FUERTEVENTURA
ABOUT FUERTEVENTURA
Fuerteventura is a sunny, breezy, leaf-shaped island in the Las Palmas province of Canarias. It is the oldest island in the archipelago, and also the second-largest by landmass. The original inhabitants (settlers from North Africa) were referred to as majoreros, and still today the word is used to describe people living on the island. La cultura majorera is a great point of pride, and great steps have been taken to preserve the traditions and landscapes that make the island unique. Past grantees note that for the most part, the island is quite environmentally conscious, and the community does its best to maintain and protect the land.
Fuerteventura is divided into six municipalities: Antigua, Betancuria, La Oliva, Pájara, Puerto del Rosario (capital), and Tuineje. The population is ~113,000, but less than half of all inhabitants were born on the island. Many others come from other Canary Islands, the peninsula, or, increasingly, other countries. The majority of tourism–the primary driver of the island’s economy–comes from Germany and England.
Fuerteventura has several football clubs, with two in Spain’s Tercera División – CD Unión Puerto del Rosario and CD El Cotillo – while other clubs play within Interinsular Preferente. There are also many terreros (courts for lucha canaria) scattered throughout the municipalities, and several clubs for juego del palo, which is a martial art that originated among indigenous populations in Canarias.
Throughout Canarias, Fuerteventura is most known for two things: its beautiful beaches and its wind (the island’s name speaks for itself)! It is the force that has shaped the beautiful, almost martian landscape of the island, and the force that still turns the vanes of the iconic molinos. Because of this, the wind has been lovingly integrated into the image of Fuerteventura.
Check out Margot's experience as a 2020-2021 TA in Fuerteventura:
TRANSPORTATION
Fuerteventura has its own primary guagua service, known as TIADHE. Past grantees note that TIADHE schedules are not connected to Google Maps, so you must check the website to learn the times and routes! Once you have your empadronamiento, you can obtain a bono resident discount card which affords you a 50% discount on long distance rides and a 30% discount on shorter rides. However, if you will be riding the guagua every day or very frequently, you can also pay 20€ per month for unlimited rides. Be aware that buses (and ferries) run more infrequently/at different times on weekends, and especially on Sundays.
Taxis are present all over the island, and are typically reasonably priced for short distance trips. There are multiple car rental agencies across the island, though none currently in Gran Tarajal as it is not a major port of arrivals. A past grantee noted you should never hesitate to ask your friends or fellow teachers for rides, as they understand the difficulty of making it around the island without a car of your own.
You can find public transportation information specific to the airport here. Note that the bus running between Gran Tarajal, Puerto del Rosario, and the airport is line 16.
For more information on arriving to Fuerteventura, check out the Canarias Travel Guide.
MARKETS & SUPERMARKETS
Grantees in Puerto del Rosario most often shopped for food at HiperDino (Canarian supermarket chain) due to proximity, but liked to shop at Mercadona when they had a rental car. There are four Mercadona locations in Fuerteventura: Puerto del Rosario, El Matorral, Esquinzo, and La Oliva.
Puerto del Rosario has a farmers’ market called Mercado Agrario la Biosfera every Saturday from 8:00-14:00 next to the estación de guaguas.
Once every three months on a Sunday, there is a large food and craft market in held in Tetir. Keep an eye out for dates and times, as they change each year.
The grantee in Gran Tarajal frequented both HiperDino and Supermercado Padilla.
EXERCISE
Fuerteventura offers a variety of outdoor activities to keep you moving during your time on the island. The island is most known for windsurfing, scuba diving, sailing, swimming, hiking, and more. For information and recommendations for hiking, beaches, and more, visit the Outdoor Activities section of the Ocio guide.
LANGUAGE CLASSES
Fuerteventura Language School in Puerto del Rosario offers basic group and intensive individual courses at all levels, and combines classes with cultural and outdoor activities.
La Tierra in Puerto del Rosario hosts language intercambios. Check out their Facebook page to see upcoming events.
SHOPPING
Fuerteventura has numerous malls and markets where you should be able to find just about anything you need.
Puerto del Rosario: Centro Comercial Las Rotondas
Caleta de Fuste: Centro Comercial Atlántico, Montecastillo Street Market Tuesdays & Saturdays 10:00-14:00
Corralejo: Centro Comercial El Campanario (check out the belltower and the craft market every Sunday 10:00-14:00), Centro Comercial Las Palmeras
La Oliva: Mercado de las Tradiciones, Tuesdays & Fridays 10:00-14:00.
To visit cute shops in a fishing village, past grantees recommend heading to El Cotillo–and don’t miss the sunset!
nightlife
Past grantees recommend heading to Corralejo for the best nightlife scene. Many start the night at smaller bars and finish at Waikiki on the beach. However, they caution that if you do not live in Corralejo, you should have a plan to get home or have a place to stay as bus service stops at midnight and resumes at 7 am.
In Puerto del Rosario, grantees recommend La Tierra for live music and craft beers, including Fuerteventura’s own Laja brand.
In Gran Tarajal, keep an eye out for local concerts in El Recinto Ferial. A common activity is to “bajar a la avenida” for drinks with friends or a pizza at Pomodoro.