Las Dunas Residential - 131, Island Background

Fuerteventura is approximately 52 miles long & 12 miles wide with a population in the region of 60,000. This makes it the second largest of the Canary Islands but the least-densly populated. The African coast & the Sahara desert are less than 70 miles to the east.

The original inhabitants of the Canary Islands were the "Guanches". Carbon dating has placed the earliest settlement at around 200 BC. The Guanches origin, to this day, remains a mystery. Some historians believe them to be from Egyptian origins due to their methods of mummifying corpses. A few wonder if they were the decendents from the last survivors of the lost city of Atlantis, believed to be lost close to the islands. Others say the Vikings as a typical Guanche would have had tanned skin and been tall with fair hair and blue eyes. The Guanches were pastoral and worked the land. Their way of life was very basic - almost 'stoneage' - and the tools which they used were primitive. Wheels were unknown to them. The clay pots which they used were moulded by hand. Most were cave dwellers although a few of them did lay stones, one on top of the other, to form rudimentary houses.

In 1404, the neighbouring island of Lanzarote was conquered by Juan Bethencourt of Spain. In 1408 he went on to conquer Fuerteventura. He built a Hermitage, which today can still be seen and forms part of the Church of St.Mary in Betancuria, the original capital of Fuerteventura and named after the Spanish conqueror. By the mid 15th century, the locals lead an uprising against the Spanish, tired of being treated like slaves. This was their last (and unsuccessful) attempt at regaining control of the island. However, in 1740 the English decided to try their luck and invade Fuerteventura but they were greeted and defeated in the battle "Tamasite" near the bay of Gran Tarajal. The English were so surprised by the ferocity of the poorly armed locals that they retreated in fear.

Really, little has changed or happened on the island until the 60s when Franco allowed tourism into the Canaries and Fuerteventura started getting ready for a boom which, whilst arriving in Tenerife and Gran Canaria in the 50s and 60s, didn't get to Fuerteventura until the 80s.

Today the island is split into 6 municipalities :- from the north down they are La Oliva, Puerto del Rosario, Betancuria, Antigua, Tuineje and Pajara. Tourism is by far the biggest industry on the island. Other industries include goat farming and cheese making, farming tomatos and fishing.

Fuerteventura has a glorious climate all year with temperatures rarely dropping below 63°F (17°C) and more often above 82°F (28°C) during the day, and gentle sea breezes keep the island from baking. Rainfall in the summer months is almost non-existent, but showers are likely between October and April. Over the winter months travellers will need a sweater and light trousers for evenings, and possibly the odd rare cloudy day, but any other time of year will only need the bare essentials such as shorts and T-shirts.

Time: The Canary Islands are on the time line as the UK so there is no need to change your watches.

Electricity: 220 or 225 volts, 50Hz. European-style two-pin plugs are standard.

Language: Spanish is the official language, but English is widely understood in areas frequented by tourists.

Health: There are no health risks associated with travel to Spain, and no vaccination certificates are required for entry. Spain has a reciprocal health agreement with most EU countries, including the UK, providing free emergency health care at State run hospitals. UK travellers should take a completed E111 form, obtainable from most UK post offices. Note that private clinics are not covered, and the scheme gives no entitlement to medical repatriation costs, nor does it cover ongoing illnesses of a non-urgent nature, so comprehensive travel insurance is advised.

Tipping: Hotel and restaurant bills usually include service charges, but additional tips are welcomed for services rendered. In restaurants tips of about 10% are expected. In Fuerteventura value-added-tax is usually included in restaurant bills, designated 'I.V.A', and may be mistaken for service charge. Drivers of metered taxis expect tips of 10 to 15%. It is customary to tip small amounts, usually 5-10% for most services, including guides.

Communications: The international access code for Spain is +34. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 0044 for the United Kingdom). Pay phones are either blue or green and accept either coins or phone cards, which are sold at post offices, tobacco shops, and newsagents. Three mobile phone operators provide thorough GSM 900/1800 coverage throughout theCanary Islands. Email and internet access is available at internet cafes, available in the most towns and resorts.