Fuerteventura Holidays

The holiday season is all year round. In mid-summer the sun will shine for up to 10 hours a day and temperatures will be in the high 20s. The wind can be strong.

There’s lots of sun in the winter and spring too, although it is chilly enough in the evening for long-trousers and jumpers or jackets.  Many people choose to visit for Christmas, the New Year or the Three Kings festival on January 6^th.  Several resorts have New Year’s Eve firework displays.

A South American style carnival with fancy dress balls is held in the capital town of Puerto del Rosario every February or March. Every town celebrates its patron saint day with a fiesta involving a procession, music and dancing.

The World Cup Windsurfing and Kiteboarding Championship has been held on Sotavento beach on the south east coast each summer (in July or August) for more than 30 years. It’s a two-week beach party.

A festival is held in Tuineje every October to celebrate the island’s defeat of invading English pirates in 1740.

In November the International Kite Championship creates a colourful spectacle on the sand dunes at Corralejo.

Car hire: There is a good road network on much of the island so hiring a car is a practical way to explore. However, it’s advisable to get a 4x4 vehicle if you want to use the dirt roads to reach some of the wilder areas.  Drive on the right-hand side. Quad bikes, buggies, bikes, e-scooters (the ones with electric motors) and bikes can also be hired.

Buses: The island has regular, reliable and air-conditioned bus services in most resort areas. The service is less regular to more outlying towns and villages.  It can become expensive if you plan to make long journeys. Discount cards are available.  The bus services and times are on-line.

Taxis: There are ranks in most towns for licensed taxis. Vehicles are usually white and will have a meter, although it’s a good idea to ask for an estimated price first. Most drivers speak some English.

Ferries: There are regular return ferry trips across the nine miles from Corralejo to Playa Blanca on Lanzarote and to the much closer island of los Lobos.

Unspoilt countryside that has barely been touched by man was one of the reasons why the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) made the island a Biosphere Reserve. The status is only granted to places which have a long historic link between the human occupants and nature.

In 2015 it was also recognised by Unesco as a Starlight Reserve because the sky is devoid of artificial light and full, instead, of the spectacular sparkling lights of thousands of stars and planets.

Fuerteventura is believed to be the oldest of the Canary Islands and volcanic action can be traced back 20 million years. Much of the northern part of the island is still covered in lava from those eruptions.

Experts say Fuerteventura once had mountains that towered 3,000 metres into the sky. Now the highest of the small mountains that remain is 800 metres high.

Four areas of the islands have been identified as natural parks, a status that protects them from unwanted development and other changes.

WINDMILLS have been part of island life for centuries, traditionally used to grind cereals and pump water. There are still lots of them to see, in varying states of repair and they make pretty pictures. Modern windmills, or wind turbines, are now in use to generate electricity.

THE BLACK volcanic beach of the tiny hamlet of Pozo Negro on the east coast is a peaceful retreat. Nearby at Atalayita are the remains of an ancient settlement built more than 600 years ago out of the larva stones. Climbing the peak of the nearby volcanic cone provides a great view of the archaeological site.

Ancient engravings of ships found at an archaeological site near La Oliva may depict Phoenecian ships, suggesting the island may have had tourists two or three thousand years ago.

TWO CAPITALS:  Betancuria, a pretty little town tucked away in the mountains in the centre of the island, was the capital until the middle of the 19^th century. Its church was built in 1620 to replace one burned down by pirates.  There is a museum and some art and craft shops.

Puerto del Rosario, on the east coast, became the main port and administrative centre. The town, once a small port called goat harbour, has a museum and art gallery, about 100 statues and sculptures adorning the promenade and other public spaces, and a local produce market on the top floor of the bus station every Saturday morning. 

What are those cute little animals that run wild in parts of the island? How does a desert island get enough water for everyone? And why did a cruise liner that won medals in World War Two sink off the west coast? Find out in our blog.