FUERTEVENTURA: THE EXCURSIONS

THE CANARY ISLANDS: FUERTEVENTURA
(THE EXCURSIONS)

By Cams

In Fuerteventura, we did four excursions: 1) Fuerteventura Uncovered, 2) Oasis Park, 3) Quad Bike and Buggy Safari and 4) Catlanza Cruise.

Excursion One: Fuerteventura Uncovered

This was a guided coach trip, exploring the country’s culture and history, with various stop-offs along the way. This excursion is ideal for learning more about Fuerteventura, beyond the beaches.

Price: 51 Euros (£44pp)

We were collected from our hotel in the morning and greeted by our Tour Guide, Roger. Roger has lived in Fuerteventura for many years and was very knowledgeable and engaging. On first impressions, we were noticeably the youngest people on the coach.

We made around 8 stops in total, which included:

Windmill museum in Tiscamanita

This museum details information about the windmills and traditional life on Fuerteventura. Inside the museum are various objects that were used by former inhabitants such as traditional bakery ovens and millstones, used for grinding grains.

We were given time to have a good look around the museum and climbed to the top of the windmill. Before leaving, a traditional biscuit called ‘Gofio’ was made for us. Gofio was regularly eaten by the original inhabitants of the Canary Islands. It was pretty tasty, with a soft texture and nutty flavour.

Aloe Vera farm and factory

Aloe Vera is big business in Fuerteventura as they have the perfect weather to grow it in abundance.

At the factory, there was a massive field of aloe vera and we were shown around where the aloe vera products are made. There were products for sale and I was even given a lovely little neck massage, using one of their creams.

Aztec inspired church in Pájara

We made our way to the town of Pájara where we visited the second of 2 churches. This one was known for its Aztec-inspired decor and the donkey that was tied to the water-pump opposite it. I just had to get a pic with it!

Cheese, dairy and goat farm

We journeyed into Betancuria to visit Finca Pepe, a cheese dairy and goat farm, which also featured various animals, a museum and souvenir shop. We were given samples of goats’ cheese, a selection of marmalades and best of all… Honey rum! Yum! The honey rum is soo good there! (I bought some a few days later to take back to England).

Lunchtime

The tour was rounded up by heading to the last location for lunch. We sat 6 to a table, on the table was bread rolls, onion rings and a bottle of wine. The main course was chicken, potatoes and salad, followed with a small pot of ice cream.

As you can see from the pics, the lunch was certainly no thrills! However, it was included in the price and tasted decent.

After eating, Roger told us about a beach behind the restaurant. When I got there, I was amazed to see that it was a black sand beach. I’d never seen one before in my life, it looked so strange but beautiful at the same time. It was the perfect way to end a long day!

Excursion Two: Oasis Park

Oasis Park is a zoo with over 3000 animals and 250 different species. Some of the things visitors can do are- feed (some of) the animals, watch live parrot and sea lion shows, swim with sea lions and ride camels.

Price: 33 Euros (£28.50pp). As it was Valentine’s day, there was a two for one ticket offer on this excursion.

I bought two animal food bags at the entrance at 1 euro each, to feed the giraffes, camels and zebras. Feeding them was so fun and definitely the highlight for me.

Once we had seen every animal that you could think of, we settled down for some food in one of the three restaurants on site.

Excursion Three: Quad & Buggy Safari

There was the option of driving a buggy or quad bike, for a 2 hour or 4½ hour journey. We rode through desert dunes, past volcanoes, in the main roads, through beach lagoons and up to the coastlines. This was definitely my favourite excursion, so much fun!

We opted to ride a quad bike each for the 4½ hour journey. During this time, we made various stops to take in the beautiful views, and at a beach lagoon for a spot of Italian lunch.

Prior to riding our quad bikes, we:

signed disclosure forms (basically if we got hurt, we would be liable, not the company).
presented our driving licenses (you must have a full driving license to operate a buggy or quad bike).
were given protective headgear and goggles.
Shown how to operate our vehicles (obvs), it took a few minutes getting used to it but by the end, I felt like a pro!

Tip: Bring a scarf to cover your face and try to wear trousers. The sand, stones and dust, have no mercy!

Excursion Four: Catlanza Cruise

This was a boat trip from the coast of Fuerteventura to the coast of Lanzarote, including lunch and unlimited drinks (rum punch, wine, and soft drinks). When we arrived at the coast of Lanzarote, we were able to swim, snorkel and jet ski. This was another great excursion!

Price: 59 euros (£51pp).

The crew members were so welcoming and friendly. They kept us entertained throughout, and when they saw that my glass was empty, they immediately went to top it up with some rum punch. There was a variety of music playing as we journeyed towards Lanzarote.