A week in Fuerteventura - unexpected adventures

The Canary Islands are an easily accessible and a colourful destination for the Hugnarian and other European travellers alike. Fuerteventura is the second largest island after Tenerife and it is the closest one to the shores of the African continent. We've been to Gran Canaria several years ago with Ádi. We had enjoyed it so much that we decided to continue discovering the archipelago.

I've read in many articles that Fuerteventura is not as well-developed as Tenerife or Gran Canaria, and the landscape is quite barren. Despite these, you can find the most beautiful and diverse beaches on this island. We spent a week there in early June. I didn't feel that the lack of green areas decreased the beauty of any visited sights.

My vacation began on a challenging note— I arrived quite sick. I boarded the plane (wearing a mask, of course) and spent the first 1-2 days recuperating. You can imagine what a torture it must have been for me to do it on the beach, right? This was the first time that we stayed at an adults only hotel. This seemed to be really exciting - only grown-ups without any children shouting or running around. It was a great hotel, our room was very spacious, equipped with a kitchenette and it also had an oceanview balcony. We didn't choose the all inclusive option, we opted for half board and we didn't regret it (Hotel Ereza Mar). It became quite clear to us, that it should have been advertised as 'pensioners only'. The average age was at around 60 years and it was also possible to rent mobility scooters for disabled people at the reception. We didn't mind it though, we were looking for a quiet, peaceful place. We got what we signed up for, but the whole situation had a unique sense of humour.

Armed with travel bloggers’ recommendations, we rented a car with airport pickup and drop-off. If you are planning the same, don't forget to take into consideration the opening hours of the rental companies compared to your arrival and departure time. It is possible, in many cases, to drop off the car when their offices are closed (our departure was in the early morning hours too); however the pick up could be problematic or not possible at all.

Parking across the island posed no issue, except at our hotel— free spots were rare on the street and the narrow, crooked lane to the private lot tested the vistiors' driving skills. No surprise that I wasn't the driver during this holiday (either). If you are travelling to Fuerteventura (or to anywhere in the Canaries), I strongly recommend you to rent a car. It is the easiest and probably the most cost-effective way to explore the island.

We visited the famous salt museum and a goat cheese manufacture where we packed up a lot of delicious cheese. We also saw an aloe vera plantation and multiple beaches too (Cofete, El Cotillo, Popcorn Beach, Corralejo). We went for a hike to the crater of Calderon Hondo and all things considered, I don't feel we missed out on anything.

El Cotillo

It is true, that we didn't see all of the places that were suggested on the travel forums. We travelled there to have some rest and my sickness also often made me feel tired. I'm sharing more details in separate articles about the day trip plans that we followed including all the places that you should consider visiting. It was a great experience to travel to Fuerteventura. Despite the barren landscape, or most probably because of that, the whole island had a unique vibe. We saw the wildest range of natural wonders and I recommend to include it in your bucketlist, even if you would prefer something greener (I'm also one of them), like Tenerife. Surprisingly, Fuerteventura made it to my favourites, regardless of my preconceptions.

For more details and trip ideas, explore the linked articles. If you enjoyed my post, don’t forget to like and share!