Iberostar Waves Gaviotas Park
Iberostar Waves Gaviotas Park is a 4-star all-inclusive resort on the Jandía peninsula at the southern tip of Fuerteventura, in Spain's Canary Islands. It reopened in 2024 after a full rebuild around a family-and-beach theme, with 237 renovated rooms, five outdoor pools including a children's splash pool with a slide, the Star Camp kids' club and one of the island's longest beaches a short walk downhill.
On this page
Is it worth it?
The quick read before the detail: who Gaviotas Park suits, what the 2024 rebuild changed and the facts to skim first.
Iberostar Waves Gaviotas Park is a big, family-first all-inclusive on one of Fuerteventura's best beaches, and its main selling point is that it is essentially new. The hotel was stripped back and rebuilt for a 2024 reopening, so the rooms, the children's splash pool and the play spaces are all recent, and guests rate it highly for cleanliness, food and staff. Waves is Iberostar's fun, value tier rather than a spa-led or couples resort, so expect a lively kids' programme, a mini disco and a busy pool scene rather than quiet luxury. The two things to weigh are the beach access, which is downhill and steep with the practical route running through the hotel next door, and childcare for the very young, since the Star Camp club only takes children from four. If your children are four and up, or you are happy to carry the childcare for a baby yourself, this is a strong, well-kept base by a long golden beach.
Best for
You want a big all-inclusive with brand-new rooms, a children's splash pool and a kids' club from four, on a long golden beach, and you would use a family suite's separate children's room for naps and early bedtimes.
Maybe not for
You are pushing a pram and want flat, easy beach access, you need supervised childcare for a baby or under-four, or you want a big waterpark on site.
Best ages
Four and up for Star Camp. Babies and toddlers work well on the splash pool, the family suites and the baby-kit hire, with the childcare carried by you.
What stands out
237 rooms rebuilt in 2024, a children's splash pool with a slide, and staff that reviews single out for their warmth with babies and small children.
What to check
Whether your family suite is the two-room layout or interconnecting rooms, and the current beach-access route for a pushchair.
Where is it?
The Jandía peninsula in south Fuerteventura, at Morro Jable, about 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 30 from the airport.
Quick facts for families
What the resort is like
Where Gaviotas Park sits, what the 2024 rebuild made it and how the low-rise garden site is laid out.
The resort sits in the Las Gaviotas urbanisation at Jandía, in the municipality of Pájara on the leeward, south-east-facing side of the peninsula at the very south of Fuerteventura, in Spain's Canary Islands. Its address is Pasaje Playa 3, 35626 Morro Jable, which puts it above Playa del Matorral, the long beach that runs down towards the town of Morro Jable. It traded as Iberostar Playa Gaviotas Park until the 2024 rebrand, so older reviews may still use the previous name.
The hotel closed, was stripped back and reopened in August 2024 rebuilt around a family-and-beach concept, which is why the rooms and the children's spaces read as new rather than refreshed. It is a low-rise garden complex laid out like a village, with rooms spread over buildings of up to six floors and gardens and planting through the communal areas. The rebuild leans into the island's marine theme, with seagulls (gaviotas), surfing touches and planting inspired by the cacti and succulents that grow on Fuerteventura, and it added a slide in the main reception and a mini play area on every floor.
Waves is the fun, family-and-active-couple tier of Iberostar Beachfront Resorts, more affordable than the group's smarter Selection and JOIA lines, so the resort is built for a busy, sociable family holiday rather than a quiet or couples-led one. The group is partnered with IHG Hotels & Resorts, which is worth knowing if you hold IHG loyalty status. Gaviotas Park sits alongside two sister hotels in the same Iberostar complex, the neighbouring Iberostar Waves Playa Gaviotas next door and, a little further off, the adults-oriented 5-star Iberostar Selection Fuerteventura Palace. Treat these as neighbouring hotels rather than shared facilities, and don't count on using the sisters' pools or bars. The rebuild also carries the group's sustainability programme, with the hotel running on renewable electricity, aiming for zero net emissions by 2030 and tracking food waste with an on-site system.
