Fuerteventura, a Wonderful Island

The departure isn't the best...

Those of you who have been to the Canaries know very well that there are no direct flights between Rome and the islands (except for the flights made available by Tour Operators?) and so our Iberna flight stopped over in Madrid and Tenerife before taking us to Puerto del Rosario, the final destination of our trip. Two stopovers are long, inadvisable when you have small children?but in the end if you want to save money you don't pay attention to these things.

The thing you do pay attention to is when they lose your luggage!!! First of all the Spanish company Iberna is a real disappointment: the meals and drinks on board are all for a fee and you have no idea how expensive!! Well friends, for a flight that cost about €650 you expect at least a glass of water and instead?€1.50!!! Unbelievable, they think they're Ryanair! Anyway the flight goes well until Tenerife when our Jumbo arrives a good 40 minutes late and risks making us miss the connection with our flight to Fuerteventura. We run through the airport like madmen, arrive at the gate and manage to be boarded by a matter of minutes!! The internal flights are operated by a local company called Binter Canarias (there is also another company Islas Airways but it doesn't sell tickets in Italy).

It uses (like the other) ATR 42s with about eighty seats?with no seat numbering on board!You reach the aircraft by walking across the airport apron and I must say that seeing it?you are left a little perplexed?its turboprops don't exactly give a great sense of confidence!But then you don't think about it anymore and on board you discover that water and sweets are served for freeeeee!!! Unbelievable, on Iberia no and on Binter yes!!! Long live the Canarians!The flight arrives dead on time at 8.30 pm at the destination airport (to put it the Spanish way!) and we go to the baggage reclaim belt (checked in at Rome) and unfortunately we discover that?they're not there!!! You have no idea how sad it is when the belt stops and you are alone looking at this black strip that hasn't brought your underwear, toothbrush, etc. etc.

We go to the lost luggage office and discover that there are dozens and dozens of suitcases piled up from every place and several people queuing to ask what had become of their precious suitcase. Through the ticket they give you when you collect the luggage the lady (really very kind I must say) tells us that our suitcases stayed at Tenerife airport and that Binter has already checked them in and loaded them onto the first flight of the morning that will arrive at Fuerteventura at 10.37 the next day! She asks if we want them delivered directly to the hotel but knowing the phlegm of the Canarian Spaniards I tell her that I prefer to return to the airport the next day to collect them in person. Very shaken by this unhappy start to our holiday I go to the AVIS desk with my nice booking.

And at least here?no surprises!They give us a nice brand-new Renault Modus (1,500 km) with all the comforts (A/C, onboard computer, radio with CD, etc.) Seeing the car my girlfriend scolds me "I wonder how much you spent?wasn't a normal car enough?" When I show her the payment receipt she is left open-mouthed: €158 for 7 days, including all insurances (even the kasko). We know the island well, the year before we toured it all several times and so we point the Modus north in the direction of Corralejo. About 35 km separate us from the final destination and in half an hour we have arrived. It took us another half hour to locate our resort, hidden in a series of one-way streets. Hotel Arena was our choice last year then thanks to Teorema we were shoved 100 km away. This year we decided to go there on our own and quickly enough here we are at the reception.

Having got over the surprise of the girl who doesn't see our suitcases, she assigns us the room and tells us that considering the late hour (it was almost 11 pm) she would have something to eat brought to our room. Our accommodation is truly spacious, a large room divided into bed and living area, a large bathroom and wardrobe and a large terrace overlooking the pool. Air conditioning (a bit noisy to tell the truth), a mini-fridge and satellite TV complete the furnishings. The food arrives, two plates of cold cuts, two bananas, two bottles of water and?no bread!!!! Ok it won't be the end of the world, we are tired and without luggage?dinner is the least?.

The holiday begins!

We get up early and go for breakfast. Our booking includes half board as stated by lastminute.it The only inaccuracy (or oversight) is that nowhere was it specified that drinks with meals are excluded?in my opinion they should have said so. Anyway breakfast consists of a very rich buffet where you find everything?eggs, bacon, beans, bread, milk, jams, fruit?we eat everything, perhaps overdoing it! Just enough time to realise there are two pools in the centre of the resort and we are in the car heading to the airport. We park (the first half hour is free) and go to the arrivals area but we discover with great disgust and disappointment that our flight is?. Delayed!!! It will arrive at 12 instead of 10.37. But screw it?speechless we go out and drive towards Puerto del Rosario, the capital of Fuerteventura, which is about 6 km from the airport.

