Canary Islands - What am I missing?
Discussion
I keep seeing people posting on here extolling the virtues of the Canary Islands and as a winter sun destination it does appear very tempting.
However, I went there once, and it didn't fill me with joy. It might have been the particular Island. We spent a week on Fuerteventura and stayed near Caleta De Fuste. We had a villa with a pool near a golf course. The villla was fine. We had a hire car and explored the island.
There were two things that stood out for me.
We didn't have a single meal all week that was anything better than "acceptable" - the food wasn't horrible, but at best it was OK. We ate in several towns on the Island and the standards were pretty consistent.
We were there around March / April, and the weather was nice and warm - around 24 / 25 degrees. But the level of sunburn was on another level - warm, but not pleasant warm.
The sunburn thing I could cope with again, but the food quality was a real turn off. Is this just a Fuerteventura thing?
However, I went there once, and it didn't fill me with joy. It might have been the particular Island. We spent a week on Fuerteventura and stayed near Caleta De Fuste. We had a villa with a pool near a golf course. The villla was fine. We had a hire car and explored the island.
There were two things that stood out for me.
We didn't have a single meal all week that was anything better than "acceptable" - the food wasn't horrible, but at best it was OK. We ate in several towns on the Island and the standards were pretty consistent.
We were there around March / April, and the weather was nice and warm - around 24 / 25 degrees. But the level of sunburn was on another level - warm, but not pleasant warm.
The sunburn thing I could cope with again, but the food quality was a real turn off. Is this just a Fuerteventura thing?
As I just mentioned on another thread, I am currently in Fuerteventura to avoid the UK winter for a couple of months.
Would I visit April to September; nope, too damn hot.
Are you likely to find fabulous restaurants on Fuerteventura; nope, as it is the same as many tourist places where people are there for a week or so and focused on price. Searching around there are some reasonable ones, but most are average to poor.
Is there actually anything to see or do on Fuerteventura; nope, pretty much a rock in the ocean with everything volcanic desert. Fuerteventura and Lanzarote are my least favourite of the islands, but the pros on the accommodation we sourced this time outweighed the other issues.
So as you say, what is the attraction then.
Well a three hour flight time from the UK, with lots of cheap flights, reasonably priced accommodation for winter stays, good weather pretty much guaranteed (the last week has been in the high 20s). Where else can you travel from the UK and get that without travelling a lot further and spending a lot more.
Would I visit April to September; nope, too damn hot.
Are you likely to find fabulous restaurants on Fuerteventura; nope, as it is the same as many tourist places where people are there for a week or so and focused on price. Searching around there are some reasonable ones, but most are average to poor.
Is there actually anything to see or do on Fuerteventura; nope, pretty much a rock in the ocean with everything volcanic desert. Fuerteventura and Lanzarote are my least favourite of the islands, but the pros on the accommodation we sourced this time outweighed the other issues.
So as you say, what is the attraction then.
Well a three hour flight time from the UK, with lots of cheap flights, reasonably priced accommodation for winter stays, good weather pretty much guaranteed (the last week has been in the high 20s). Where else can you travel from the UK and get that without travelling a lot further and spending a lot more.
I personally think that the whole Winter Sun Canaries thing is a load of bull 
Every time I've been it's been cold, grey and lots of rain.
Weirdly the sun comes out just as my aircraft home leaves the runway and people that I meet in my week there always say how great it was a week earlier.
That's Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Tenerife.
I've been to the windy one in the summer and yes it was hot.
Every time I've been it's been cold, grey and lots of rain.
Weirdly the sun comes out just as my aircraft home leaves the runway and people that I meet in my week there always say how great it was a week earlier.
That's Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Tenerife.
I've been to the windy one in the summer and yes it was hot.
croyde said:
Every time I've been it's been cold, grey and lots of rain.
Weirdly the sun comes out just as my aircraft home leaves the runway and people that I meet in my week there always say how great it was a week earlier.
I can see how that could happen if you were only there for a week in winter, as the clouds or the sandstorms can come in for a couple of days, but then they disappear again as fast as they arrived. Time it wrong and you are screwed.Weirdly the sun comes out just as my aircraft home leaves the runway and people that I meet in my week there always say how great it was a week earlier.
A few years ago, we had 2 weeks in December and the following year 3 weeks in December on Fuerteventura and must have been very lucky as in those 5 weeks we had 2 days where the weather was poor and the rest was sunshine and warmth. Mid to late 20's on Boxing Day when we went to the zoo place with our daughter was a highlight!
just got back from cape verde - flushed the bog on the dreamliner as we flew over the Canaries 
Because it’s slightly further you get to fly on a widebody, which just seems nicer than a 737 and only an hour or so longer to fly.
all the islands are pretty baron like the canaries. Stayed in the Rui Funana in Sal and was amazed at the quality of the food and facilities.