Terrain, lifts and the walk to the sandGetting around and beach access
Around the resort you get about on foot along the garden paths and through the buildings, which run to six floors and have lifts. Accessible parking and reduced-mobility rooms are available, and reviewers using wheelchairs report easy access around the site and reserved tables in the restaurant.
The beach is below the resort, a short walk downhill of a couple of hundred metres. The direct path down is steep, which is hard work with a pushchair. The practical alternative is to cut through the neighbouring Iberostar Waves Playa Gaviotas next door and use its lifts down to beach level. That route depends on the current arrangement between the two hotels, so if a pushchair is your main way around, it is worth confirming the beach-access route with the hotel before you book.
Every restaurant and bar
What the all-inclusive board covers, each place to eat and drink, and how the buffet works for children.
Board is all-inclusive, built around a main buffet with a separate snack restaurant and two bars. The dining rooms carry local names from the island's history, which is a nice thread once you know it. Everything below is included in the package.
Maday is the main buffet, named after a traditional Guanche word (the Guanches were the indigenous people of the Canary Islands), and it is where you will eat most meals. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with Canarian and international cooking, a wide range of Atlantic seafood, show-cooking stations and themed evenings through the week. The breakfast is laid out to appeal to children and there are dedicated children's meals at other services. Dinner runs until around 21:30, which is worth knowing if you are timing meals around young children's bedtimes. Older reviews may call the main restaurant Betancuria, its name before the 2024 rebuild.
Erbania is the snack restaurant, decorated on the waves-and-surf theme and named after the old indigenous name for Fuerteventura itself. It serves breakfast and lunch, and it is included in the all-inclusive.
Marasul is the lobby bar and the main place for a drink, with local-brand drinks included and live music and karaoke evenings. Tindaya is the theatre bar, named after the island's sacred 400-metre mountain and seating around 300, where the evening shows take place and the mini disco kicks off the night for families. There is also a pool snack bar serving the pool area through the day. Alcohol is served across a long stretch of the day and into the early hours.
On dietary needs, guests with coeliac and gluten-free diets consistently praise how the kitchen handles them, and reviewers mention oat milk being available for dairy-free babies. Flag any allergy to the restaurant when you arrive so the team can point out what is safe.
Rooms and suites
Every category with its size, which suit a family with a baby or toddler, and how the Star Prestige tier works.
There are 237 rooms, all renovated in the 2024 rebuild, across twelve categories, and most sleep up to five or six people. The table below is the full line-up with the sizes; the guidance after it is which suit a family with young children. The sizes are approximate, and two categories do not have a published size at all.
| Room | Size | Sleeps | Layout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double Room | Not stated | Up to 3 | Entry-level, two adults and a child, minibar and balcony |
| Junior Suite | approx 30–32 m² | Up to 3 | Lounge area, balcony with pool views |
| Junior Suite Side Sea View | approx 30–32 m² | Up to 3 | Twin beds plus a sofa bed, side sea view |
| Suite Side Sea View | approx 48 m² | Up to 3–4 | Dining area, twin beds plus a sofa bed |
| Suite with Pool View | approx 46–48 m² | Up to 4 | Balcony over the pools |
| Suite with Sea View | approx 48 m² | Up to 4 | Balcony with a sea view |
| Suite Sea View Priority Location | approx 48 m² | Up to 4 | Sea view, premium floor and position |
| Family Suite | approx 48–78 m² | Up to 5 | Two rooms, dining area, sofa bed |
| Family Suite with Pool View | approx 48 m² | Up to 5–6 | Pool-view balcony, senior variant sleeps six |
| Family Suite Side Sea View | approx 48 m² | Up to 5 | Side sea view, twin beds plus a sofa bed |
| Family Suite with Sea View | approx 48 m² | Up to 5 | Sea-view balcony and dining area |
| Family Suite Sea View Priority Location | Not stated | Up to 6+ | Sea-view balcony, premium floor |
For a family, the choice comes down to whether you want a door to close on a sleeping child. The Double Room is the entry-level option and sleeps up to three, two adults and a child, but it is not a family layout. The Junior Suites at approximately 30 to 32 m² add a lounge area and sleep up to three, workable with one small child but tight with a cot and an active toddler. The Suites at around 48 m² sleep up to four and add a dining area and more space, differing mainly in their view.
