Fuerteventura (Spain)

With a climate akin to Florida, and over 3,000 hours sunshine a year, the weather in Fuerteventura has enough warmth to blow the winds away and it's the closest destination we can think of for those seeking a blast of mid-winter sun. Resorts are spic-and-span enclaves of bright holiday complexes, friendly bars and craft shops galore. This is one island that goes all out to welcome holiday makers, but never sacrifices its character or culture. Resorts are well planned, family friendly and, with cheap holidays to Fuerteventura available all year, a great choice for those on a budget.

Beaches

Holidays to Fuerteventura offer the beach lover a slice of paradise, with whisper soft sands surrounding a resort-studded coastline. But these beaches aren't all gentle stretches of sand tailor made for relaxing afternoons spent working on the tan. Chose one of the island's more exposed coastlines and you'll be buffeted by a lively onshore breeze which means one thing - the surf is well and truly up. And the surfers are delighted. The island's reputation as a wind and wave surfer's Mecca isn't hard to understand if you've got your face to the breeze, and your lungs filled with zingingly fresh Atlantic air, delivered pure and fresh each day.

Eating Out

You'd expect an island surrounded with bountiful seas to feature a range of excellent fish dishes, and Fuerteventura doesn't disappoint. Sea bass, tuna and dorada are served with Canarian potatoes, papas arragudas, wrinkled and ugly - and totally delicious. Add a splash of mojo sauce and you've the textbook traditional Canarian feast! At Caleta de Fusta and Corralejo you've a range of restaurants covering all the bases, from Italian to Indian. Nightlife too offers the simple pleasures of a glass of wine and a great sunset, or a lively floorshow and a dance under the stars. That's partly why this island is so popular - holidays to Fuerteventura keep everyone happy.

Shopping

A purpose built holiday settlement within the gentle folds of the Fuerteventuran coastline, Caleta De Fuste's wide, traffic free shopping and leisure streets combine to create the perfect, laid-back holiday experience. Head to neighbouring Salinas, a small village where salt production was the chief industry. You can view the shallow basins where seawater was left to evaporate, leaving pure, clean sea salt - hence the village's name. Buy some at the museum - it's great for cooking. The Canarian shopping centre, El Campanario, is Corralejo's must-visit for retail therapy: here you'll find leatherware, ceramics, electronic goods and duty-free cosmetics. Las Rotondas mall in Puerto del Rosario is packed with well known Spanish and English high street names.

Nightlife

Fuerteventura's nightlife is pretty much as you'd hope a Spanish-flavoured outpost would be: lively, colourful, friendly and family-focused. It has a few spots where, obviously, those without children can party the night away, but essentially, this is an island of good-natured beer and sangria watering holes, just-about authentic Flamenco floorshows, and karaoke bars. It mightn’t be the most sophisticated nightlife you've ever experienced, but we bet it's among the most enjoyable. The liveliest spots are Puerto del Rosario, and Corralejo, the island's busiest resort area.

Activities and Attractions

Fuerteventura's unique landscape is the result of a series of volcanic eruptions over 7,000 years ago - tour the island's excellent road network and you'll uncover a surprisingly diverse terrain for such a small island. The mountain of Pico De La Zarza, a five hour round-trip for the fit, offers tremendous views over much of it. The Mars-like rocks, reddened with geothermal heat, give way to vibrant fields of Aloe Vera and, at the coast, the tell-tale humps of dunes and marram grass and, occasionally, a tricky championship golf course for those who like their links with extra frustration.