Highlights
Oasis Park
Fuerteventura is an ideal destination for family holidays and children will love an outing to Oasis Park. A dedicated conservationist zoo, there are live shows featuring sea lions, parrots and magnificent birds of prey. However, the stars of the show are the camels, with short camel-back rides for visitors. The zoo is proud to be part of a pioneering project into the research of camel milk and is delighted to be the owner of the largest camel reserve in Europe!
Outdoor Activities
Fuerteventura is a paradise for watersports enthusiasts. The island’s name loosely translates to ‘strong winds’, referring to the breezy trade winds that make ideal conditions for windsurfing and kite-surfing. The popular Grand Slalom World Cup and World Speed Championship are both held here annually, where experts show off their impressive moves. Throughout the summer months, amateurs can find plenty of spots to practise and improve their skills, in preparation for their own future glory! The International Kite Festival is also hosted every year, creating a spectacular aerial display of colour.
Beaches
Fuerteventura offers 150 kilometres of assorted beaches, blissfully cooled by trade winds. Some are better for high-speed watersports, while others offer gentle shallows, promising endless fun for tots. Our chosen hotel hugs a beautiful strand close to Caleta de Fuste, lined with seafront shops, bars and restaurants. Worth seeking out is the virgin beach at Cofete or the shimmering, 10-kilometre scoop at Costa Calma. La Concha Beach is also known for its white sands and marine-filled waters, while Jandia is perfect for barefoot strolls along dune-fringed shores.
Natural Landscape
Created from volcanic activity millions of years ago, Fuerteventura’s landscape is dry and craggy, yet full of life. At Parque National de Jandia, Egyptian Vultures and kestrels circle overhead, while a testing five-hour trek up Pico de la Zarza (the highest peak) will reveal peculiarly green and golden plantlife, merrily inhabited by teeny lizards. In northeast Fuerteventura, the sacred Tindaya Mountain’s 300 or so, foot-shaped, engravings intrigue historians and visitors alike. On a clear day, climb to the summit and glimpse Mount Teide looming on the horizon. Or sail to the little islet of Lobos off the north coast, home to rare birds and plants.
Golf
Fuerteventura is a perfect spot for a beach and golf combination holiday, with pleasant temperatures year-round. The island offers two 18-hole courses – the championship Fuerteventura Golf Club and Golf Club Salinas Antigua – both courses featuring beautiful sea views and facilities including pitch and putt areas, driving ranges and clubhouses. Both clubs offer golf lessons in a variety of languages.
Culture
It may surprise you just how much culture there is on Fuerteventura. Every July, the island hosts a three-week-long International Jazz Festival, attracting musicians from across the world. May’s Craft Fair, meanwhile, brings local artisans from across the Canaries to set up stands and show off wares. Follow the sculpture trail around Puerto del Rosario Sculpture Park, breaking for refreshments in a harbourfront café, and look out for the house of Miguel de Unamuno, exiled here in 1924 for slating the Spanish Prime Minister. In the island’s former capital, Betancuria Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography exhibits interesting artefacts from early inhabitants.