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Fuerteventura - A Beach Lover's Paradise
By Alan Hayes, Thu Dec 8th
Fuerteventura - blessed with over 150 beaches - is one of theleast spoiled and the least discovered of the Canary Islands. With a dramatic volcanic landscape, little rainfall and all yearround warm temperatures, the desert landscape is unique andlarge areas of the island are protected parks. VisitFuerteventura and you are stepping back to the way Spain wasperhaps 30 years ago - no high rise buildings and a relaxed andgentle way of life, clean streets and beaches. Unlike its more touristic and built-up neighbours of Tenerife,Lanzarote and Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura is a place to come torelax, unwind and step back in time. No dusk-to-dawn open airdiscos, no Club 18-30 ... a place where goats outnumberresidents. (Article continued below)
The island, the closest of the Canaries to Africa, has anembarrassment of beaches - some are in deserted coves and littlefishing villages, others down little dirt tracks - but the mostpopular ones can be reached from the main roads. Not that main roads resemble those found in mainland Spain orthe UK. They are well maintained and mostly straight but thelack of traffic is the first thing you notice. And the lack oftraffic lights. So far I've found one on the island - and thathas never worked! Travelling is easy ... buses and ferries are cheap, run to timeand integrate with each other so you can get from, say, Caletade Fuste to Corralejo with ease. Caleta de Fuste is very much an up-and-coming resort geared tofamilies. You can find restaurants of all nationalities to suitall tastes and all pockets. There are shops and bars where you can choose to have a quietdrink and watch the world go by. Entertainment can be found -everything from live groups and cabarets to karaoke, quizzes andbingo - but it is not as "in your face" as Benindorm or theCosta del Sol. There are even places open to the early hours -but you won't be disturbed if you want a quiet night Even theairport here turns off the runway lights and locks up at nighttime! Caleta has a golden sandy beach set in a bay shaped like a horseshoe. The gently sloping shore makes for very safe bathing andthis beach is the one most holidaymakers head for. But there isa south beach - reclaimed from the sea and landscaped into smallbays which are dotted with small circular brick structures toprovide some privacy. Fuerteventura (Fuerte - strong: Ventura - happiness) has beendescribed as "the land that time forgot". It is the secondlargest of the Canary Islands and coming here really is likestepping back in time! Many people mistakenly believe the nameof the island stands for "Strong Wind" and although there isoften a steady, pleasing breeze, this is usually a welcomerelief that makes the hot temperatures a pleasure. It also makes Fuerteventura a water sport paradise -windsurfing, surfing and kite surfing take place all over theisland. Landing at the airport, the first thing you arestruck by is the stark, lunar-like landscape. But explore beyondthat and you find vast sweeping sand dunes, lagoons, littlefishing villages and isolated sandy coves. Caleta de Fuste is an ideal base for exploring this island beingmidway between north and south.You can find apartments to rentthere at FuerteventuraSunshine Holidays: Heading north is Corralejo where the first few self cateringapartments appeared all those years ago. Now, it is a bustlingresort and the holiday industry has taken off in a big way. Approaching Corralejo the landscape gives way to miles ofimmense shimmering sand dunes reminiscent of Saharan Morocco,just 60 miles to the east. The famous dunes are now a protectednational park. Corralejo town itself still retains some of the charm of it'searly days especially around the old harbour area. From here youcan see spectacular views of Lanzarote and the Isle of Lobos -well worth a visit if you find even the pace of life onFuerteventura a little too much! Also in the north of the island is El Cotillo, a paradise forsurfers. This lovely relaxed village has some great beaches,interesting lagoons and some good restaurants and bars. As youhead into the village you will come across the new harbour. Tothe left are vast golden beaches and to the right, lagoons. Onthe left of the village is the Forteleza del Toston, a roundstone fort built in 1790 to defend against pirates. And about 9kms out the lighthouse Faro de Toston where you will finddelightful bays. The beaches are made for water sports lovers and manyexperienced surfers head to the stretches of sand between ElCotillo and Corralejo. The lagoon area is much calmer andpeaceful - white beaches with crystal clear waters. This village is a shrine to the Virgin de Buen Viaje (goodtravel) and these words can be seen painted on the cliffsoverlooking the old harbour. Heading from Caleta de Fuste to the south of the island are thebeaches of the Jandia Peninsula, almost 20kms of vast whitebeaches some over 1kms wide. This huge area includes golden white shores which vary frompretty coves backed by low cliffs at the Costa Calma end to hugedunes, vast desert-like areas and lagoons. It also includes thebeach immortalised on thousands of postcards. The Playa deSotavento is probably one of the most photographed beaches inEurope. It is also a spot where surfers flock to. The PWA worldwindsurfing speed and slalom event draws the best windsurfersevery year and the world kite surfing championship was held in2005. At the southern end of the Jandia Peninsula is Morro Jable,another well developed resort with golden beaches and one whichis well loved by German package tour operators. So loved, infact, that even many road signs here are in Spanish and German. With so many beaches, not surprising naturists also love theisland. It would be impossible here to list them all but thereis a very good guide to the best beaches - and to the bestnaturist beaches - at the Holiday Fuerteventura island guide. But Fuerteventura is not just about beaches. It is also aboutsightseeing. One of the most awesome sights on the island is theshipwreck of The American Star - a huge ocean-going liner whichran aground in a deserted cove several years ago undermysterious circumstances. How this huge ship - once the biggest of its class in the world- came to rest there is another story and a controversial onebut the sight of this towering wreck lying just yards off shorein a deserted cove just outside Ajuy is a very eerie andhaunting sight. It is not easy to find but again, theHoliday_Fuerteventura site has instructions. From here, take the mountain road to Betancuria - former capitalof the island - and you will be rewarded with some trulyspectacular views and the town itself is well worth spending acouple of hours in. Or try visiting Cofete - hard to reach but the beach runs forabout 5kms, is white and sandy and has plenty of room and at thesouthern tip lies Cofete village - isolated and used mostly as aweekend retreat. Giniginamar is ideal if you are seeking peace and quiet. Thebeach, bordered by palm trees, is of black volcanic sand and inthe village itself you can find local tapas and on theoutskirts, some rather exclusive properties. Arts and crafts are well catered for - Fuerteventura is notknown as the "island of sculptures" for nothing! On almost everyroundabout on the island, you will find a sculpture of some form! There are a number of museums - the craft centre at Antiguawhich is based around a converted windmill and the arts centreat La Olivia which has beautifully landscaped gardens and whichfeatures many works by the Canarian artist Alberto Manrique. OrLa Alcogida, a living museum based around a village which showsyou the way Canarians lived years ago. There are many other parts of Fuerteventura that lie hidden fromthe mass tourism market - long may it remain that way! About the author:Alan Hayes is a businessman who discovered Fuerteventura andstayed there. He now runs Fuerteventura Holidays and Homes: a holiday lettings and propertymanagement business. Also visit HolidayFuerteventura: for a complete guide to Fuerteventura | 