Fuerteventura, eastern Canaries
8 Dec – 10 Dec, 2005
Before writing about individual expeniences, we should point out in advance, that we had received mixed messages about the Canary Islands. While some seasoned travellers told us to avoid them and were horrified we were going (yes, Luregn, you in particular 😉 ), others told us to research thoroughly and choose our islands carefully, thus avoiding the commercialism and tourist build up to some degree. I don’t think it is possible to avoid the resorts, package tourists, theme parks, and other assosciated consequences entirely, but we hope that we do well.
Fuerteventura. An eastern island of the Canaries. Desolate and bare, but by no means unattractive. We stayed in the town of Puerto Del Rosario, and day tripped with a hire car. Some nice views and landscapes, some nice beaches (although a little cold and not really beach weather). A few beautiful old windmills dotting the interior. Lots of goats, both live and in our lunch. Excellent cheese (goats cheese, of course). However, Fuerteventura was really just a stepping stone, before going on to Lanzarote. Hence, our short whip around of a couple of days.
Independent traveller impressions, 1, after Fuerteventura: Well, the resorts along the eastern coast are ugly and boxy. We avoided them, at ground level, but had to “admire” them from the air as the final airport approach was along the coast. Particularly set against the stark and arid landscape that is Fuerteventura – almost treeless, giving no vegetation for the boxes to hide amongst. Puerto Del Rosario, though, gets the independent thumbs up (although not so many sights). Getting a car and getting about was easy. No bus groups encountered, only lots of other people doing it themselves in hire cars.
Tags: Animals, Architecture, Canary Islands, England, Nature, Spain (and Canary Islands), Travel
Richard and Jo