Commune with nature on desolate Isla de Lobos

This uninhabited island just off the coast of Fuerteventura is a great place to reconnect with nature.

Isla De Lobos is only a 15-minute boat ride from the busy Corralejo Harbour on Fuerteventura but it is a world away once you arrive.

Named after the large colony of Mediterranean monk seals that once inhabited the island, Isla de Lobos is barren, windswept and empty.

Don’t let the bleak volcanic landscape of Isla de Lobos fool you. The island is one of the most interesting – and ecologically diverse – in the Canary Islands.

Isla de Lobos boasts a wide variety of natural habitats and over 130 species of plants.

BirdLife International have designated it as an Important Bird Area.

The waters surrounding it are teeming with an incredible array of fish, including barracuda and bream.

The island has been a nature reserve since 1982 and access is strictly regulated.

Visitors need to apply for a permit three days in advance and, even then, the permit only allows access for four hours.

Happily, that is plenty of time to explore the island’s entire network of walking tracks and take a dip in the crystal-clear waters off its isolated beaches.

The trails are clearly marked and wind through a landscape of salt marshes and hornitos –small volcanic mounds.

Highlights include the Montaña La Caldera and the 19th-century Martiño lighthouse.

Make sure you allow time to take a dip in the crystal-clear waters of Playa de Concha.

Its crescent of golden sand, sheltered by rocks on both sides, is regarded as one of the most beautiful beaches in the Canary Islands.

Reconnect. Recharge. Remember.