The standout for families are the Family Suites, from approximately 48 m² up to around 78 m², which sleep up to five and are laid out as two rooms: a master bedroom and a separate children's room with sea and surfing-themed furniture and bunk or twin beds. That separate children's room is a real help for naps and early bedtimes, since one adult can sit with a sleeping baby while the other uses the balcony. The Family Suite with Pool View sleeps up to five, and its senior variant up to six, while the Family Suite Sea View Priority Location sits on a premium floor and sleeps up to six or more. One thing to confirm before you book: some guests who booked a Family Suite were given interconnecting standard rooms rather than the standalone two-room suite, so check with the hotel or operator that your specific booking is the single two-room unit.
Every room has air conditioning, a satellite TV, a phone, a safe (charged as an extra), a fridge or minibar, a private bathroom with a shower or bath, a hairdryer and a balcony or terrace. That gives you a fridge in every room for baby milk and food; if you need to warm anything, ask the hotel what is available. Cots are free on request for children up to one, subject to availability, and there are no extra beds.
What Star Prestige adds
Star Prestige is the resort's premium room tier, and it comes with access to an adults-only area with a minimum age of 15, which is worth confirming at booking. That area is not usable by younger children, so for a family with under-15s its value is the in-room extras rather than the space itself. The benefits include an adults-only pool with sun loungers, a lounge and chill-out zone with an open bar serving drinks and fruit, Balinese beds and complimentary late checkout subject to availability. Star Prestige sea-view rooms give qualifying adults in the party the lounge access on top of the standard room.
Pools and water features
The five outdoor pools and who each is for, plus the children's splash pool the rebuild added.
The resort has five outdoor pools, spread around the site rather than gathered in one place. The main pool is large and palm-fringed, with loungers and parasols, and is open to all ages. The highlight for younger children is the renovated children's pool and splash area, branded Aqua Fun, with a water slide and an inflatable ball. Beyond those there are two further outdoor pools, and an adults-only pool that goes with the Star Prestige rooms, again with a minimum age of 15. Together those make up the five.
The only indoor pool sits inside the paid adults-only Spa Sensations circuit, so it is not general-access and children cannot use it. Some of the outdoor pools are heated after the rebuild, though a winter or early-spring trip is not a promise of warm water, so if a heated swim matters for your dates it is worth asking the hotel which pools are running warm. Pool and beach towels are handed out against a deposit rather than being free to take.
The beach
Playa del Matorral, also called Jandía or El Matorral beach, runs below the resort for around 4 km and is roughly 120 m wide, with fine golden sand. It held Blue Flag status for 2025. On this leeward side of the peninsula the water is calm most days and shallow enough for children, warm in summer and cooler in winter and spring; it is not the surf side of the island. As the beach dries out on a falling tide it can leave shallow pools that small children can splash in.
The beach is reached on the downhill walk covered above, so plan the pushchair route before you rely on it. Down on the sand you can hire loungers and umbrellas, there are lifeguards year-round, and beachfront bars and restaurants and watersports operators run along it. A smooth promenade runs the length of the beach for walking or cycling, and it is roughly a 30-minute walk to the Morro Jable lighthouse, passing a whale skeleton on display along the way.
Babies and toddlers
The Star Camp club and the age it starts, the baby kit you can hire, and what is there for under-fours.
The children's club is Star Camp, included in the all-inclusive and split into Monkeys for fours to sevens, Dolphins for eights to twelves and Eagles for thirteens to seventeens. The minimum age is four. Monkeys get a craft area, a singing and dancing space and outdoor play built around a jungle theme; Dolphins have their own outdoor beach-hut-style space with a campfire corner, reading areas, music and games; and Eagles get a chill-out space with table football, pool, darts, a DJ table and audiovisual games. It runs for much of the day. There is no structured drop-off programme below four: Iberostar's general approach is that under-fours come along to the club with a parent rather than being left there, so for a baby or toddler you carry the childcare yourself, and it is worth confirming the position with the hotel for your child's age. Babysitting is available at an extra charge, arranged on site, with no published price.
