Playa de Esquinzo, Fuerteventura
The verdict
- Best for: Families and couples who want a long, calm, uncrowded resort beach with shallow water and space to spread out, away from the busier Jandia strip.
- Best spot: Drop down any of the cliff ramps and walk a few minutes north toward Esquinzo for the emptiest, most spacious golden sand.
- Know this: Most of the eating sits up in the cliff top resorts behind the sand, so for a proper fish lunch drive the short way to Morro Jable.
Published 20 April 2026. Last reviewed 6 June 2026
Playa de Esquinzo and Butihondo is the calm, spacious end of the Jandia coast, and its quiet is the reason to choose it. The two names belong to one long beach, around three kilometres of soft golden sand running below a line of hotels set back on the cliff. Because the resorts sit up on the headland rather than down on the sand, the beach itself stays open and uncluttered, and the water shelves so gently that children can wade a long way out on a settled morning. Drop down any of the ramps, walk a few minutes from the steps, and you can usually find a near empty stretch even in high summer.
The honest read is to come for the space and the calm rather than for a scene. There is no pretty old village at Esquinzo and not much to do beyond the beach itself, so the eating and the life are up in the resorts behind. This is a virtue if you want an easy, low key family day and a frustration if you arrived hoping for harbour terraces and atmosphere. It is also an open Atlantic beach, so while it is one of the more sheltered stretches in the south, the wind still builds in the afternoon and a small shore break is normal. Swim in the morning, bring shade, and you will have the gentlest version of it.
For a wanderer who treats lunch as half the day, the move is simple. Take the morning slowly on the sand, then drive the short distance south to Morro Jable, where the old fishing harbour quarter serves fresh catch by the water and the streets carry far more life than the resort strip. Pair the calm wide sand of Esquinzo in the morning with grilled fish and the local Majorero goat cheese by the harbour in the afternoon, and the quiet of the beach becomes a feature rather than a flaw.
Beach bars and clubs here
Esquinzo is beach bars and resort terraces rather than a formal daybed scene. Compare the island's venues in our Fuerteventura beach clubs directory.
Beach bars on the sand
A handful of relaxed beach bars sit near the access ramps, the natural place to break from the beach for a cold drink, a plate of fish and some shade between dips. They suit an easy day rather than a styled club outing, and specific operators, hours and any minimum spend are to be confirmed, so ask when you enquire.
Cliff top resort terraces
The hotels set back above the beach hold most of the dining, from casual terraces to poolside bars with a view down the coast, the easiest option if you are staying nearby. These are resort venues rather than beach clubs, and access, hours and prices are to be confirmed, so check before you set out.
Esquinzo and Butihondo lie on the south coast of Fuerteventura on the Jandia peninsula, around an hour and ten minutes by car from the airport at Puerto del Rosario down the fast main road. Access to the sand is by ramps and steps from the cliff top resorts, with parking on the headland above. A car makes the day easiest, both for reaching the beach and for the short hop to Morro Jable and the wider Jandia beaches further south.
Bring water, sun cover and a windproof layer, because the south coast breeze builds through the afternoon and shade on the open sand is thin beyond the hired parasols. Swim in the calmer morning hours, walk a little way from the access ramps for the quietest sand, and watch the flags and the shore break before going in. Keep children close on the open beach and save the heat of the day for a long lunch by the harbour at Morro Jable.
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Common questions
Is Esquinzo beach good for swimming?
Yes, it is one of the calmer family beaches on the Jandia coast. The water shelves gently and stays shallow a long way out, which suits paddling children and easy swimming on a settled day. It is an open Atlantic beach so an afternoon breeze and a little shore break are normal, and lifeguard cover varies, so read the flags, swim in the morning when it is calmest and treat conditions as typical rather than guaranteed.
What is the difference between Esquinzo and Butihondo?
They are two ends of the same long beach on the south of the Jandia peninsula, often written together as Esquinzo and Butihondo. The sand runs unbroken for around three kilometres below a line of cliff top hotels, so the names mark access points rather than separate beaches. Wherever you drop down, walk a few minutes from the steps and the crowd thins out quickly.
Is Esquinzo beach quiet or busy?
It is one of the quieter resort beaches in the south, even in summer. The hotels sit up on the cliff rather than on the sand, so the beach itself stays open and uncrowded, and a short walk from the access ramps usually buys you a near empty stretch. It is a calmer, more spacious choice than the busier heart of Jandia and Morro Jable a little further south.
Where do you eat near Esquinzo beach?
A scatter of beach bars sits along the sand for a cold drink and a simple plate of fish, while the cliff top resorts behind hold most of the restaurants, from casual terraces to hotel dining. For a proper fish lunch it is worth driving the short distance to Morro Jable, where the old harbour quarter serves fresh catch by the water. Specific venues, hours and prices are to be confirmed and change with the season.
How do you get to Esquinzo and Butihondo beach?
The beach lies on the south coast of Fuerteventura, around an hour and ten minutes by car from the airport at Puerto del Rosario down the fast Jandia road. Access is by ramps and steps down from the cliff top resorts, with parking near the hotels above the sand. A car makes the day easiest, both for reaching the beach and for the short hop to Morro Jable for lunch.