Mid 20’s during the day and didn’t go below 20’c at night, but was quite windy but not unpleasant - unlike the canaries which can feel cold if it’s windy.
Because it’s slightly further you get to fly on a widebody, which just seems nicer than a 737 and only an hour or so longer to fly.
all the islands are pretty baron like the canaries. Stayed in the Rui Funana in Sal and was amazed at the quality of the food and facilities.
Mid 20’s during the day and didn’t go below 20’c at night, but was quite windy but not unpleasant - unlike the canaries which can feel cold if it’s windy.
PF62 said:
As I just mentioned on another thread, I am currently in Fuerteventura to avoid the UK winter for a couple of months.
Would I visit April to September; nope, too damn hot.
Are you likely to find fabulous restaurants on Fuerteventura; nope, as it is the same as many tourist places where people are there for a week or so and focused on price. Searching around there are some reasonable ones, but most are average to poor.
Is there actually anything to see or do on Fuerteventura; nope, pretty much a rock in the ocean with everything volcanic desert. Fuerteventura and Lanzarote are my least favourite of the islands, but the pros on the accommodation we sourced this time outweighed the other issues.
So as you say, what is the attraction then.
Well a three hour flight time from the UK, with lots of cheap flights, reasonably priced accommodation for winter stays, good weather pretty much guaranteed (the last week has been in the high 20s). Where else can you travel from the UK and get that without travelling a lot further and spending a lot more.
This. Although for me the island of choice is Lanzarote. And complete agree on the April-Sept being too hot as I found out in late September last year,Would I visit April to September; nope, too damn hot.
Are you likely to find fabulous restaurants on Fuerteventura; nope, as it is the same as many tourist places where people are there for a week or so and focused on price. Searching around there are some reasonable ones, but most are average to poor.
Is there actually anything to see or do on Fuerteventura; nope, pretty much a rock in the ocean with everything volcanic desert. Fuerteventura and Lanzarote are my least favourite of the islands, but the pros on the accommodation we sourced this time outweighed the other issues.
So as you say, what is the attraction then.
Well a three hour flight time from the UK, with lots of cheap flights, reasonably priced accommodation for winter stays, good weather pretty much guaranteed (the last week has been in the high 20s). Where else can you travel from the UK and get that without travelling a lot further and spending a lot more.
At this time of year, you'll be in shorts and t-shirt during daylight hours, or sunbathing around a pool, and in the evening only need to put a jumper or light jacket on to be comfortable. Compare that to the standard UK winter weather.
In my experience, there are good restaurants to be found. And even the less aesthetically pleasing surfer cafes serve coffee and food of surprisingly high quality, and at prices that are cheaper than the UK.
@PF62, if I was out there for a couple of months like you are I would consider some island hopping for a couple of days at a time for a change of scenery.
Ashfordian said:
At this time of year, you'll be in shorts and t-shirt during daylight hours, or sunbathing around a pool, and in the evening only need to put a jumper or light jacket on to be comfortable. Compare that to the standard UK winter weather.
And that has been exactly the weather. Wife swimming in an unheated pool every day. Afternoons too hot to sit in the sun. Walking along the seafront at 10pm at night with only a thin jumper.Certainly not the manky cold and damp of a UK February where it is dark at 5pm.
Ashfordian said:
@PF62, if I was out there for a couple of months like you are I would consider some island hopping for a couple of days at a time for a change of scenery.
In non-COVID times that would have been the choice, but booking a single location this year seemed sensible, particularly as it was booked back in the autumn when Omicron was an unknown.Although one thing which is slightly crazy is that as a non-resident it is virtually cheaper to fly back to the UK and then fly back to the next island, rather than taking an inter-island flight or ferry - residents pay a fraction of the tourist price for tickets.
We've been going to the Canaries one or twice every year since the early '90s. They're what you make of them.
Yup I agree the islands are nothing special and you'll search long and hard to find any restaurant menu that doesn't have burgers and pizza and chips on it but for spring and autumn warmth and sunshine without spending a fortune they can't be beat.
Naturally you'll want to avoid the hordes of karaoke, beer and bingo and chips in the sun morons that flock to resorts and cheaper hotels so the solution is self catering in a remote villa instead. Shops and supermarkets had little more than tinned and frozen produce when we started going but the quality and variety is as good as you'll find anywhere else in Europe now and on the whole better then most UK ones. Food and drink aren't cheap now though and the Sterling Euro exchange rate isn't what it was either. We used to eat out every night and stay late for drinks too but not anymore.
Have a car and go off exploring - It's a whole different world from mass market tourism and all the islands interiors are dramatic and very different to each other once you're away from the coast roads and heavy traffic. Roads inland are stunning too as the EU has spent squillions on upgrading them over the last couple of decades.
