Deserts and volcanoes? The European island you never thought to visit

Don’t fancy getting a plane that’s going to take a ridiculous number of hours to get to a destination that is half way across the world? A lot of people are very quick to dismiss travelling to countries in Europe because they’re too close to home. However, this is nonsense. Europe is a huge continent, full of magnificent countries that you SHOULD visit. However, if this isn’t convincing you, then why not try a country that is technically in Europe but kinda not?

The Canary Islands are very popular destinations for holiday goers, and just off the coast of west Africa, you are guaranteed sunshine all throughout the year. Despite being geographically part of Africa, they are still recognised as part of Spain and therefore European. However, some islands are less spoilt by the tourism industry than others.

Fuerteventura is one of these Islands. Ten years ago, the island was mainly desert, with lots of pretty fishing villages occupying it. However, now it is a lot more developed, but not in a built up skyscraper way. Many of the different resorts around the island have building restriction in place, preventing the development of built up hotels, meaning that a lot of the hotels that you can stay in are small and friendly. The restrictions were put in place to preserve the landscape across the island.

Fuerteventura is the oldest canary island, and translates as ‘Strong Fortune’ as well as ‘Strong wind’s’, as the island is known for its storm like winds, and therefore popular with windsurfers, who travel from all over the world to experience the world class windsurfing that the island has to offer. Sand dunes and desert cover the north of the island, towards Corralejo. There are many buggy tours that will take you all across the desert terrain and up volcanoes for a mere 60 euros. This is a exciting and fascinating experience, as you really feel as though you are in the middle of the desert.

Driving to one of the old, traditional, Spanish fishing villages is another must. These are surprisingly small and quaint, but still a brilliant way to experience the local culture, and get an insight of the island’s history. The island of Lobos is located to the north of the island, and is accessible only by a water taxi from Corralejo for 20 euros. The island offers fantastic snorkelling and diving opportunities, with a handful of diving excursions available to partake in. If you are not a huge fan of swimming, the shallow waters near the island provide a marvellous spot for paddling in and having a splash.

The island is known as the ‘forever spring’ as the temperatures are what you would expect from a sunny spring day. Not too hot, yet still hot enough to enjoy yourself without having to wear a jacket.

Freuteventura really is an amazing place to experience a slightly different Spanish culture that you will have never seen before, and is a hundred years away from any typical Spanish holiday where tourism has really taken over. Get yourself a cheap flight, which will only take 4 hours from any UK airport, and experience this fabulous island for yourself.