Hiking with goats in Fuerteventura

Fuerteventura is the second largest of the Canary Islands and is well known for its barren landscapes formed from volcanic activity thousands of years ago, the almost ever-present wind, and its stunning beaches.

Fuerteventura also has a lot of goats – more than thirty different types in fact which, allegedly, outnumber the human population of the island.

Many of these goats are free roaming so, if you’re walking or hiking anywhere on the island, you’re likely to encounter at least one or two.

However, if you want to guarantee a fun outing with the local goats then you can book a guided trekking experience where you’ll go hiking in the rugged volcanic landscape accompanied by friendly tame island goats.

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We booked with Fuerte Authentic Tours who have the only goats on Fuerteventura that have been trained to go out on these walks.

Getting to the start of the hiking with goats experience

If you’re staying in the south of Fuerteventura (Jandia, Costa Calma or Tarajalejo), you’ll be picked up from your hotel (the time will be advised when you book).

If you’re staying anywhere else on the island you’ll have to make your own way to the meeting point in Tuineje.

Public transport in this part of Fuerteventura is pretty limited so you’ll need a hire car. We booked a Citroen C3 with Discover Cars to explore the island.

We were staying in Caleta de Fuste which was an easy 30-minute drive away. The roads in Fuerteventura are really well maintained and, away from the main towns, are pretty empty.

We arrived early at our meeting point with one other walker before Kristina arrived in her minibus with the rest of the group who she’d collected from their hotels. In total there were seven of us, all German apart from me and Mark.

Meeting the goats

We jumped in the minibus and Kristina took us to her home where she keeps her goats. As we were matched with our four-legged walking companions we were encouraged to fill our pockets with corn for the journey ahead. Apparently corn works as a good bribe for keeping wayward goats on the right path!

Kristina lives in the foothills of the El Cardon mountain range and explained to us how she came to not only be living in Fuerteventura from her native Germany, but also how she started this unique experience.

The goats were super friendly and playful and raring to go but first, they had to be put on their leashes as there was some road walking involved in the early stages of the trek. Only once we were off the road would they be let off the leash – safety first at all times!

Let’s hike with goats!

Everyone was excited to get on their way so, with the goats leading the way, we were off, accompanied by Rufo, one of Kristina’s dogs too.

The path took us along gravel paths and dry riverbeds and, once the goats were unleashed, they trotted off ahead with the rest of us following in their footsteps.

Along the way we made several stops, the first at a cactus plant where Kristina showed us how to eat one of the fruits by cutting through the flesh using one of the plant’s needles.

Our pace was generally dictated by the goats. When they spotted a tasty looking tree they would stop to munch on its leaves and at several points we had to put them back on their leashes – not just when there were roads to cross but also when we had to keep them away from the temptation of the olive trees in the gardens of some of the properties on the hillside.

It was apparent from early on that the goats all have their own unique personalities. Pintas, named because of the white ‘paint spots’ on his body, liked to be the leader of the pack and, when he was on his leash, frequently pulled Mark to the head of the group. I had been paired with the independent one who didn’t need to be put on the lead at any time. Meanwhile, Señorita Mahh was definitely the feisty goat, and whenever I found myself walking near her, she would try to head butt me or take a playful bite out of my leg. My favourite though was Turbo, the cute little black goat.

El Cardon

We were trekking in the foothills of Montaña Cardon – a beautiful, but barren, lunar landscape occasionally broken up by manmade stone walls.

On one of these walls there were several goat skulls bleached a brilliant white by the sun. Kristina explained that, when goats die, it’s customary for the goat herders to place them out in the open where they’ll no doubt be quickly eaten by any birds of prey in the area, rather than bury them. .

Lunch time!

After around 90 minutes of walking we reached a rest area where we stopped for a picnic lunch made up of typical Fuerteventuran delicacies – aniseed bread (pan de matalauva), majorero cheese, olives, Canarian tomatoes, and some good red wine.

If you want to know more about the typical Fuerteventuran cuisine, Fuerte Authentic Tours also run a tapas and local life tour. On this tour you’ll get to visit an olive farm to learn about how olive oil is produced, visit a farm where goats cheese is made and enjoy a cooking demonstration of how to make green mojo sauce and alioli.  

The rest area lies on the path of the GR131, the long-distance hiking trail that covers all seven of the Canary Islands, with 100 miles (160 kms) of the trail being in Fuerteventura. Here the route runs from Lobos Island off the northernmost point of Fuerteventura to Punta de Jandia in the south (or vice versa).

The rest area is also used every year by local goat herders who round up their animals and bring them down from the mountains where they’ve spent months roaming freely.

As we enjoyed our picnic, the goats were happy to wander around and search out food of their own. They will eat literally anything and everything – on more than one occasion during the day we had to stop one or more of them from chomping on discarded plastic or cardboard.

Homeward bound

After lunch we had the option of retracing our steps or taking an alternative path to make a circular route to our walk. We opted for the different path and set off downhill. As it’s very stony underfoot, it’s really important to watch your feet. The goats might be very sure footed but as a group we certainly weren’t and two people took a tumble on the way down although, thankfully, nothing serious.

Once we were back at Kristina’s, we said goodbye to our hiking buddies and Kristina put them back into their pen – some more eager than others to go in!

Just before we left Kristina brought the newest addition to the goat family to show us – a two-week old baby goat who, one day soon, will be taking visitors to Fuerteventura on their very own walk with goats.

Frequently Asked Questions about hiking with goats

How much does it cost to walk with goats with Fuerte Authentic Tours?

The cost of the walk is €65 per adult and €55 per child (under 8s are not permitted). Prices are correct as at January 2024.

How far is the hike?

The hike is roughly 5 miles (8 kms) in total.

How long does it take?

Our experience lasted 3.5 hours which included various short stops along the way, as well as a longer stop for lunch.

How difficult is the hike?

It’s not a difficult walk but the ground is very uneven so it wouldn’t be suitable for anyone with mobility issues.

How many people are in each group?

Group sizes are small – there were seven of us on the day we walked.

What should you take with you?

There are a few essentials for your hiking with goats experience.

Footwear. The landscape of Fuerteventura is rocky so closed toed shoes are essential. Save your flip flops and sandals for the beach as you’ll definitely need trainers or hiking shoes for this walk.

Water. Although it’s not an arduous hike do make sure you bring a bottle of water with you (I love my Chilly’s bottle) or, if you have one, a backpack with a water bladder insert is a good option.

Sunscreen. Even during the winter months, Fuerteventura has average temperatures of 20°c to 24°c so a sunscreen with a high SPF is essential. The fact that the island is so windy often fools people into thinking they don’t need to reapply their sunscreen, so sunburn is a real issue.

Warm clothing. Thanks to the wind in Fuerteventura it can get chilly so it’s worth packing a hoodie or light jacket.

Phone and/or camera. The goats are adorable so, trust me, you’ll be taking lots of photos and videos of them.

Hat and sunglasses. The sun is strong in Fuerteventura so something to protect your head and eyes is essential.

Hiking with goats is an experience not to be missed and it’s likely that it will be the highlight of your visit to Fuerteventura.

If you’re looking for more fun activities you can also take an artisan goat’s cheese making tour at a local farm.

You might also enjoy Climbing Calderon Hondo in Fuerteventura.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this – please feel free to drop a comment below if you have any questions.

Happy hiking!

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