As much as I love autumn and the bright hues of red, orange, and yellow of the trees, I don't like being cold. With the cold and gray weather approaching Germany, I cannot help but think of sun and warmer times. If you too need to see blue skies, crystal blue waters and feel nothing but sun, escape to the ‘island of eternal spring’ called Fuerteventura. This fascinating island gets its nickname due to the fact that the sun shines 300 days on average a year. It boats pleasant year-round conditions and a temperate climate.

Translating from Spanish to “strong winds”, Fuerteventua is known for its rough landscape and beautiful blue beaches, perfect for kite-surfing or other water sports. The island is part of the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa.

With just a short hop from anywhere in Europe (about 3.5 hours from Germany), Fuerteventura provides the perfect laid-back Spanish atmosphere you can want from a vacation. Want to go on a quick getaway before the sun goes into hibernation? Consider this island as your next sunny destination.

Car Rental

Renting a car in Fuerteventura can be cheap, especially if you know how to drive a manual. Check out www.europcar.com or www.autoreisen.com for cheap car rentals. My boyfriend and I spent less than 100 euros on a rental for a week’s stay.

Accommodations

Accommodations in Fuerteventura are relatively cheap, a 3-star hotel and resort averages 73 euros a night. An entire house, complete with a kitchen and private pool, can be rented for about 50 euros a night with Airbnb. My suggestion: rent a car and stay at an Airbnb to get the full living-like-a-local experience. Plus, you can drive the length of the island whole island, north to south in about two hours.

Flag Beach

This flat, turquoise water beach provides steady side-shore winds in the summer, which is perfect for kite-surfers. Located outside the buzzing tourist town of Corralejo, Flag Beach is the most open and golden sand beach in the north of the island. Not the kite-surfing type? Not to worry! Adorned with reefs at both ends that go roughly 50 meters out to sea, Flag Beach is perfect for those who also want to get their feet wet as they walk along the shores, or have a quick swim in the warm, inviting water. Here, you can rent an umbrella and two chairs for just nine euros a day. Eat an ice cream with a book in your hand (like I did) and watch the kite-surfers as they criss-cross their beautiful and colorful kites around each other. If this isn’t paradise, I don’t know what is.

Corralejo

After a Canarian sun-filled day at the beach, head to Corralejo for some dinner and nightlife where you can party from dusk till dawn. Corralejo is a bustling small town situated on the north of the island and provides a mix of modern and traditional city vibes. Meandering through the streets you will find street performers, fisherman hoisting their fish for display (and eating), old shops, and the locals chatting alongside one another while sipping on sangria.

If the sun has you feeling depleted and hungry, head to Casa Domingo (Calle La Milagrosa, 31, Corralejo) for phenomenal tapas. This restaurant provides a great atmosphere with an abundant selection of tapas on the menu to choose from. The staff here are also very friendly and at the end of your meal, your server will give you sweet marshmallow treats on the house to enjoy. If tapas are not your thing, you can still choose from many different restaurants as Corralejo caters to every taste. The main street serves any type of food you can imagine, but if you are looking for more authentic Canarian dishes, head to the old town where you can get exceptionally good paella and seafood.

After dinner, head to the many bars and cocktail lounges, but don’t be surprised if you feel a little bombarded as the owners of the bars can be persistent. Bars in Fuerteventura can be competitive and oftentimes, the staff will try to persuade you to come to their bar instead of their competition. Now would be the perfect time to brush off your dusty Spanish.

If you have time before dinner and drinks, consider shopping and looking at the different stores Corralejo has to offer. Many of the shops have a ‘beachy' vibe and offer perfect souvenirs such as hand crafted bracelets and hats. Also, as the sun is so hot, many stores are closed between the hours of 2-5 pm for a siesta. They are typically open again after 5 p.m. and close around 10 pm.

Sotavento

As you go further south on the island, you will find Sotavento Beach, which is home of the kitesurfing and windsurfing championships held every year. ‘Playa de Sotavento’ is divided into two sections: Playa Risco del Paso and Playa Barca. If you’re looking into surfing, check out surf spots by Rene Egli. However, this beach was so windy that I experienced my first sandstorm. As exciting as it was, I would only recommend this beach if you are looking for water-sport activities. They do, however, provide a place to lie down in the protected small dunes if your partner or friend would like to surf.

Goats Galore

Don’t be surprised if you’re out and about and see a free walking goat. Fuerteventura is known for its abundance of goats. Until recently, there were more goats than people on this Spanish island. Every autumn the majority of the free-running goats are rounded up by the shepherds and their dogs, which are then marked and selected for farming.

Since you're in the land of goats, be sure to stop by the Museo Del Queso Majorero (Calle Virgen de Antigua 20, Antigua) or the cheese museum. In this museum, you not only learn about goat cheese making but also information about the history and formation of the island. If being around cheese makes you hungry, stop by the gift shop where you can taste and buy artisanal goat cheeses.

Whether you come for a weekend or a week, Fuerteventura is bound to leave you with memories to last a lifetime!

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