A star-worthy Canary Island: Fuerteventura’s stunning landscapes have featured in the films of Ridley Scott and Brad Pitt – and now they’re even easier to reach thanks to new BA direct flights

When we land at Fuerteventura airport, I’m excited to see what awaits us. From the air it looks bare: dry, rust-colored, rocky and mountainous, with occasional pyramidal peaks.

I think of Martian landscapes that seem to contradict the promise of this popular vacation island of golden beaches and turquoise waters. But as I’m about to discover, Fuerteventura’s diverse landscape makes it attractive to a wide range of people.

Surfers and skydivers take advantage of the island’s strong winds and rolling Atlantic waves; Nature lovers come here to see Barbary falcons, Egyptian vultures and the ubiquitous chipmunks. Hikers and cyclists follow steep paths through rocky terrain; and yes, winter sun seekers who don’t do much at all.

Oh, and the A-list movie stars.

In the last decade, Fuerteventura has been used as a filming location for several big budget films. Think Ridley Scott’s Exodus: Gods And Kings, with Christian Bale and Brad Pitt in Marion Cotillard’s World War II drama Allied, in which the island doubled as North Africa.

Many of these outstanding actors checked into a popular hotel during filming – which I also happen to be staying at.

A few years ago, the Bahia Real Resort & Spa was also called “el hotel de las estrellas”, or “hotel of the stars”. It is a honey-colored building with 242 rooms located on a stretch of sand on the island’s northeastern tip in the coastal town of Corralejo.

Hopefully Pitt and the gang were as impressed as I was, with its stylish bars and restaurants, well-equipped spa and wellness area and beautiful outdoor pool surrounded by lush trees and plants.

Laura discovers that Fuerteventura appeals to a wide variety of people because of its “diversity of landscapes”. Above, a sea cave on La Solapa beach

From luxurious sushi to delicious local dishes, you can eat it all. Fortunately for this carbohydrate lover, it also includes the island’s signature dish: papas arrugadas – small, boiled potatoes with their skins, served with garlic mojo rojo dip, as well as fresh fish.

And thanks to British Airways’ first and recently launched route from Gatwick, it’s easier than ever to get here.

Eager to understand the island’s history and geology, I set off by car along the winding, steep roads winding inland and along the steep, bleak hills to meet Antonio Gallardo, the director of the Fuerteventura Biosphere Reserve.

Laura sets out by car “on the winding, steep roads” that wind through Fuerteventura, “eager to understand the history and geology of the island.” Above the colorful flora of the island

“Nature lovers come here to see Barbary falcons, Egyptian vultures and the ubiquitous chipmunks (pictured),” reveals Laura

Due to its diverse ecosystems and marine life – from dolphins to turtles – the island was recognized by UNESCO in 2009.

We meet outside the small town of Vega de Rio Palmas to start the Barranco de la Penitas hiking trail, which follows the bottom of the long-dry Palm River of the same name.

“Fuerteventura is the oldest of the Canary Islands,” says Gallardo. “The landscapes were formed by volcanic activity up to 30 million years ago.” The “newest” part, it seems, is in the north, where the volcanoes last erupted only 50,000 years ago. And the island’s warm climate is due to the fact that it is closer to Africa than to Spain.

Fuerteventura, he adds, is also one of the three designated starlight reserves in the Canary Islands due to its low light pollution. The best time to watch is between January and March.

After our walk, we drive south to the fishing village of Ajuy, on the rugged coastline with deep caves. Behind a headland there is a natural stone arch on the edge of the sea called Arco del Jurado.

Then there is more contrast as Gallardo leads us to a path with towering palm trees. It leads to Madre del Agua, the tributary of a bubbling natural spring covered in bright green algae – a rarity on this island, where most usable water must be desalinated.

Laura visits Calderon Hond (photo), a dormant volcanic crater. “The prospects are sensational,” she says

The next day I go to Calderon Hondo, a perfectly circular and long-dormant volcanic crater 70 meters deep. The wind blows around me as I climb the smooth stone, but the view is sensational: rolling red mountains and cone-shaped hills, with the sea just beyond.

I choose the sea road back to the hotel and drive through the windswept dunes of the Parque Natural de Corralejo.

Legions of surfers and skydivers flock to the coast to take advantage of the conditions. It is a beautiful wild, untamed scene. Celebrities may have come here, but the real star of the show is Fuerteventura itself.