Going in a few weeks, 7 nights. The hotel is only a 10 euro taxi ride from the airport, but it has been suggested that we hire a car to explore the island.
Is it worth doing? All suggestions welcome, except "don't go" as I have done the money!
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My one and only (never to be repeated) ventures to the Canaries was to Gran Canaria.
Stepping over enormous cockroaches, outside in the evenings. Returning to the apartment to find their smaller brethren scuttling all over the work surfaces. Complaining and being moved to another apartment that was infested with bedbugs. That's not to mention the aggressive 'come and buy' from retailers and restaurants. I'll never have another holiday with 'son-of-thom' again.
Hired a car and the scenery was magnificent.
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Ventured there in 2000. Very windy sometimes uncomfortably so. One beach I swam off had a seriously dangerous undertow. I was quite lucky!!! Take care.
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Next time Mush do the sensible thing and go to Madeira.
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My brother is there at the moment, him & wife, staying in a 4 bed villa out in the sticks. Their third visit in 8 months, so obviously they like the place. They have a hire car for the duration and have a drive most mornings.
He sent me a few pics and the weather seems to be improving. If you need any specifics I can drop him an email... he must be an expert on the island by now!
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Not even if you paid4me to go DM.
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Thanks all. Car it is then, if only to run over the 'roaches.
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Make sure they are slicks. Don't want the roaches escaping within the tread pattern.
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Whatever you do don't use Goldcar car hire. A little googling and a visit to the Tripadvisor forum will tell you why.
Cicar are a good reliable local company who operate on all the islands. I have used them on Lanzarote and La Gomera and they are first class.
www.cicar.com/EN/fuerteventura-car-hire
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Worth checking out what all the extras will be on the hire car - last time I went to Spain I bought one of those insurance excess policies before I left - £40 for a year - then just refused all the extra add ons at the airport which came to quite a bit for 2 weeks. Hire car co didn't like it as I guess there is very little profit in a straight hire car, and they pre authorised my credit card for something like 1000 euros, but I had no issues when I returned it
Last edited by: mikeyb on Thu 26 Jan 17 at 12:03
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Yeah I used Goldcar on one of the islands a few years back. No real problems except a 90+ minute wait in a queue of frustrated holidaymakers to pick the thing up.
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Done, (if that is the right word) car from Thrifty via Ryanair for simplicity - £16/day + £38 to cover all the possible excesses, for a Kangoo with aircon. Should have a bit more elbow room than a Hyundai i10 for a fiver a day less.
The supplier feedback rating for Goldcar was indeed the worst at 4/10 vs 7-8 for all the others. That would have been enough to make me swerve aound them.
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From visits to Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Tenerife and from TA forums I believe Cicar are OK, but I have always used Autoreisen. Fair in every respect, including fuel. Trouble-free every time. Offices in the airports, cars on-site.
Reserve in advance, pay your quoted price when you arrive.
We are back in 'Rife in a couple of weeks - Renault Twingo (a/c) or similar €108 for 8 days.
Last edited by: Focal Point on Thu 26 Jan 17 at 14:59
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Yes Autoreisen are OK too too. Have used them in Lanzarote. All their cars are white and they don't have the company name on them!
Both they and Cicar are reputable local firms. Cicar have the advantage if you are visiting more than one island that they are happy you take their cars on the ferry which can be handy if you are visiting La Gomera where you have to get a ferry from Tenerife.
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Went to Fuertaventura years ago as young families. Three families. We arranged hire cars, Citroen Saxos for 3 days to do a tour of the island.
Got to the hire office, I opened the door to let the other two guys in so was last to get my car.
Guy 1, with the three kids, got a Saxo.
Guy 2, no Saxos left, got an open top Vitara.
Then me, employee very apologetic, but handed me the keys to a huge Jeep Wrangler!
Well that was a brilliant 3 days, up and down the beaches in the Jeep!
And that's before I mention the curfew in the airport where we ended up taxiing down the runway whilst the passengers were all standing putting their cases in the overhead lockers!!
Brilliant place!
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>> Not even if you paid4me to go DM.
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What! Madeira?
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Yep, I prefer the Canaries/Spain to Madeira/Portugal. The wevver is better too (in Winter)
A rellie has just come back from Cape Verde, all very nice + 28°C, but said islands don't appeal to me.
I like Spain, its islands, and its people + I can hablo a fair bit of its lingo.
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Happily, there were no cockroaches, at least visible ones, anywhere that we went.
Hotel was about 5km from the airport. Very comfortable and super clean, although the food was bland and all self service, which becomes tedious with scores of people milling about hunting and gathering at breakfast and dinner. We had half board, but we chose to eat out on two evenings.
Dog, we noticed the preference of Germans for the south of the island - or maybe vice versa - the cafes advertising coffee and cake were a give-away! I preferred Corralejo to Morro Jable/Jania, although I am not interested in its 'designer' shops. My favourite spot was Los Mollinos, a fairly isolated outpost with one bar and a huddle of low white buildings on the west coast, with a rocky shore and some big waves breaking. I also liked the historic capital, Betancuria, in reality quite a small village but pretty. El Cotilla might be interesting, it doesn't seem to have much tourist development - on a very brief visit, parts reminded me of Larnaca in Cyprus nearly 30 years ago.
Weather was very pleasant, around 20 degrees with a constant breeze, invariably from the N-NNE. It's unlikely, though not impossible, that we will return - neither of us is really interested in sunbathing and we have seen most of the island, albeit superficially. Main reason for going was to socialise with friends, and to be somewhere less grey and a bit warmer for a few days and it worked for that.
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It is nice to escape the greyness...I returned yesterday after 28 days staying in Moraira, on the Costa Blanca. And today the weather was glorious in upper Ribblesdale! We only had a few cloudless sunny days, but were active every day... mountain walks, coastal walks, overnight city visits ( Alicante & Valencia)
Dirt cheap car hire from Alicante.... friends were renting, full to full on fuel, for €7 a week through DoYouSpain. We paid €114 for 28 days, full to full fuel, .direct with Autoclick. Would have been €78 but my pal is over 70. Fiat 500L Pop Star.
Returning to same area...within 1/4 mile, later next month. Taking my old mum with a few of my friends before it gets too warm. Decent posh villa this time, not a cheap bungalow!
Last edited by: legacylad on Mon 6 Mar 17 at 21:40
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Here's some shots of Playa Barlovento and Sotavento to entice you back to the island, Manatee.
I intended to check out Barlovento while we were on the island, but it's a bit remote and we were only there for a few days. You certainly got around while you were there - glad you enjoyed it and that the weather was okay.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-zAOfG4fdw
www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/bestbeaches/7967459/Best-beaches-in-the-Canary-Islands-Spain-Sotavento-Fuerteventura.html
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Fuerteventura - bathtub tom
