It is always helpful to have some holiday information on Fuerteventura before you either arrive on the island, or if you need to refer to it when you are here. We have made a list of what we consider most important things.
112 – is the number for ALL EMERGENCIES. This should be used to call the police, the ambulance service or the fire service. The operators can speak a lot of languages.
Credit Cards: If your credit card is stolen, then contact your bank immediately to prevent fraudulent use. The main numbers are:
900-99-1124 for a Visa card
900-97-1231 for a Mastercard
Time: The time in Fuerteventura is always the same as in the UK and Ireland, and one hour backwards compared to Central European time. The clocks go back one hour on the last weekend of October and go forward by one hour on the last weekend of March, just like in the UK & Ireland.
Airport: All flights to Fuerteventura land at the modern Fuerteventura airport, which is 4 km south of the island’s capital Puerto del Rosario.
Language: The language spoken on Fuerteventura is Spanish, although English is widely spoken.
Money: The currency in Fuerteventura is the euro (€). There are cash point machines in all the resorts on the island.
Weather: The climate on Fuerteventura is one of the best in the world, and so it is an all year round holiday destination.
Electricity: The electricity supply on the island is 220-230 volts, and the sockets take two pin round plugs. If you bring any type of electrical device with you with another type of plug, you will need to buy a travel plug adaptor.
Health Problems: In order to get free medical attention it is necessary to have your European Health Insurance Card with you. All medicines on the island are sold in chemists; you won’t be able to get any at a shop or supermarket.
Clothes: You don’t need to bring many clothes on holiday to Fuerteventura, as most of the time it’s t-shirt, shorts and flip-flop weather. If your clothes need washing, then they’ll soon dry! You might need a jumper or light jacket for the winter evenings, but you’ll probably be wearing that when you get on the plane before you fly here. Nearly all the people here, including the locals, dress casually so you don’t need to bring smart clothes unless you like dressing up in the evening. Some 4 and 5 star hotels do require men to wear long trousers in their restaurant, for dinner.
Water: Tap water here is de-salinated water as there isn’t much natural rain water on the island. As a result, tap water is not recommended for drinking, so you’ll need to buy bottled drinking water in bottle sizes ranging from 0.33. litres to 10 litres. There are various brands of water available in supermarkets and shops, all at different prices. Tap water is fine for boiling and cooking, and cleaning your teeth.
Food Shopping: The main resorts have large supermarkets, such as Padilla Spar, Mercadona, Hiperdino and Inpescasa. In the centre of resorts there are more expensive Hiperdino Express supermarkets, and smaller local supermarkets.
Driving: There are plenty of car hire companies in the main resorts and at the airport. You drive on the right here. Driving is easy on the island, and the roads are well surfaced. Petrol stations are well spaced around the main towns.
Milk: All supermarkets sell UHT milk in 1 litre cartons: full,semi-skimmed and skimmed; some do sell pasteurized milk. The problem with pasteurized milk is that it goes off quickly because of the heat.
Cigarettes, Alcohol and Perfumes: All of these are much cheaper than in the UK, and local supermarkets will sell them cheaper than on your flight or in duty free. As the Canary Islands are outside the EU for duty then you are limited to what you can take back to the UK for your own use. The limits (per person) are as follows:
200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco
60cc of pefume or 250cc of eau de toilette
2 litres of still table wine
1 litre of spirits/liquers over 22% or 2 litres of sparkling wine or liquers under 22%
Taxis: All the taxis on the island are new and in excellent condition. The rates are metered, and taxis are a relatively cheap method of transport for short distances.
Valuables: Although the crime rate on Fuerteventura is low, please make sure that you look after your valuables. Keep your hotel and apartment rooms locked, and don’t leave valuables on display. If you are on the beach make sure that you keep watch on your property. After you park your (rented) car, make sure that nothing is visible from the windows, and put everything in the boot.
Wi-Fi : One of the most important needs for tourists now, is access to a Wi-fi signal. Many hotels have Wi-Fi and either offer it for free, or make a charge for it. Alternatively, many bars now offer free Wi-Fi. Keep a look out for the signs, which are placed outside the bars and restaurants. For more information on Fuerteventura hotel Wi-Fi, you can phone your resort, before you arrive.
Phoning Ireland, the U.K., and Europe: Phones in the street will take coins and prepaid phone cards, and to phone the UK you need to use the international dialing code of 0044, followed by the area dialing code (without the first ‘0’) then the number.
Mobile Phones: Your UK / European network mobile phone will work in Fuerteventura, but making and receiving will cost more, due to the extra roaming charges. You can also purchase a new Spanish SIM card from shops located around the island.
Post Office: The main towns and resorts have post offices (Correos), but most are only open in the mornings, and are closed on Sundays and holidays. Stamps can be bought from shops, and some hotel receptions. Sending letters or postcards to the UK (or any other country) is best done at a post office, as it will speed up the process, but it still might take 10-14 days for it to get there. For more information on Fuerteventura Post Office locations, and opening hours, click here, and type "Fuerteventura" in the "Town/city" search box, and choose "Las Palmas" in the province search box.
This holiday information on Fuerteventura will give you an idea of what to expect on your holiday. If, on your stay, you’re not sure about anything, then ask at the tourist information offices, hotel receptions, or speak to other people on holiday or to the locals. Fuerteventura is an island that relies on tourism so it’s in everyone’s interest to be as helpful as possible.
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