Fuerteventura family holidays and breaks

An arid, near-desert island that, although the second largest of the Canaries, is one of the least populated, Fuerteventura is the destination for a serious family beach holiday, with miles of white sandy beaches and a fairly constant wind (Fuerteventura actually means 'strong wind') making for fabulous conditions for surfers and windsurfers. Additionally, although tourism is the life-blood of the island, it has not been as badly exploited as some parts of Tenerife, for example, and you can get away from the main areas, Corralejo and Morro Jable, quite easily.

Capital City
Flying Time	4 hours
Carbon Footprint	2.42 tonnes CO2
Timezone	GMT
Local Currency	Euro

What to Do

Head for the coast and all the activities it has to offer. We recommend the Jandia peninsula, especially the Playas de Sotavento de Jandia – breathtakingly beautiful beaches with the best swimming, sunbathing and windsurfing. Most of the Jandia area is a national park, and you'll probably have to drive as it's quite hard to get to, but its worth it.

Discover the dunes of Corralejo in the north of the island. Corralejo itself, a pretty dismal resort, is redeemed by these dazzling white dunes that sweep back from the crystalline blue ocean in gentle rolls. They are also protected as a National Park, but you can sand- and wind-board along them.

Travel through the interior, which though pretty deserted, has a unique charm.

Where to Stay

There is a wide variety of accommodation on Fuerteventura to suit all family holidays, from busy resorts to secluded villas.

Popular hotel options amongst families are the Sheraton Fuerteventura Golf and Spa Resort and the Hotel Barcelo Fuerteventura Thalasso Spa, both for their range of activities for children and parents.

If you opt to go self-catering, family-friendly choices include the Oasis Dunas Apartments and the Aparthotel Broncemar Beach.

See the right-hand column of this page for everything from luxury hotels to self-catering apartments.

When

Fuerteventura is on the same latitude as Florida, so it's not surprising that temperatures rarely fall below 18°C or rise above 28°C. These minimal fluctuations in temperature, together with scarce rainfall, makes it a great year-round destination for family holidays.

How

Charter flights regularly fly direct to Fuerteventura's Puerto Del Rosario from many UK airports, including Gatwick, Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester and Newcastle. Check great flight deals with British Airways or Expedia Flights.

Flights take about 4hrs and Fuerteventura time is GMT+1/2.

See our family holidays car-hire page.

Eat

As on all the Canaries, staple 'international' food is widely available on Fuerteventura, which makes family holidays with fussy kids very easy.

But if you're feeling more adventurous, there are some interesting and delicious foods to discover, including gofio, roasted wheat, maize or barley that takes the place of bread, usually eaten with figs and almonds. Goats are the most common meat, although you can find a lot of rabbit and more familiar meats. Goats' milk cheeses are particularly delicious too. On most menus you will see mojo, a delicious spicy sauce used with everything. Mangoes, avocadoes and papayas are all particularly good here.

Cost

Prices for family holidays on Fuerteventura vary a great deal between seasons. As a guide, one week's self-catering starts at £300 in summer. Flights only start at around £130.

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