For the youngest, the resort runs a rental service for baby equipment covering cots, sterilisers and baby baths, and cots are free on request for children up to one. High chairs are on hand in the restaurant, the buffet has children's meals and a breakfast laid out to appeal to children, and oat milk has been available for dairy-free babies according to guests. The rebuild put a mini play area on every floor, so there is somewhere close to the room for a toddler to burn off energy. Something that comes up again and again in reviews is how warm the staff are with babies and small children, from arranging a bag of goodies for an arriving baby to being singled out for their care with one-year-olds.
On resortThings to do
A lot is included in the day. There is a fitness centre, aquagym and aquabike classes, and a daily sports and activity programme that runs across archery, volleyball, basketball, table tennis, darts, Zumba, yoga, dance and aerobics. Live shows run every evening in the Tindaya theatre bar, and the family-friendly mini disco starts the night at around 8pm. There is an outdoor children's playground and an indoor children's games room.
Some activities cost extra. The tennis courts come with instruction available, and there is a squash court, a bowling alley with air hockey and pool tables, plus diving, snorkelling and windsurfing run as paid extras. Bicycle rental and a billiards table are also on site, and you can arrange car hire at the resort. Down on the beach, independent operators run surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, sailing and diving, separate from the hotel.
Adults-only wellnessThe spa
Spa Sensations is the resort's spa, built around a 120-minute thermal and hydrowellness circuit that takes in a dynamic pool with jets, a Jacuzzi, hydrotherapy beds, a sauna, a steam bath, a cold well, a flotarium, sensation showers and a relaxation area. It is open daily from 10:00 to 19:00. Massages, rituals and manicures and pedicures are available alongside circuit passes, at prices that change from time to time, so check the current rates when you book. The circuit and its indoor pool are for adults and paid on top of the all-inclusive. The one family option is the Chic & Child parent-and-child treatment, a chocolate-themed ritual you can book ahead.
The area and days out
The town on the doorstep, the calm-water beach worth a drive, and the family days out around the south.
Morro Jable, a former fishing village that is now the main town in south Jandía, is about 2 miles (3 km) away, roughly a 20 to 25 minute walk along the seafront promenade. It has a promenade, shops, cafés, restaurants and bars. About 1.5 miles (2.5 km) from the resort is a turtle nursery, a recovery centre where injured sea turtles are nursed back to health. The port at Morro Jable is where the ferries go from, along with dolphin-watching trips and pirate-ship cruises; dolphin trips take children from three.
The best day out for young children in the water is Sotavento beach, about 11 to 16 miles (17 to 25 km) north and a 20 to 25 minute drive, where a tidal lagoon fills to make a vast, shallow, calm pool that toddlers can splash in safely; it is also a World Windsurfing Cup venue. Oasis Park at La Lajita, about 16 to 19 miles (25 to 30 km) north, is the island's only zoo, with animals, a large botanical garden and a camel safari, plus a splash area, and it suits young children well. For a wilder outing, Playa de Cofete on the Atlantic side is spectacular but remote, about 7 to 9 miles (12 to 15 km) away with a 4x4 needed for the last stretch, and its strong swell means it is for looking rather than swimming with little ones. The Jandía Natural Park is on the doorstep for walks and 4x4 excursions, and Costa Calma has a market about 6 miles (9.5 km) away.
A couple of trips look tempting on a map but are really northern-Fuerteventura outings from down here. Acua Water Park, the island's only water park, is in Corralejo in the north, about 50 miles (80 km) and 1.5 to 2 hours each way, so it is not a practical day trip from Jandía; it runs from spring to autumn. A ferry day trip to Lanzarote also leaves from Corralejo, so it suits guests staying in the north far more than those in the south. Closer to hand for anyone hiring a car, the historic former capital of Betancuria is about 28 miles (45 km) north, a 35 to 45 minute drive. For the wider island, its beaches and seasons, see our Fuerteventura guide.
Loves and gripes
What guests rate and what frustrated them, and how it sits against the other Jandía and Fuerteventura resorts.
