A complementary micro‑destination in Fuerteventura: Tuineje’s message at FITUR
Tuineje was present at FITUR 2026, delivering the final presentation of the Lanzarote municipalities on Friday. The town proposed a strategy that positions it as a micro‑destination complementing Fuerteventura’s overall tourism offer, built around events, sport, gastronomy and cultural heritage.
The mayor, Candelaria Umpierrez, and tourism councilor Dulce García emphasized that “Tuineje is also tourism” and that the municipality provides “that complement for the island.” Umpierrez highlighted the San Miguel festivals, declared of National Tourist Interest, alongside a year‑round calendar of sporting and cultural events.
García stressed the strength of a continuous activity calendar that starts with the Carnival of Tuineje and Gran Tarajal and continues throughout the year with initiatives such as the night run, the swimming crossing, the Sound Festival, the International Open for Deep‑Sea Fishing, and the Black‑Sand Festival.
“In Tuineje you experience a true marathon of events all year long,” she noted.
During FITUR’s professional day, the town also launched a promotional campaign aimed at fair visitors and social‑media users, offering travel and stay giveaways accessible via QR codes or by tagging Turismo Tuineje with references to its main events. According to García, the goal is “to get people to come, live the municipality and return.”
Tourism Quality Without Expanding Bed Capacity
Regarding accommodation, Mayor Umpierrez clarified that the council does not plan to increase the number of tourist beds beyond those already permitted by the current subsidiary regulations. The hotel licence slated for Gran Tarajal is still undergoing administrative processing and corresponds to beds already accounted for in the existing plan.
“When the new General Plan arrives, the debate will open, but for now we work only with what has been approved,” she explained.
The municipality is still drafting its new General Urban Planning Plan, a process that has been delayed by technical disagreements arising after the drafting of the specifications in November 2023. In the meantime, the subsidiary regulations “continue to order and command,” allowing the processing of already‑planned licences. Future planning will need to address housing issues, including self‑construction and social housing.
Accommodation Offer, Gran Tarajal Port and Sand Erosion at Tarajalejo
In an interview with Pía Peñagarikano, director of La Voz de Fuerteventura and collaborator of Fuerteventura Digital, Umpierrez also discussed the Gran Tarajal dock. She called on Puertos Canarios to promote the infrastructure more aggressively, noting that while it is not suited for large cruise ships, it can accommodate small vessels and large sailing boats. She recalled that in previous visits the port was “one of the best‑rated,” capable of generating direct economic activity through its services, commerce, restaurants and accessible beach.
The mayor also addressed beach erosion and climate‑change impacts, especially at Tarajalejo. The council has requested funding from the Canary Islands Government for a specific study on sand dynamics. Umpierrez explained that the aim is to determine the cause of sediment loss—locals link it to altered currents after the construction of the pier—and to devise solutions to protect the beach, promenade and nearby housing.
Concluding her FITUR intervention, Umpierrez summed up the municipality’s message:
“Tuineje is culture, events and hospitality; an essential complement within Fuerteventura.”
García added that “here the visitor feels at home thousands of kilometres from their own,” defending a tourism model tied to local identity and the redistribution of wealth across all the island’s municipalities.