What you can see on the La Pared webcam
The camera looks out from a surf school towards the coast, over a shallow valley of sand and scrub to the sea. On the right a flat-topped headland of pale rock runs out into the water; the waves break in the gap in front of it and along the beach. It streams live, so you can count the sets, see whether the surface is smooth or wind-blown and spot surfers in the water. A 24-hour time-lapse of the same view sits alongside, handy for seeing how the tide and the wind have changed.
The surf at La Pared
This camera looks out from a surf school at La Pared towards the west coast of Fuerteventura. In front, a shallow valley of sand and green scrub runs down to the sea; on the right, a flat-topped headland of pale rock juts out into the water, and the waves break in the bay in front of it.
It streams live, so surfers can count the sets, see whether the wind has put a chop on the water and check whether anyone is already out. The camera faces the setting sun, so the evening light is often dramatic, and when showers cross the island a rainbow over the sea is not unusual.
The wall that split an island
La Pared means "the wall". Before the Castilian conquest in the 15th century, Fuerteventura was divided into two kingdoms, Maxorata in the north and Jandía in the south, and a stone wall is said to have run across this isthmus between them. Today the isthmus is a windswept strip of sand and scrub only a few miles wide, with the west-coast surf on one side and the calm lagoons of Costa Calma on the other.
When to watch La Pared
Fuerteventura keeps the same time as the UK and Ireland. Winter brings the biggest swells from the North Atlantic, best left to experienced surfers; spring and summer usually bring smaller, gentler waves for learners, but also the north-east trade wind, which tends to strengthen through the day. Early morning is often the cleanest time to surf, and the west-facing coast makes the evening light and the sunset worth a look.
Around La Pared
The surf beaches of Playa de La Pared and Playa del Viejo Rey are a short walk from the village. Costa Calma and the Sotavento lagoons are a few miles away on the east coast, and the mountain village of Pájara lies inland to the north.
Visiting La Pared
Fuerteventura airport is about 27 miles (44 km) away as the crow flies. The currents off these beaches are strong and the rocks are sharp: swim only in small seas and near other people, and if you are new to surfing, go out with a school.
