The Beautiful Unknowns of Fuerteventura

You’re probably already quite familiar with the holiday destination of Fuerteventura. The second largest of Spain’s Canary Islands is known for its beautiful white sand beaches, all year-round sun and windy water sports, making it a hugely popular destination for families and thrill-seekers alike.

Sounds pretty good, right? You might already be thinking about booking, but there are a few lesser knowns of the island that make a holiday to Fuerteventura even more appetising.

A Historic Paradise

Fuerteventura is an idyllic location that is 20 million years in the making. Thanks to millennia of volcanic eruptions, the landscape is contoured with deep craters, golden stretches and low mountains.

The island was also designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2009 thanks to its rich array of flora and fauna and is also an important site for fossil records.

It’s oldest town, Bentacuria, dates back to 1404 and offers an alternative destination from the island’s usual sun, sea and sand attractions.

It’s a Cheese Haven

One thing that’s not normally on the list for a sunny family getaway is the quality of the chosen destination’s dairy products, however, cheese lovers should take note that Fuerteventura is revered in the world of goat’s cheese.

Thanks to the island’s high population of goats, Queso Majorero has been a staple for inhabitants since Fuerteventura’s very beginnings.

Not only that, but it’s a recent winner at the World Cheese Awards and even has its own museum. If that doesn’t get you excited about trying some, nothing will!

A Hollywood Hit

Thanks to its ‘prehistoric’ landscape, Fuerteventura has played a starring role in a number of Hollywood films.

Ridley Scott’s Exodus: Gods and Kings turned the island into the Sinai Peninsula and Red Sea, while Sacha Baron Cohen’s The Dictator used it to save the production team a trip to East Africa.

Most notably, the latest instalment of the Star Wars series: Solo: A Star Wars Story, recently took advantage of Fuerteventura’s distinctive terrain.

The Hidden Gems

On an island only 62 miles long and 19 miles wide, you wouldn’t think there would be too much to hide, but there are plenty of smaller attractions in Fuerteventura that are worth your time.

Here are just a few:

• Barranco de Los Encantados: A beautiful canyon sculpted by the sea, the now above- water landscape is a spectacular rock formation that not many know about.
• The caves at Puertito de Los Molinos: Only accessible at low tide, these caves offer a wonderful alternative to some of the more popular caves on the island.
• El Pinar: The only real picnic area on the island and especially quiet on the weekdays, El Pinar offers a great place to take the kids and is one of the greener areas of Fuerteventura.
• Salinas de Fuerteventura (The Salt Museum): You can visit the museum for around five euros and also get to visit the salines.

The great thing about Fuerteventura is nothing is out of reach. On such a small island everything is accessible, whether you want a lazy beach holiday or to explore the island’s rich history. Likewise, being such a tourist hotspot means there’s plenty of amazing places to stay, like the villas from Villa Plus.

Whether you’re looking for a family holiday or a week surfing waves, Fuerteventura has something to offer everyone.

**Collaborative post**

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