Did you know that the Canary Islands were named after dogs, not birds? There are lots of birds on the islands of Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro and La Graciosa but the name “Canary Islands” actually originated from the Latin word for dogs – Canaria. So you could as well call these islands “Islands of the Dogs”. 

The Canary Islands are only 100 kilometres from the African continent, but 1,700 kilometres from the Spanish mainland. Being physically in Africa, but politically part of the EU, this small island chain is like nowhere else in Spain or Europe. Moreover, each island has a very different landscape and geology—sometimes in a radically different way.

The Canary Islands have the highest point in the Spanish territories and are volcanic in origin. However, there are no volcanoes currently erupting on the island. 

Christopher Columbus used the Canary Islands as a stopover on his way to the Americas. This is why many of the settlers of Texas and Mexico came from the Canary Islands.

Among the islands, Tenerife is the most popular. However, I will write about Fuerteventura in my article today as we spent a week there, after not being able to travel for 7 months (because of the pandemic)

About Fuerteventura, Spain

Fuerteventura is the second-largest island in the famous Canary Islands of Spain. It is one of the oldest islands in the Spanish archipelago, with an age estimated at 20 million years. The island was formed by volcanic eruptions. 

Some of the beaches in Corralejo are among the best in Europe. Locals still call residents of Fuerteventura majoreros, and they are known for being very gracious and friendly people.

As we visited Fuerteventura during the Covid pandemic in March 2021, we didn’t get a chance to see the aloe vera farms, the cheese museum, the canyon Barranco de los Encantados or the dunes at Cañada La Barca where ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ was filmed. We stayed in the hotel most of the time.

Tropical Fuerteventura has a mild, spring-like climate, with warm, sunny summers and very mild, winters. February is the coldest month with an average high temperature of 18.7°C. It’s a perfect winter sun destination!

On Fuerteventura, you might experience a wind called “Calima”. It occurs when a storm or change in weather affects the Saharan Air Layer. It is normally very strong, bringing with it yellow/orange dust that turns the sky the same colour. Wind in Fuerteventura tends to be stronger than it is in most other places (hence the surfers love Fuerteventura), although Calima helps to cut the wind. 

In late spring or early summer, peak temperatures are in the mid-20s, rainfall is minimal, humidity is low, and it is one of the sunniest times of the year.

For us, the first few days were pretty windy and chilly when the sun disappeared, but we were lucky that Calima winds kept the weather mild and bearable during our stay.

Travelling to Fuerteventura during Covid

Visitors to Fuerteventura must undergo a Covid PCR test. The test varies depending on your circumstances. As we departed from Germany (that was in lockdown), I will explain the steps we took to be able to visit Fuerteventura;

• We took a PCR test in Germany
• We filled in an online form on https://www.spth.gob.es/ (SpTH – mobile application available) and received a QR code before our travel to the Canary Islands 
• Upon our arrival, we presented our QR codes to the Spanish authorities at the airport
• We showed our negative PCR test results to the hotel we checked in
• We downloaded a Radar Covid app (both in English and Spanish) so that we can see if we were close by any potential risk contact
• We did another PCR test in the hotel a day before our departure

At the moment, there is a curfew in Fuerteventura and everyone must be at home before 10 pm in the evenings, even if you stay in a hotel.

Staying at Aldiana Club Fuerteventura

A day before our departure, we booked our room at the Aldiana Club Fuerteventura. Given the pandemic, we wanted an all-inclusive hotel to minimize our exposure to other people. And it was a great decision after all!

Initially, we were considering the Robinson Club Jandia Playa and Melia Fuerteventura, however, Aldiana Club Hotel offered the best rate. Even though we couldn’t book a package with a hotel transfer, we went to the Aldiana booth in the airport and they helped us sort out the transfer. 

We drove an hour to get to the hotel. We filled out forms on the way, that explained all the details about the hotel, the safety precautions, and it allowed us to check-in fast and easy. Because most of the staff and customers are German, every form was in German and the staff was speaking German. I felt like I’ve never left Germany!

If you are looking to book a room at Aldiana Club Fuerteventura – make sure to ask for a room on the first floor (not the ground floor) on the clifftop. We were upgraded to room 705 and it was incredible! Thanks to Gaby and Auxi at the reception for making this happen! 

There were no crowds at the hotel, which worked well for us! We were the first ones to arrive at the hotel just before Easter break and when they opened for the season, so it was very quiet and peaceful! Everything was great, and the hotel bar, spa, and pool were absolutely perfect for our stay. No kids, no line, no screaming, and the restaurant wasn’t packed. We enjoyed all of our time there.

While I wouldn’t rate it as exceptional like other five star hotels we stayed in, the food was still relatively decent and in a good variety. The staff was friendly and they made sure to make us happy. Watching a theatre show, taking part in evening quiz event, learning archery and going to the beach were some of the things we did. Although the hotel does not have a private beach, it takes only a few steps to walk down to the beach and enjoy the sand and ocean.

In addition to the sea sports activities (extra cost), the hotel has a tennis court, a mini golf course, an indoor pool, hairdresser, a market, gaming room and a spa. There was only one restaurant where we had our breakfasts, lunches and dinners. The bar next to the pool is operating all day and this is where all the daily and evening animation activities take place.

The club is surrounded by plants – it was actually like a botanical garden! A heaven for cactus lovers. There were huge cactuses, bougainvilleas and various kinds of plants.

Upon our check in, we were provided with 2 bottles in order not to use disposable cups which I found great! There are water stations around the club where you can use to fill in your bottles.

The only few things we did not like were the fact that some drinks at the bar were not included in the all-inclusive service (not just the imported drinks but also all wines other than the house wine), and that the bar overlooking the beach view didn’t serve any food or drinks that were part of the all-inclusive. The rooms were good, but they could be better if there were coffee machines and more drinks in the minibar other than just 2 bottles of water. Also, being a non-German, I’m not sure if I could survive in this hotel not knowing neither Spanish nor German

The Spa was great. There is an indoor pool, 2 saunas, a relaxing area and a jacuzzi. The Spa Manager Uli was so nice to show us everything and telling us about the Covid precautions. Changing in changing rooms and face massages were not allowed because of the corona. If you’re planning to visit the spa, make sure to get your bath robes from there as you’ll need to wear them.

Overall, we really enjoyed our stay, the service and would definitely go back and stay at the Aldiana Club Fuerteventura.

What to wear in Fuerteventura in March

As I mentioned above, Fuerteventura is a pretty windy island. However, it might get pretty warm when the sun is shining. 

We were in Aldiana between 20-27 March and it was both cold and warm. At nights, we had to sit inside the restaurant as the outside wasn’t pleasant enough. However, we could sit outside on the porch of the restaurant for breakfasts and lunches.

As a Mediterannean who feels the cold easily, I couldn’t have gone out without my woollen scarf. Did I swim? Yes! The sea was cold but it wasn’t impossible to swim. 

So make sure to bring your swimsuits but also jumpers/sweatshirts and a jacket. Bring your flip flops but closed shoes/sneakers are a must for the evenings. Bring your t-shirts, shorts and some sporty wear in case you’re planning to take advantage of Aldiana Club’s free facilities. 

Have you ever been to Fuerteventura? Let me know which hotel you stayed at in the comments below!