Fuerteventura is the top attraction in La Lajita. It is one of the largest zoos in Europe with a surface of 780,000 m². It also has a magnificent botanical garden (160,000 m²), which offers a camel safari adventure.

When you arrive at Oasis Park Fuerteventura you are taken in by the array of palm trees and cacti. Over 6,800 species of floras from around the world were brought to the park to recreate a natural tropical habitat for the animals. Whether you enjoy seeing exotic birds and reptiles from various continents, or if crocodiles and chimpanzees are more your thing, the Oasis Park is sure to please everyone. Giraffes, kangaroos and giant American turtles are just a few of the species kept at the zoo.

There are also a number of shows to see at the Oasis Park Fuerteventura including the reptile show, sea lion show and the parrot show. Admission is included in the ticket price, and a few lucky audience members might even get to take part in the show.

The Camel Farm

The Camel farm, which looks after over 450 camels, has been open to the public since 2003. Here, you will have the opportunity to see camels nursing their young and interacting with each other. The farm offers the camels a home to protect them from becoming extinct.

Camel Safari

On the camel Safari, you can ride a camel up to the hill for a spectacular view over La Lajita and the ocean, before returning to the park.

Lucha Canaria (Canarian Wrestling)

Lucha Canaria (Canarian Wrestling) is one of the most popular Canarian sports. Wrestlers from the region come and train here every day. Competitions are held quite often and the locals love coming to cheer for their favourite wrestlers. In May, during a special celebration in honour of the Virgin Mary, the arena is lit up and decorated with flowers.

Beaches

The beach of La Lajita is ideal for a quick swim and a stroll while you explore this small fishing village.

Playa La Lajita beach

The beach is accessible via the plaza of La Lajita, past the church. Popular amongst the locals and tourists, the water is almost transparent and the black sand is fine and soft beneath your feet (though further back it is rougher on the feet with pebbles and small stones). The colourful fishing boats dotted along the shore also add to the charm of this fishing village. There are a few cafes at the beach front offering snacks and drinks.

Festivals

There is one main fiesta that takes place in La Lajita on an annual basis.

Festival in Honour of the Virgin Mary

Around the 2nd or 3rd week of April (dates vary each year), the Festival in Honour of the Virgin of Immaculate Conception (Virgin Mary) is held over a period of 7 days. The entire village is involved in the celebration with the roads being decorated with flowers. Every day there is a different activity going on during this peroid. Plays, traditional games, barbecues, and ring fights are just a few of the activities that the locals take part in.

Restaurants

Down every little lane and street you will find various restaurants offering fresh fish and typical Canarian cuisine.

Nightlife

The nightlife in La Lajita is minimal with local bars and salsa taverns. Here, you will be able to snack on some Canarian tapas and reasonably priced beers.

The nearby town of Morro Jable (30 km), provides a more lively nightlife, with a wide choice of bars and clubs. The town is accessible from La Lajita via the Tiadhe bus number 25 or 10. Bear in mind that there’s a big gap between 00:15 and 06:00 for buses returning to La Lajita.

Olympia Bar

Here, you can grab a yummy cocktail by the beachfront.

Address: Avenida Saladar, Morro Jable Centro Comercial, Playa Paradiso, 35625 Morro Jable,Fuerteventura island.
Telephone: +34 928 166 012
Opening hours: 10:00-01:00