Standards
Electricity is 220V, 50Hz, plug has two round pins. The metric system is used on the Canary Islands. Decimals are indicated with commas and thousands with full points.
Media
Local newspapers and magazines include Diario de Avisos, Canarias 7, La Gaceta de Canarias, La Provincia and the English-language Island Connections. You can also get Spanish newspapers El Mundo and El País and the International Herald Tribune, Hello! and all the English and German tabloids. Fuerteventura Gazette is a free monthly magazine with lifestyle information that can be found in tourist offices. The monthly Fuerteventura Magazine, in Spanish, German and English, has current affairs and classifieds.
Television and Radio
Radio Nacional de España has four stations. Local FM stations abound on the islands and the BBC World Service can be found mainly on 6.195kHz, 9.410 kHz, 12.095 kHz and 15.485 kHz. The Canaries receives the mainland’s big TV channels (TVE1, La 2, Antena 3, Tele 5) and has a few local stations too.
Business Hours
Business hours are generally 9am to 2pm and 5pm to 8pm from Monday to Friday. Lots of government offices are closed on the afternoon. Shops and travel agencies usually open these same hours Monday to Saturday, although some are closed in the afternoon on Saturday. Supermarkets often stay open from about 9am to 9pm Monday to Saturday. Banks mostly open 8.30am to 2pm Monday to Friday. Big-city post offices open 8.30am to 8.30pm Monday to Friday and 9.30am to 1pm on Saturday. Most others open from 8.30am to 2.30pm Monday to Friday and 9.30am to 1pm on Saturday. Restaurants are open from 1pm to 4pm and 9pm until late.
Activities
The Canaries are a great destination for some fun in the sun and there is a diverse range of outdoor activities offered for young and old. The sea offers most of the action. In Fuerteventura from Corralejo, Caleta de Fuste, and Morro Jable, you can dive and windsurf. The waters off Corralejo are good for deep-sea fishing and the nearby waves draw in surfers. Kite boarding is also popular too, thanks to regular wind on the coast. Water-sports tuition and equipment rental are available. The island has a good selection of walking options. Companies that offer guided walks include Caminata and Sendifuer. Lunch and transport are included. Las Tres Islas is an annual event that see participants starting off on neighbouring Lanzarote with a swim, a hike and a bicycle ride, before rowing, canoeing or even windsurfing to Corralejo ending in a grand finale party on the beach.
Sports
Fuerteventura is a perfect destination for sports enthusiasts and, as a year-round destination, there is always something to do. Catching waves or sailing the breeze are the most famous sports here but there are also less extreme activities available. Fuerteventura has peaceful landscape and offers some great walking opportunities, with oases, volcanic craters, abandoned haciendas and rugged coastlines offering many beaches off the beaten track. The nature reserve of Isla de Lobos is also very good for walkers as you can take the the coast tour all around the island. Yoa can also climb up the Caldera de la Montaña and check the stunning view. Mountain biking in Fuerteventura is like cycling on the moon, for the fantastic landscapes. Many spots have bicycle rental services. If you like golf, Caleta de Fuste is home to the island’s first and only PGA championship-rated golf course, the Fuerteventura Golf Club. A more unusual, if predictable, activity here (given the blustery climate) is kite flying. If you’re in Corralejo in early November you may catch the three-day festival on the beach, when hundreds of colourful kites speckle the blue sky like a flock of brilliantly coloured birds.
Facts about
Canary Islands
Canary Islands
Coastline length: about 1500km.
Hotel beds: 176,000.
Local time: GMT +1.
Money: Spain's official currency is the Euro (EUR)
Language: Spanish is the official language, but English is widely understood.
Entry requirements for UK nationals: British citizens must hold a passport, but no visa is required for a maximum stay of 90 days for those holding a passport endorsed British Citizen, European Community, British Dependent Territories Citizen or British Subject. Other UK passport holders require a visa and a passport valid at least three months beyond visa expiry date.
Health: There are no health risks associated with travel to Spain, and no vaccination certificates are required for entry.
Communications: The international access code for Spain is +34. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the country code.
Tipping: Hotel and restaurant bills usually include service charges, but additional tips are welcomed for services rendered. In restaurants tips of about 15% are expected.
Smoking: From 1 January 2006 laws against smoking in public places came into effect and stiff fines will be imposed for smoking in areas such as enclosed public spaces, areas where food is prepared and sold, public transport, designated areas of bars and restaurants, and any places that cater for children.
Beaches: More than 150 idyllic sandy beaches only sparsely populated and many seldom visited at all.
Access: Fuerteventura is easily accessible from the other islands in the archipelago by ferry or air.