Lobos Island
uninhabited volcanic island in the Canary Islands, Spain
Lobos (Spanish: Isla de Lobos, pronounced [ˈisla ðe ˈloβos]) is a small island of the Canary Islands (Spain) located just two kilometres (one nautical mile) north of the island of Fuerteventura. It belongs to the municipality of La Oliva on the island of Fuerteventura. It has an area of 4.68 square kilometres (1.8 sq mi). It has been a nature reserve (Parque Natural del Islote de Lobos) since 1982.
The island is accessible to tourists via a short ferry ride from Corralejo, in the north of Fuerteventura. It has day facilities and weekend homes of local fishermen. It offers hiking and snorkelling tours. At the northeastern end of the island is the Punta Martiño Lighthouse, the lighthouse keeper and his family were the last permanent inhabitants of Lobos, until the light was automated in the 1960s.
In 1405, Lobos Island served as resupply base for Jean de Béthencourt's conquest of the island of Fuerteventura.
Origin of name
Lobos Island (Wolves Island) was named for the large number of sea wolves, also called monk seals, that once lived there.
The public source identifies “Lobos Island” as uninhabited volcanic island in the Canary Islands, Spain. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Lobos, Island and uninhabited.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Lobos Island”, the useful work is to connect “uninhabited volcanic island in the Canary Islands, Spain” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 14, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1051489. VIAF identifies the subject as 243150565705506251631. Authority coordinates are 28.752, -13.821. 1 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1982 and 1405.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Lobos Island”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Lobos Island primary sources, Lobos Island archive and Lobos research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Lobos Island”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Lobos Island” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.