Fuerteventura: the marmite of locations
Fuerteventura is one of those destinations you either love or hate...
To some, it is a seething mass of oiled flesh, offering the very worst of mass tourism - tacky apartment blocks and Bars where you can pretend you have never left home.
Others flock to the land of eternal springtime, the125 miles of white sandy beaches and water sports galore. It remains the least developed of the Canary Islands, so those looking for a second home in the sun can still pick up a bargain, but you'd better get in quick - of the 12 million tourists who visit the Canaries every year, more and more are recognizing Fuerteventura as the place to buy.
Spain remains hot property for Brits. One in four second homes are bought there, fuelled by low-rate Euro mortgages and the boom in low-cost budget airlines. The Spanish owned Canary Islands have two provinces; at the East lie Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, and to the West, Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro.
Just off the Coast of Western Africa, they bask in 3000 hours of sunshine a year compared with less than 1000 in the UK. Gran Canaria and Tenerife have just been pipped by Fuerteventura in terms of growth, with dozens of developments taking shape. The new Caleta de Fuste 18 hole golfing development, on the North of the Island, hosted part of the 2004 Spanish Open.
Fuerteventura looks like a Mexican film set. Sun-worshippers will be in paradise but sightseers may not, as much of the landscape is red dustiness, broken up by lonely palm trees and herds of goats. Las Dunas National Park is worth a look- acres of white sand Dunes set against towering mountain peaks.
One sight that is not so scarce is naked flesh-most of the beaches on the island are nudist. For those who prefer the fuller coverage of a wetsuit, Fuerteventura's strong summer winds are heaven for windsurfers. Walking and hiking trails, driving ranges, water parks and shopping complexes are paradise for the active. And for the inactive, there is sunbathing to be done.
You can be on the beach in four hours, with regular year round flights starting at £150 one-way. Brits and Germans escaping freezing winters push the tourism industry through the roof between December to February.
Package tour companies dominate accommodation, to the disadvantage of the adventurous visitor, as there is a lack of resorts that don't boast full English breakfasts.
Property on Fuerteventura is cheaper than on the better-known Canary Islands.
Fuerteventura remains relatively underdeveloped, but Caleta de Fuste and Corralejo in the North are up and coming beach resorts with plenty of property for sale. New developments are limited to two storeys, so no tower blocks will be obscuring the sea views. Corralejo is set around a small fishing port, and bordered by beautiful beaches. Neighbouring Lanzarote is an easy thirty-minute ferry trip.
Fuerteventura is just the spot for some uncomplicated fun in the sun not far from home. Snap up a second home and an excellent rental return seems likely, but living abroad permanently in the land of the package holiday may be difficult.
Like most places driven by tourism, at peak season it can be heaving with a transient clientele. Families with young children and sun lovers will Revel in picture perfect sandy beaches, safe swimming lagoons and year round springtime. Culture vultures should consider setting their sights elsewhere. An eternal springtime is within your reach but don't be blinded by the sun.
Picture by WolfgangM