We have never visited it and putting a brave face on it we take the opportunity to have a look. What a disappointment! Maybe it was because it was Sunday morning, maybe because the Lonely guide also said it was nothing special?the fact is we don't meet a living soul, everything closed, everything deserted. We take a walk along the port just to kill time and then back in the car towards the airport!Once there we read that our flight?is no longer there!The monitors no longer show any trace of the flight we were waiting for!!! What the hell?So I go towards the exit of the terminal and ask the policemen to be allowed in to collect my luggage showing the receipt (which they don't even dignify with a glance).

He looks at me as if I had asked the most obvious thing in the world and motions me to go in!!! Basically we had entered the terminal through the passenger exit, without a metal detector, without a ticket, without showing a document!!So much for international terrorism and Striscia la Notizia!!! We went straight to the baggage reclaim and 55 metres away we were moved to tears: our suitcases there, nicely waiting for their owners!!! The guy in charge of the luggage observed the scene with great emotion and after having us sign a couple of forms he sent us away with our precious haul!!! Quick, to the hotel, we sort everything out and put on our beach clothes (finally!) and then, given it was lunchtime, we head to Corralejo to eat something. This too was one of the few towns we hadn't seen.

There is a single central street that crosses it and lots and lots of restaurants, fast foods, amusement arcades and shops of course. We head to the port area which is also the most characteristic. The area is closed to cars and so you can take nice walks on foot, bothered by the various waiters from the venues who ask you to eat at theirs and not at the neighbouring one?I must say they are quite folkloristic and after a while you don't even notice them anymore. We eat in a place where they do grilled meat, we look for a quick meal because we want to get to the sea right away. We didn't remember the impact with the prices but it immediately pleases us. Two nice sandwiches with meat and fried potatoes and two medium beers cost us €10. We head towards Corralejo's dunes, one of the attractions of the whole island.

It is a beach formed by the sand of the Sahara desert that the wind has carried. The Sahara is in fact about a hundred km from the island and during furious sandstorms the very white grains of sand settle on this stretch of coast. Over the years they have formed the famous "dunes". If you take a photo facing the interior of the island you can easily say you have been in the desert. The beach is very large and very long, you will never find crowds. Park the car along the FV-1 and then you have to walk until you reach the sea! The real nuisance is the wind that blows perpetually and steadily and so lying on the beach without a sunbed means an almost guaranteed live burial!Don't despair because if you want you can rent a sunbed for €2 or you can take nice walks along the water's edge.

Alternatively you will find strange stone constructions, like little Sardinian nuraghes?they were built by the various holidaymakers to shelter from the wind. So find a free one, spread your towel and enjoy the sun! A little tip: put on high protection because the sun beats down hard?a nice regenerating swim and a bit of sun just to get us back in a good mood!! It was just what we needed!! A shame about the two mega-hotels RIU that they built right on the dunes (and then they say Italy has illegal building?) The wind is restorative and above all a godsend for kite-surfing enthusiasts who rage here. Opposite us, clear as day, is the figure of the island of Lobos. Towards evening we return to the hotel for dinner. In this case too the buffet is rich.

We won't experience our resort much but we will discover that there is evening entertainment with some little shows, that the entertainment is run by an Italian girl and that most of the guests are Italian. The hotel is about 1 km from the sea and there is a free shuttle service that takes you to the beach. But I say to all those who have been there and who camped out at the pool that they really missed out!!!

Welcome back Cotillo

On Ferragosto we get up and go for breakfast. A thought comes to us, not exactly above board?that of making ourselves sandwiches and taking them away for lunch, transforming our half board without beverage into full board without beverage!From this morning onwards our breakfast turns into an attempt to imitate Arsène Lupin to make 4 sandwiches and put them in the bag after carefully wrapping them in paper napkins. Moreover, being foodies, the sandwiches had to be strictly filled differently from one another!!! The waiters pretend not to see, the only difficult one was the maitre d' but in the end even he, busy with all the hotel's customers, could do nothing against the stubbornness of two nice kids. The destination for Ferragosto was Playa del Castello beach near the town of El Cotillo.

From Corralejo it is not worth taking the road north because it is completely muddy and interrupted at a certain point. You need to head towards La Oliva and then turn for Lajares and then El Cotillo. It is about 20-25 km and it takes no more than half an hour. Unfortunately the weather is not exactly fabulous, but we don't care much. The beach where we decide to spend the day is in our opinion one of the most beautiful on the island: very long, about 70 metres wide with a sea full of waves for surfing and kite surfing. Besides the overcast sky there is also a strong wind that forces us to camp near some rocks. After a few minutes we are surrounded by other bathers looking for shelter because the wind lifts the sand and lying on the towel is practically impossible. Here I try out my inflatable body board for the first time.