The resort rates strongly across the review sites, as of mid-2026, so treat these as a rough steer rather than a fixed score. TripAdvisor has it at 4.5 out of 5 from around 2,264 reviews, ranking it 52nd of 1,261 hotels in the Canary Islands; Booking.com sits at 8.7 out of 10 and Trivago at 9.1, with a family-friendly subscore of 9.2. Cleanliness, staff and breakfast score highest, and Wi-Fi is the weakest attribute. The praise and the gripes below are the themes that come up most often.
What families love
- The staff, singled out for warmth with babies and small children.
- The buffet, described as varied and not repetitive.
- The cleanliness, among the top-scoring attributes everywhere.
- The beach and location on one of the island's best stretches of sand.
- The children's entertainment and animation team.
- The renovated rooms and the themed children's rooms in the family suites.
- The children's splash pool and slide.
Common gripes
- The beach access, downhill or via the lift route through next door.
- Family-suite bookings sometimes fulfilled as interconnecting rooms.
- Extra charges that surprise some guests: towel deposits, the room safe, the tourist tax.
- Competition for sunbeds at busy times, flagged before the 2024 rebuild and not confirmed since.
- Wi-Fi, the lowest-rated facility.
- Not a waterpark, so thrill-seeking older children may want more.
How it compares
The closest comparison is its next-door sister, Iberostar Waves Playa Gaviotas, also a 4-star Waves all-inclusive. Gaviotas Park leans more firmly family-first, with the themed family suites, the play area on every floor and the children's splash pool as its centrepiece, while Playa Gaviotas balances families and couples more evenly; between the two it often comes down to which room type is available. In the same complex, the 5-star Iberostar Selection Fuerteventura Palace is the couples-and-spa-led upgrade, pricier and with Star Prestige throughout, worth a look only if you are weighing a step up. Pre-rebuild, guests could use some facilities across the sister hotels; that cross-access isn't guaranteed now, so confirm it at booking if it matters.
Against other Jandía hotels such as Sol Fuerteventura Jandía and the Occidental Jandía properties, Gaviotas Park scores noticeably higher, thanks to the 2024 rebuild, Star Camp and the staff. Further afield, Barceló Corralejo Sands up north has a pirate-ship splash complex, a walkable town and the dunes on the doorstep, while Gaviotas Park wins on beach quality, the scale of its family suites and a quieter, more self-contained base. If you want town and activity on tap, Corralejo has the edge; if you want a calm beach base, this is the stronger choice.
Getting there and when to go
The transfer from the airport, the hotel-name mix-up to avoid and the best months for young children.
Fuerteventura's airport (FUE) is about 48 to 53 miles (77 to 86 km) from the resort, roughly a 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 30 drive by private taxi or shared coach. UK operators sell shared coach transfers, a private taxi runs at a higher fixed cost, and the public bus (line 10) takes about 1 hour 45. Child seats are not guaranteed, so request one from your transfer provider in advance. One thing to watch: the neighbouring Iberostar Waves Playa Gaviotas has a very similar name and has caused wrong-hotel drop-offs, so confirm the exact hotel name when you book the transfer. Flights run direct from major UK airports on easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2, TUI and BA, taking around 4 hours.
The hotel is open year-round. For families, November to April is mild and sunny winter sun, quieter and with fewer UK families, though the sea is cooler and the pools can still feel cold, so it leans towards pool and beach days rather than long swims. May to October is warmer, with the sea climbing through the summer to give the best beach weather for young children, and July and August the hottest and busiest. Whatever the month, the UV here is high from spring into autumn, reaching an index of 9 to 11 (very high) from May to September, so factor-50 sunscreen and shade planning matter for babies and small children.
