<\/span><\/h2>\nIt\u2019s not just athletes who love the wind on Fuerteventura \u2013 the island\u2019s modern power supply relies on it too.<\/p>\n
The energy transition on Fuerteventura is just around the corner. The Canary Islands government is currently drawing up a plan for the energy transition<\/strong> that sets out the areas where new installations are to be built. With the plans already on the table, Fuerteventura is relying above all on wind farms, both on land and at sea.<\/p>\nYou often see wind turbines<\/strong> on Fuerteventura. The reliable winds ensure a high yield. More than 70 wind farms are in operation across the Canary Islands, and 70% of the electricity needed for water treatment comes from wind energy.<\/p>\nBy 2030, the regional government plans to install 192 megawatts of onshore wind power and 50 megawatts offshore on the island. Thermal generation at the power plant in the capital\u2019s El Charco district is to be reduced to 98 megawatts \u2013 less than photovoltaics, where up to 110 megawatts are to be installed.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.6″ z_index_tablet=”500″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
<\/span>Ruins on Fuerteventura<\/span><\/h2>\nBut what came before the sporting and modern use of the wind in the Canary Islands<\/strong>?<\/p>\nPeople made use of the wind on Fuerteventura much earlier \u2013 not for fun, but out of sheer necessity. Driving across Fuerteventura, you\u2019ll regularly come across structures like these:<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Wind-Fuerteventura-Ruine.jpg” alt=”Wind Fuerteventura ruin” title_text=”Wind Fuerteventura ruin” _builder_version=”4.17.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
These piles of stones were once a useful tool: windmills. Some have been restored, others are no longer recognisable \u2013 but they\u2019re scattered all over the island.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.17.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.17.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.2″ z_index_tablet=”500″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
<\/span>Windmills on Fuerteventura \u2013 the high-tech of the past<\/span><\/h2>\nWindmills<\/strong> were introduced on Fuerteventura between the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century, at a time when the cultivation of tomatoes, alfalfa, wheat and barley was flourishing. Their spread was favoured by the trade winds, their source of energy. That\u2019s why they were built in wind-exposed spots, especially in the north and centre of the island, where they are part of the rural landscape.<\/p>\nTheir arrival meant that other, more traditional methods of grinding grain, such as the tahona or the hand mill found in almost every house, gradually fell out of use \u2013 although they didn\u2019t disappear completely, but continued to be used in the household and during windless periods.<\/p>\n
Windmills used for grinding cereal grains<\/strong>, sometimes roasted, to make gofio or unroasted flour, offered enormous advantages for this task. Gofio is a product made by grinding roasted grain, with or without added sea salt.<\/span><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Wind-Fuerteventura-Windrad-El-Reque.jpg” alt=”Wind Fuerteventura windmill El Roque” title_text=”Wind Fuerteventura windmill El Roque” _builder_version=”4.17.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.17.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.17.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.2″ z_index_tablet=”500″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
<\/span>The wind on Fuerteventura moves the stones inside the windmill<\/span><\/h2>\nThe traditional windmill, known on the island as the \u201cmale windmill\u201d<\/strong> (molino), was the first on Fuerteventura and is a copy of the windmills of Castile. They are circular, have two or three levels and four or six sails. Their walls are made of stone and joints, sometimes with clay and sometimes with lime mortar. The grinding mechanism consists of two millstones, the hopper and the chute, and is located at the foot of the tower.<\/p>\nOn the third floor, under a conical wooden roof, are the gear wheel with its shaft, the spindle and the sails, usually four or six, attached to a slightly inclined horizontal axis.<\/p>\n
Sails<\/strong> covered with linen cloth drove this mechanism inside. Here, too, the constant wind on Fuerteventura is a big advantage.<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Windmuehle_getriebe.webp” alt=”wind on fuerteventura – historic windmill on fuerteventura” title_text=”wind on fuerteventura – historic windmill on fuerteventura” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.17.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.17.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
<\/span>Wind use in the future<\/span><\/h2>\nIn short, the wind on Fuerteventura has always served people well \u2013 even if imported goods mean there\u2019s no longer any need to use these techniques. Today the wind is a big part of our sporting fun<\/strong> and in this way contributes to the island\u2019s prosperity.<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the future of wind power generation isn\u2019t looking great. Although the government supports renewable energies, the recent deaths of two guirres (a highly endangered vulture species) led to some wind turbines being shut down. Storing renewable energy is also still a general problem that needs to be solved. As a result, most of Fuerteventura\u2019s energy demand<\/strong> is still covered by imported diesel. But that\u2019s going a bit too far now ????<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Wind-Fuerteventura-Sunset-W.webp” alt=”wind on fuerteventura – sunset and wind farm” title_text=”wind on fuerteventura – sunset and wind farm” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
We hope we\u2019ve been able to bring the island\u2019s history a little closer to you and explain some of the things you\u2019ll experience on the island. So if you need a break from our surf camp, there are plenty of places to discover this history, e.g. the cheese museum in Antigua<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re planning a road trip across Fuerteventura, we also have a whole list of sights<\/strong> you should check out!<\/p>\nBest to use our surf camp as a base for all these adventures \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Wind on Fuerteventura: a source of sport today, a source of food in the past Wind is our constant companion on Fuerteventura.A common half-truth leads many visitors to believe that Fuerteventura means \u201cstrong wind\u201d in Spanish. \u201cFuerte\u201d does indeed mean strong, but \u201caventura\u201d translates as adventure \u2013 so Fuerteventura can be translated as \u201cgreat adventure\u201d. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":333439,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[31973],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-349106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-surfing-worldwide-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/349106","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=349106"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/349106\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":349113,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/349106\/revisions\/349113"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/333439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=349106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=349106"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=349106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}