In the last episode, we stopped at the southern tip of Fuerteventura to wait for a good weather window. Luckily, it didn’t let us down. We sailed the whole way across to Gran Canaria under perfect conditions — steady wind, gentle rolling swell, and Santana carrying us beautifully over the water.
I’ve heard people rave about the sailing in the Canaries, and this must be what they meant. We left early in the morning to make sure we’d arrive before dark, set the sails, and spent an uneventful but satisfying day on the ocean. By late afternoon, we dropped anchor with plenty of daylight left to choose a good spot in the anchorage right in front of the main marina.
It’s not the prettiest place for swimming, but it’s super secure. You pay a euro or two per day, and you’ve got access to all the marina’s amenities just a dinghy ride away. For anyone willing to stay in marinas, the Canary Islands can be a fantastic cruising ground with reliable wind for sailing and just enough infrastructure to make life easier when you need it.
Of course, anchoring around Lanzarote and Fuerteventura works better in the summer months. While we were there in winter, we saw southwesterly winds almost once a week, which made many of the southern anchorages unsafe or at least uncomfortable. In summer, the trades blow steadily from the northeast, often funnelling between islands at 30–40 knots — strong, but consistent, and without the messy southern swell. That makes staying at anchor much more pleasant.