It is a simple board for body surfing but inflatable and with two handy handles to hold on to!!I go in and out of the water after three hours!!! Some with traditional body boards come closer and ask me where I bought it; many show a certain envy. Besides being fast and practical it is easily transportable by plane as it can be folded into a suitcase. The day turns towards the good and in the evening the weather improves considerably. Towards sunset we leave to take a nice shower and have a proper dinner. Then in the evening we go to Corralejo where all the holidaymakers of the area flock to stroll, have a beer (it is full of English and Irish pubs!) or to go shopping since the shops close around 11 pm. As for beer I recommend the Dorada, a local beer that is usually sold at €1.50 a pint and served in a frosted mug, kept right in the freezer!!

The conquest of the American Star

One of the things that had been left nagging at us last year was not having been able to see the American Star, a merchant ship stranded on the western beaches of Fuerteventura during a storm. The ship is famous because it is depicted in most of the postcards of Fuerteventura for the beach that the grounded ship has formed. In fact the American Star ran aground in front of a small cove and its size allowed the creation of a sandy shore where before there was nothing! At the hotel we ask how to reach this place and after the usual breakfast (with sandwiches to follow) we are immediately on our way. Compared to Corralejo it is about 80 km away, of which the last 7-8 are on a dirt road but fairly well worn. You have to pass La Oliva, head towards Tefia. For those who have never visited it I recommend continuing to Betancuria, otherwise go towards Antigua.

The road is longer but with far fewer bends. Arrived at Tuineje turn towards Pajara onto the FV 605 heading south. Be careful because the turn-off for the beach is not signposted. Go slowly and about a couple of km after Pajara you will find a dirt track on your right. It will take you to the coast where there are several little coves including the one where the Star lies. The ship is on the Playa de Garcey. Black beach, big beautiful waves and this ship that by now is reduced to a wreck; the sea has torn off even the stern and the front part of the keel. One cannot understand by what miracle it has not yet keeled over on its side.It is located not far from the beach and is easily reachable by swimming, something I strongly advise against due to the force of the sea and the danger of being slammed against the completely rusted metal plates.

This little cove, like the others before reaching this one, is used for free camping by local inhabitants, who have brought caravans and tents and created little villages. There is no rubbish around and I must say they are almost "unin

Los Lobos: what a disappointment

On the morning of the 17th we decide to go and see another attraction on the island that we had skipped the year before: the island of Los Lobos. This time we can't miss it, the island is in fact right in front of Corralejo and not visiting it really seems like a shame. The name itself has no explanation: Lobos in Spanish means sea lions, which apparently never stayed on the island. Some years ago there were monk seals there, which are now completely extinct. So no Lobos and no seals. But we go anyway, in defiance of the absent animals. To get to the island you need to go to the port of Corralejo. There you'll find several booths selling tickets for trips of all kinds?snorkeling, sailing boat trips?and then the excursion to the island of Lobos. The ferries that go to the island leave from 10, almost one every hour until 15, and then come back starting from 12:30 with the last one at 18.

The cost is 10 €. If you add another 2 € they'll take you on a 10-minute ride to show you the fish and dolphins!! But you won't see any, even though the boat has a glass bottom and you can see the sea floor, but honestly I think the last person who saw dolphins that way was Captain Nemo! We didn't pay any attention to that and went straight to the island. On the island there's only one beach, a dive to eat something, a guy (dressed as a pirate) selling drinks on the beach, a single white road that lets you go all the way around the island. We had the unhealthy idea of doing it?.atrocious heat, foot pain I won't even describe, for seeing nothing but stones, dust and shrubs. On the southern side of the island there's a lighthouse (not visitable) while on the south side there's an extinct volcano.

It took us about an hour and a half to do the loop, but masochists can also add the climb to the volcano for another 45 minutes!!Worn out and discouraged we went to the only (and very crowded) beach, Charco de la Galera, to take a swim (freezing) and get a bit of sun. But at 13:30 we take the ferry to go back to Corralejo because not only was the crowd increasing but also because the beach was disappointing with seaweed and stones. With a 20-minute crossing we return to Corralejo and head towards El Cotillo to savor a proper beach. This time, though, we continue south to reach Playa del Aljibe de la Cueva. You can also reach it from Playa del Castillo by walking along a rough road that runs alongside the sea (on foot, obviously). This little cove is in fact covered by a small promontory and depending on the time the tide covers part of this path, making access quite difficult.

The playa de la Cueva is a real spectacle because you'll find yourself with a 200-meter-long beach practically all to yourselves. Precisely because of the scarcity of bathers, this beach is particularly loved by nudists. Not that nudism isn't practiced on the other beaches too?on the contrary, you'll meet naked people practically everywhere in Fuerteventura. But this beach is almost an exclusive zone. No one forces you and so everyone behaves accordingly. But Playa de la Cueva deserves a visit! In the late afternoon I also find myself rescuing a guy who with his kite couldn't get back to shore. Together with a German gentleman I go and get him by swimming. The wind is very strong and venturing out with windsurfing and kite surfing if you're not experienced means really getting hurt.

In Corralejo for a few evenings now we've been going to an Irish pub on the main street, Avenida del General Franco. The manager is a very nice Irish guy and the terrace is cool and lets you sip a beer (or anything else) while watching the evening promenade. Even the music isn't deafening like in other places and the clientele is rather family-friendly.

In the Canaries it "almost" never rains...

Like last year, this time the rain makes its fine appearance on the arid and desert-like island of Fuerteventura. Incredible to say, but in the morning we're woken at 7 by threatening thunder followed by violent rain. After the "usual" breakfast we take the car and decide to do a tour of the north coast on the stretch that connects Corralejo with El Cotillo. Unfortunately the direct road from the north is closed due to roadworks. They're building yet another tourist village, something pharaonic?so we head towards Lajares and then take the north road towards the village of Majanicho. Once we reach the coast we leave the asphalt road and throw ourselves onto the dirt track, continuing west. The road immediately becomes muddy because of the rain. We arrive at two coves marked in the guidebook, La Seba and Punta del Ricon.

There are some daring surfers challenging the waves and the rocks that surface along the coast. The stories of the locals aren't at all reassuring: they say several tourists have lost their lives riding these waves too close to the rocks. We stay a few minutes but the rain is relentless and so we continue towards the faro de Toston. But surprise! Halfway it becomes impossible to continue?there's no way except with a 4x4. Besides the holes and the bumps, the mud is too thick and more than once we risk getting stuck. To avoid trouble (given that insurance doesn't pay for any off-road) we decide to turn back and go to El Cotillo on the asphalt road. Once we arrive at our destination we head to a fish and chip shop run by a young English family and order a hearty portion of fish and chips, since it's now lunchtime.

The weather finally seems to be clearing up and in the restaurant we find a nice gentleman from Barcelona who emigrated to El Cotillo and tells us that in a little while the usual sun would come out and we could go to the beach. And so it was! Once we finished our lunch we go towards the beach of El Cotillo at the usual Playa del Aljibe de la Cueva. We spend the afternoon body surfing and sunbathing after all the rain of the morning.

The beaches of Furteventura

We dedicate Friday morning to shopping in the town of Corralejo. We go to a shop on the main street almost right by the pedestrian area called New Territory where they sell t-shirts, sweatshirts and gadgets with the goat (cabritos) depicted, the symbol of Fuerteventura. After making a few purchases we head towards El Cotillo because we've been told that besides the usual beaches we frequent there's a particular one we haven't seen. You need to continue on the dirt road south once you reach El Cotillo and pass the beach of Playa del Aljibe de la Cueva. You have to go a few more kilometers on the cobbled road to reach another beach, Playa de Esquinzo. The spectacle is breathtaking because the beach is dozens of meters below the level of the road, on an impressive cliff.

Finally praise to the Canary authorities who had the good sense to build a staircase to go down to the beach! So no climbing, no free climbing to reach the coveted destination. The beach is frequented by surfers on the left side. If you continue to the right you'll discover that after a small promontory there's a beautiful little cove. We got there and it didn't seem true that there was no one. Around lunchtime besides us there were a couple of umbrellas and that was it, incredible! But we realized right after the reason: the tide started to rise and soon we were isolated from the main beach!! Pretending nothing was happening we took lots of swims and lots of surfing. The waves are spectacular even though the water was honestly a little cold. Towards 5 the tide began slowly to recede and only at 18:30 were we in a position to return to the main beach.

We had spent the entire day on a beach practically isolated. Going back wasn't thinkable: behind us an 80-90 meter high cliff and to the left a meter and a half of water with the waves crashing against the rocks!. With great regret we leave the beach at sunset and head towards our resort. Unfortunately our part of the vacation dedicated to Fuerteventura was coming to an end. We spent the evening packing and after dinner we headed towards Corralejo for one last Dorada beer

Destination Tenerife

Around 11 we leave the resort and head towards the airport. We stop to get gas (the first time since we arrived!) and, moved, I pay 22 € for a full tank of diesel for the Renault Modus! With diesel at 60 cents life takes on another aspect!! We hand over the car without any Avis inspector coming to check the state of the vehicle or whether we had filled the tank. All on trust, but in fact that's how it should be: people's honesty should prevail over contracts and fine print!At the airport we bask for a couple of hours browsing the shops and eating something. Then at 14 we take our bitterino (Binter Canarias) to Santa Cruz de Tenerife. (continues in the Tenerife story!)