Fuerteventura, Las Palmas Province, Canary Islands, Spaini

Regional Level Types
Fuerteventura	Island Council
Las Palmas Province	Province
Canary Islands	Group of Autonomous Communities
Spain	Country

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Fuerteventura is one of the Canary Islands, an autonomous community of Spain, located in the eastern Atlantic Ocean about 100 km west of the coast of northwest Africa. With an area of approximately 1,660 km², it is the second-largest of the Canary Islands and, at around 20 million years old, the oldest emergent island in the archipelago. This entry on mindat.org corresponds to the Island Council of Fuerteventura (Cabildo de Fuerteventura), which includes the main island of Fuerteventura and the nearby Islote de Lobos.

Geographically, Fuerteventura is characterised by low relief, broad plains, and subdued mountain ranges, reflecting its long erosional history compared with the younger western Canary Islands. The island has an arid to semi-arid climate, very low rainfall, and sparse vegetation. Its highest point, Pico de la Zarza, reaches only 807 m. Much of the landscape consists of eroded volcanic ridges, wide valleys, alluvial plains, and coastal dune systems, particularly in the north and east. Lobos Island, just north of Fuerteventura, is much smaller but geologically related.

Geologically, Fuerteventura is entirely volcanic in origin but is now in a largely post-erosional stage. Volcanic activity began in the early Miocene, around 20–22 Ma, making it significantly older than most other Canary Islands. The island preserves three major volcanic edifices—northern, central, and southern—with K–Ar ages of approximately 17–12.8 Ma (north), 22.5–13.2 Ma (central), and 20.7–14.2 Ma (south) (Ancochea et al., 1996). A distinctive feature of Fuerteventura is the presence of a basal complex, where erosion and uplift have exposed deep-seated plutonic and metamorphic rocks, including a small ophiolitic assemblage representing fragments of oceanic crust and upper mantle. These basement exposures are unique within the Canary Islands and provide rare insight into the early stages of ocean-island construction.

Volcanism resumed after a long erosional hiatus, with more recent eruptive phases beginning around 5 Ma. Subsequent studies (e.g., Coello et al., 1992) identified several eruptive cycles at approximately 5.0, 2.9–2.4, 1.8–1.7, 0.8–0.4, and <0.1 Ma. The most recent eruptions, dated to roughly 4,000–5,000 years ago, produced small basaltic cones and lava flows, particularly in the northern part of the island. Although currently dormant, the volcanic system is not considered extinct.

The mineral and extractive resources of Fuerteventura are limited and dominated by construction materials, such as basalt, scoria, and volcanic aggregates. Metallic mineralisation is negligible. From a mineralogical perspective, the island is notable for minerals associated with alkaline basaltic volcanism—including olivine, clinopyroxene, plagioclase, and secondary minerals in vesicles—as well as minerals related to the exposed basal complex, which are of particular scientific interest.

Historically, Fuerteventura was inhabited by the indigenous Majos people before its incorporation into the Crown of Castile in the early 15th century. Its geology—marked by extreme erosion, limited soils, and scarce water—has strongly influenced settlement patterns and land use. Today, much of the island is protected for its geological, ecological, and landscape value.

Fuerteventura is of outstanding importance for understanding ocean-island evolution, particularly the early construction, deep erosion, and basement exposure of hotspot-generated islands. Its combination of ancient volcanic edifices, exposed ophiolitic basement, and late-stage rejuvenated volcanism makes it one of the most geologically instructive islands in the Canary archipelago.

Commodity List

This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded from this region.

Mineral List

Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities

98 valid minerals.

Rock Types Recorded

Rock list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities