Fuerteventura

Our apologies here - there are no pictures in this article. The trip was before we planned to set up the blog and the pictures just aren't up to standard. Instead, we have painted some beautiful word-pictures in the below article until we get back for a more thorough exploration and photography session!

Canary Islands are Life

Fuerteventura is a Spanish island set 60 miles off the coast of Africa (Morocco, to be exact) within the famous holiday destination of the Canaries.  It is the oldest, the second-largest, and the least populated of the Canary Islands, making it peaceful and relaxing for both inhabitants and visitors alike.

Famous for its volcanic sand beaches, rugged barren lands, and perfect year-round weather, this island has become a legendary holiday destination. It is easy to see why, what with crystal clear waters, blue skies and some brilliant stuff to do across the island.

Our Fun in Fuerteventura

Having only spent 5 days on the island my expertise is limited, however, what I can tell you is that it really is worth the short flight if you're already in Europe. I stayed in the town of Corralejo, to the north of the island, with views out to Lanzarote and the beautiful island of Lobos.

Having driven around a lot of the island, the landscape never really changes and is a constant browny colour. Whilst a bit different and pretty for a couple of days, I did end up missing the greenery and abundance of trees from back home. Mundane, monotonous coloured landscapes are not really our thing - too difficult to photograph!

A couple of days on the beach was great fun though: there is the occasional beautiful white sandy beach dotted around the island. Be warned, some of the beaches on the island are nudist beaches, so check prior to arrival or you could be in for a big, big shock. Learn from my mistakes.

The highlight of the trip for me a getting a speedboat out to the magnificent island of Lobos, and walking around the caldera (the crater) at the summit of the island (well, what's left of it anyway!). I did a lot on the island in a short space of time, including hitting up waterparks and checking out several different towns and areas.

Overall it was a really lovely time and I have fond memories of the island, but will not be rushing back.

So Should I Go There?

There are a few things to consider when asking this question of Fuerteventura. The first is this: what are you looking for from your travels?

If your answer is a peaceful time in the sun, basking on golden beaches, beautiful hotels, a hint of nightlife but nothing too crazy, then yes, you probably should come here. If, conversely, your answer is exploration, varied entertainment, and engaging with a deep and varied culture and it's people then we would have to say no, this probably isn't the place for you. Mainland Spain has these things in droves, and you'd be better off exploring there.

The answer would also be no if getting stuck into crazy nightlife and partying until the sun comes up is your priority. Whilst yes, Fuerteventura has some wonderful beachside bars, there are much better islands and cities for you to choose from within Spain alone. Check out Ibiza instead.

I don’t want to put too much of a downer on the island though. For some dedicated chillout time it has all the beautiful beaches and coves you need, and is more than satisfactory for a weeks getaway. The island brings in almost two million tourists a year (not bad for an island with just over 100,000 residents!) and has been a top destination since the airport was built in 1969.

What to Do in and Around Fuerteventura

As mentioned, the island is a fantastic location for relaxing and beach days. So whilst there are other things to do, options are a bit limited as it really can be a case of "Which beach next?".

My top picks for stuff to do is as follows:

Isla de Lobos

My favourite day on the trip has to be the ride out to Lobos Island. At 1.8 square miles, this spectacular small island, just off the coast of Corralejo (the northernmost town in Fuerteventura), is basically a large, uninhabited nature reserve, complete with wonderful, diverse wildlife courtesy of its nutrient-rich volcanic soil. It is also home to the amazing Montaña La Caldera - the old volcano.

You can spend so much time exploring the island and up on to the volcano's ridge. Whilst much of the volcano has blown away over the centuries, just short of half still exists, allowing for a fantastic hike over the summit, with amazing views out over both Fuerteventura and Lanzarote.

There is also a super little cove with a beautiful white sand beach called Playa de la Concha which I think is nicer and more peaceful than the beaches on Fuerteventura. It really is worth making a full day trip.

The best way to get on the island has to be the water taxi (a gentle phrase that doesn't really prepare you for the speed of this thing) from Corralejo harbour, setting you back around €15 (£13.50), which for a day trip is nothing. The ride only takes 15 minutes one way, so sit back and enjoy the ride. Just remember: scream if you want to go faster.

Dune Buggy Tours

The second highlight of the island has to be riding a dune buggy around the sand dunes and up around the crazy volcanic terrains. These tours take you on a three-hour ride of your life and run twice a day. The companies may differ slightly but they will generally pick you up from a location of your choice within Corralejo (the place to be for stuff to do!), and the tour begins as you head off to find your beast of a buggy for the next few hours.

You will need a driving licence before being allowed to drive and it will cost about €80 (£71) per person unless you want to sit on the back of the jeep and be driven. That is roughly half the price, but still worth the entertainment.

You will scale some of the highest routes, leading to stunning views around the island. It's all about the freedom and the wind in your hair.

Water Parks

Acua Water Park in the town of Corralejo (again) is an epic half-day out for kids and adults. It's a water park - you know roughly what this is gonna be like. I will say that whilst there are a number of good slides and rides, along with a lovely wave pool, there isn’t enough on offer to keep a group in their 20s or older occupied for a whole day.

