Fuerteventura holidays

Things to do

Explore your destination

Here's a little taste of what's on offer: for more excursion ideas, speak to your Rep.

Oasis Park Adventure
Take a walk on the wild side and cuddle a baby alligator, get a kiss from a sea lion or say hi to a hippo. This park’s home to a huge number of birds, reptiles and African animals and favourite attractions include the counting parrots and bike-riding birds.

Simply Fuerteventura
Leave Fuerteventura’s sandy coastline and head inland to discover its pretty whitewashed houses, cobbled streets and traditional handicrafts. You can sign up for a neck massage in an aloe vera factory, see the Aztec carvings on the doors of Parjara’s church and stop-by the windmill museum.

Kool Cat Adventure
Find your sea legs and pack your swimmers. It’s all aboard for a seafaring adventure. Your day’s about basking in the sun, sipping a glass of wine, taking a dip in the ocean and snorkelling in the bay. You’ll also enjoy a light lunch.

Volcano Express
Forget the beaches, Lanzarote’s got another hot-to-trot destination – the national park Timanfaya. Here, you’ll see geysers, hot rocks and even an oven powered by a volcano’s heat. Then there’s the brilliant green of the lagoon at El Golfo. And, if you’re worried about an eruption, don’t be. It hasn’t since 1824.

Highlights

• Topping up your tan on the endless sands of Costa Caleta’s golden shores, and when you’re bored of sitting still you can amble along the seafront promenade
• Jumping on the bus to the capital of Puerto del Rosario, a little port town where you can see Virgin del Rosario church and stroll alleys lined with shops and restaurants
• Hitting the surf on your Fuerteventura holiday: fanatics flock to Playa de Sotavento de Jandia, where the kite- and windsurfing championships are held each year
• Wandering around Fuerteventura’s former capital Betancuria, with its artisans showing off their crafts, 17th century church and museums, and cheese and wine tasting
• Walking and hiking across the island: a great way to see Fuerteventura’s rugged coastline, mountains and desert-style sand dunes
• Taking boat trips from Corralejo to secluded little islands like Los Lobos, with its gorgeous beach, great surfing and bird watching
• Touring the plains around the old village of Antigua, discovering pretty windmills and Fuerteventura’s dramatic landscapes
• Seeing one of the island’s most beautiful churches in Pájara, even if churches aren’t your thing, Iglesia Nuestra Senora de Regla’s golden motifs will dazzle you
• Sailing from Corralejo to Lanzarote to laze on Playa Blanca or Punta del Papagayo’s sands and see incredible volcanic landscapes at Timanfaya National Park
• Imagining 18th century Fuerteventura in La Oliva, with its black and white volcanic church, the House of the Colonels, a little grain museum and a pretty windmill

Food and drink

Mixing international favourites and traditional Spanish dishes, there’s plenty to enjoy on your holiday in Fuerteventura.

Head to the tapas restaurants of Costa Caleta, Jandia and Corralejo for a real taste of Spain, where top tapas treats include Papas Arrugadas, a potato side dish.

For a really tasty snack, try creamy goat’s cheese with crusty bread, finished off with exotic fruits like mango, papaya, kiwi and passion fruit; if you’re after something more substantial, order Gofio Amasado, a broth of potatoes, meat and honey.

Evening Flavour

If you’re looking for nightlife, you’ll find the best of the bars, restaurants and clubs in the island’s capital city, Puerto del Rosario, as well as great spots to people-watch on the waterfront avenue.

In fact, Fuerteventura holidays have it all: the top level of Jandia’s Centro Commercial is home to a few bars and discos while, in Corralejo, you’ll find enough sports bars, surfer bars, international restaurants and nightclubs to keep you entertained all night long.

Shopping

For unique souvenirs of your Fuerteventura holiday, head to Jandia’s popular market or Tefia’s fabulous Craft Village, where you’ll find lace, pottery and baskets made from banana leaves.

Shopping malls in Jandia and Costa Caleta offer up tax-free prices and, if you’re a water lover, there’s beach and surf wear for sale in all the major resorts.

Dates for the Diary

March/April: Carnival in Corralejo marks the beginning of Lent, with fancy dress, fun fairs, parades and open-air parties.

For the Family

• If your kids love spying for fishes or clambering round rock pools, they’re going to love Costa Caleta, especially with its shallow waters.
  
• What’s more, there are often sand sculptures on Costa Caleta’s beach, with sculptors offering sand castle-building lessons for kids.
  
• And Costa Caleta’s at it again with playgrounds and mini-golf.
  
• Most restaurants in Fuerteventura’s main resorts have kids’ menus, serving favourites like burgers and spaghetti.

Local weather

Information

Language: Spanish. Currency: Euro. Standard GMT +0hrs. Spanish Tourist Office: 2nd Floor, 79 New Cavendish Street, London W1W 6XB. Telephone: 020 7486 8077. www.spain.info

Travel money

Euro

You can get commission-free foreign exchange on currency notes and travellers cheques at most First Choice Travel Shops and Holiday Hypermarkets.