Month by monthWeather, month by month
The figures below are typical averages for Playa de Jandía, the reference station for this sheltered southern tip of the island, which is drier and a touch warmer than the north.
| Month | Daytime high | Overnight low | Rain | Wet days | Sea temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20.5° | 16° | 14 mm | 2 | 19° |
| February | 20.5° | 15.5° | 16 mm | 2 | 18° |
| March | 21.5° | 16° | 12 mm | 2 | 18° |
| April | 22.5° | 17° | 5 mm | 1 | 19° |
| May | 24.5° | 18.5° | 1 mm | 0 | 20° |
| June | 25.5° | 20° | 0 mm | 0 | 21° |
| July | 27° | 21.5° | 0 mm | 0 | 22° |
| August | 27.5° | 22.5° | 0 mm | 0 | 23° |
| September | 26.5° | 22° | 2 mm | 0 | 23° |
| October | 26° | 21° | 8 mm | 2 | 23° |
| November | 23.5° | 19° | 13 mm | 2 | 22° |
| December | 21.5° | 17° | 26 mm | 3 | 21° |
Typical monthly averages from weather-station records. Sea temperature is the open-water figure, so a sheltered bay can feel a degree or two warmer. The resort is open year-round.
Good to know
The extras beyond the all-inclusive, entry rules, and the everyday practicalities.
A few things sit outside the all-inclusive. There is a small daily charge for the in-room safe, and pool and beach towels are handed out against a deposit per towel for the stay. The spa, babysitting and some of the racket sports and the bowling are paid extras too. A local tourist tax is payable directly at the hotel, so take some cash for it. Wi-Fi is free throughout, for up to three devices per room, though it is the lowest-rated facility, so treat it as workable rather than fast.
Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out by 11:00. Room service is available, and laundry is offered at an extra charge. Staff speak German, English, Spanish, French and Italian. In the restaurants there is a light dress code: shorts are fine at the buffet but not swimwear, vests or beach flip-flops, and you need closed-toe shoes. Pets are not permitted.
On entry rules, there is no FCDO advisory against travel to Spain or the Canaries. You will need a passport valid for the length of your stay and can visit for up to 90 days in any 180 without a visa, a GHIC card covers state healthcare and there's no entry form or health declaration to fill in. Check the current rules at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain before you travel.
Questions
The things families ask most, the official pages worth a bookmark and when this guide was last refreshed.
Can we get to the beach with a pushchair?
Not down the direct path, which is steep enough to be a struggle with a pushchair. The workable route is through the neighbouring Iberostar Waves Playa Gaviotas and down in its lifts, so if you're relying on wheels, ask the hotel to confirm that access before you book. The beach and its promenade are flat once you're down on the sand.
Is there childcare for a baby or under-four?
Not as drop-off care. Star Camp's youngest group, the Monkeys, starts at four, and younger children are welcome in the club only with a parent alongside them. For an evening out you can book babysitting, a paid service arranged at the hotel. If your child is close to four, ask the hotel where they draw the line before you book.
Does booking a Family Suite guarantee the two-room layout?
Not in every case. The two-room Family Suite with its own children's room is what most families want, but some bookings have arrived as two interconnecting standard rooms instead. When you book, get the hotel or your operator to confirm in writing that you have the single two-room unit and not adjoining rooms.
How well does the buffet handle allergies and coeliac diets?
Well, by the accounts of families who have needed it. Parents managing coeliac and gluten-free diets rate the kitchen highly, and dairy-free options such as oat milk have been on hand. Let the restaurant know what your child needs at check-in so the team can point out what is safe at each service.
What do UK families need to enter Spain?
You need a passport valid for the length of your stay and no visa for a trip of up to 90 days in any 180. A GHIC card covers state healthcare, and there is no entry form to complete. Check gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain for the current rules close to travel.
Is anything payable on top of the all-inclusive?
Yes, a little. A local tourist tax is paid directly at the hotel, and there are small extras such as a daily charge for the in-room safe and a deposit on the pool and beach towels. Take some cash for these rather than expecting everything to be covered.
Can children use the spa?
No. The Spa Sensations thermal circuit and its indoor pool are adults-only and cost extra on top of the all-inclusive. The one way to bring a child in is the Chic & Child treatment, a parent-and-child ritual you reserve ahead.
See more Iberostar Waves Gaviotas Park photos
Open the Iberostar Waves Gaviotas Park photo gallery →Useful links
- Iberostar Waves Gaviotas Park: the resort's own site for rooms, dining, the children's club and what's included.
- GOV.UK Spain travel advice: entry rules and the latest before you travel.
- Fuerteventura with little ones: our guide to the wider island, its beaches and when to go.
Last updated 16 July 2026.