Those with young or teenage kids should consider this as it will keep them entertained for a day. There are a number of slides suitable for younger persons, and we all know happy kids means happy parents.

Fees to enter the park are reasonable for adults, if a little high for kids - but when you consider it’s a whole day out it doesn’t seem too extortionate. Adults it will cost €23.75 (£21) each and for children €18.05 (£16).

You can get tickets for a two-day trip to the park for roughly half the price again, but you will have done it all within a day, so I'm not too sure it's worth the extra money - particularly for adults.

Beach and Surf

There are a number of stunning beaches dotted around, and with white or dark volcanic sands they really do differ as you move around the island. Whilst most are small little coves surrounded with rocky cliffs, fairly reminiscent of the Algarve in Portugal, there are the occasional long, open stretches of sand which are absolutely beautiful.

Whilst surfing can be fun you really have to pick your beaches, in part due to the waves and also due to the rocks and the cliffs that jut out into the sea, not to mention the shore breaks. The best couple of places I recommend for surf is El Cotillo in the North West of the island, and Playa el Hierro on the north coast. However, you really need to be a competent surfer as the waves build up to a good size.

When it comes to relaxing there are so many amazing beaches and coves, I didn't actually keep track of the ones we went to and so can't give any particular recommendations, but we didn't go to a bad one and you won't be disappointed wherever you pick.

Other than these there really isn’t much else I can suggest. There are a number of hikes around the island which are nice enough, and plenty of extinct volcanos to climb that litter the island.

A number of lighthouses also line the perimeter of the island which can be nice to stop and see, but I wouldn’t say any were worthy of a planned visit. I would just stop in passing as you make your way around.

Places to Stay in Fuerteventura

Since the islands first tourist hotel in 1965 the island's tourism industry has boomed, and because of this the island is scattered with hotels, apartments and rooms to rent. Whatever style or price range you are looking at, you will find it here on the island.

I actually stayed at a very nice hotel, which is most unlike us at Far Out, but wow am I glad I did. It was called Barceló Corralejo Bay in Corralejo. Without wanting to sound too harsh, I like the peace and quiet, and this hotel was perfect because it's an 18+ hotel. There were a few people there who looked like they fell under this rule, but it looks like the hotel has reinforced the point since my visit.

The food was outstanding to the point we didn’t really need to eat out that often, the rooms were fantastic and the outdoor pool area was perfect. There wasn’t much noise either, meaning it was peaceful and relaxing.

We would recommend booking here for sure and if we headed
back to the town, it would be somewhere we would look to stay again. Prices,
however, are a little high at €160 (£143.50) a night for two people in a
double, so that might be something you would want to consider.

They are also shutting for a chunk of time in 2019 for a refurb, so check the dates if you plan to visit this year.

We simply cannot advise on anywhere else than this as we don't have the experience, but we do recommend staying in Correlejo because everything we've recommended is so nearby.

If you've stayed somewhere good on the island, stick it in the comments!

Where to Eat in Fuerteventura

Due to the wonderful food and the all-inclusive aspect of our hotel, we really didn’t eat out at all. This isn’t something we wouldn’t normally do as we really do like to try out a few places so I am afraid there are no reviews from us in this section.  

Where to Drink and Party in Fuerteventura

When it comes to parties and drinking on the island again we can only really discuss the town of Corralejo, and whilst it wasn’t wild, I do recall one walk to the hotel along the beach that ended up in a little late night swim with a group we met out at the bars. There are enough bars in the town to make any pub crawl a decent/messy night!

We always love a beachside bar, and yes, you do usually pay a bit more for the location, but it's totally worth it. So having said that, I will start with Agua Tiki Bar.

Found on the beach at Corralejo, this place is super cool, with wicked staff who just want to laugh and enjoy your night with you, great drinks and a chilled atmosphere. It really is a great place to be, with partying taking the main stage once the food starts getting cleared away in the evening. The place is only small but kicks out a good vibe into the night.

The inside almost reminded me of a ship, whilst the outside tables have stunning views looking straight out to Lobos across the bay. It's an awesome little place - once you’ve been once you will want to come back for sure.

Mojito Beach Bar is right on the Corralejo seafront next to Agua Tiki Bar, and has similarly epic views out to Lobos, which is just awesome to look out on as the evening draws in. Like most of the bars here, they do serve food, but don't focus on it and there are proper restaurants nearby that specialise in that.

I would say come here for the cocktails and drinks only. The live music was cool if a little off from what you expect on a beach bar in a holiday destination, but was still good fun. The cocktails, as you can imagine with a name like Mojito Beach Bar, are wicked and can be a bit on the strong side if you ask for it.

There are a number of other bars in and around the town, but they are all very much what you expect for a tourist town. The old faithful Irish bars are there, and they will start you off on your way to a good night.

A lot of the bars close around midnight, but you will find a few will go on until 2am. I didn't see anything else open much past that, but I also wasn't looking particularly hard and that doesn't mean they are aren't out there.

What You'll Need to Blend In

A faceful of suncream

An "I can't be arsed to move, can I have another cocktail?" attitude to life

Those holiday sandals