Over all the holidays we've favored Furteventura to all the other Islands to the point where we'd spend practically every day of our annual leave on the island and seriously considered buying a villa some while back there before prices shot up then fell through the floor.
Gran Canaria is beautiful inland with lush valleys and Puerto Mogon is a far more pleasant resort than the others which are often badly overcrowded and the dunes at Maspalomas are worth a day too. Lanzarote is interesting inland as well and Playa Blanca is by far the nicest resort as are the Pappagayo beaches nearby. Playa Blanca also shares a micro climate with north Furvtentura which often mean it'll be warm and sunny there when the rest of the two islands is overcast and windy.
Our favorite by a county mile is Furteventura. It's got the some of the best beaches anywhere in the world and has a great laid back surfer vibe around El Cotillo and Lajares where we always stay. That area in particular and well as the island as a whole is also a lot less popular with British and Irish holidaymakers too which having holidayed among them in hotels resorts to benefit from the kids clubs more than enough in the past in the Canaries is a significant bonus.
My kind of Canaries
Yup I agree the islands are nothing special and you'll search long and hard to find any restaurant menu that doesn't have burgers and pizza and chips on it but for spring and autumn warmth and sunshine without spending a fortune they can't be beat.
Naturally you'll want to avoid the hordes of karaoke, beer and bingo and chips in the sun morons that flock to resorts and cheaper hotels so the solution is self catering in a remote villa instead. Shops and supermarkets had little more than tinned and frozen produce when we started going but the quality and variety is as good as you'll find anywhere else in Europe now and on the whole better then most UK ones. Food and drink aren't cheap now though and the Sterling Euro exchange rate isn't what it was either. We used to eat out every night and stay late for drinks too but not anymore.
Have a car and go off exploring - It's a whole different world from mass market tourism and all the islands interiors are dramatic and very different to each other once you're away from the coast roads and heavy traffic. Roads inland are stunning too as the EU has spent squillions on upgrading them over the last couple of decades.
Over all the holidays we've favored Furteventura to all the other Islands to the point where we'd spend practically every day of our annual leave on the island and seriously considered buying a villa some while back there before prices shot up then fell through the floor.
Gran Canaria is beautiful inland with lush valleys and Puerto Mogon is a far more pleasant resort than the others which are often badly overcrowded and the dunes at Maspalomas are worth a day too. Lanzarote is interesting inland as well and Playa Blanca is by far the nicest resort as are the Pappagayo beaches nearby. Playa Blanca also shares a micro climate with north Furvtentura which often mean it'll be warm and sunny there when the rest of the two islands is overcast and windy.
Our favorite by a county mile is Furteventura. It's got the some of the best beaches anywhere in the world and has a great laid back surfer vibe around El Cotillo and Lajares where we always stay. That area in particular and well as the island as a whole is also a lot less popular with British and Irish holidaymakers too which having holidayed among them in hotels resorts to benefit from the kids clubs more than enough in the past in the Canaries is a significant bonus.
My kind of Canaries
It's tourism for the masses, why would they cater to anything else.
That said rather stereotypically I've had the best Paella I've ever had from a small restaurant on Tenerife, looked for it the next time I was there and couldn't find it.
I'm not sure what it's like on the other islands but the North of Tenerife is cloudy more often than not due to its geography, in February there must have been 15 degrees temp difference between points 30 miles apart.
That said rather stereotypically I've had the best Paella I've ever had from a small restaurant on Tenerife, looked for it the next time I was there and couldn't find it.
I'm not sure what it's like on the other islands but the North of Tenerife is cloudy more often than not due to its geography, in February there must have been 15 degrees temp difference between points 30 miles apart.
ChocolateFrog said:
That said rather stereotypically I've had the best Paella I've ever had from a small restaurant on Tenerife, looked for it the next time I was there and couldn't find it.
I'm not sure what it's like on the other islands but the North of Tenerife is cloudy more often than not due to its geography, in February there must have been 15 degrees temp difference between points 30 miles apart.
Not at all a surprise if that restaurant was in the north of Tenerife. That area across the north has some of the best food one could hope to find as lone as you put in a bit of effort to find them and at very reasonable prices. And it's similar to some of the other nearby islands in that respect I'd say (la Palma/la gomera). Quite different to the 'touristy' areas of south Tenerife but imo great places to go to even if as you do note it's a fair bit colder and windier there (N/NE wind generally there).I'm not sure what it's like on the other islands but the North of Tenerife is cloudy more often than not due to its geography, in February there must have been 15 degrees temp difference between points 30 miles apart.
croyde said:
Have to say that every time I've been to the Canaries I tend to find somewhere to eat that just has locals in it. Decent grub at low prices.
That works.There's a workers cafe at the harbour in Corralajo. It's as rough as f
k with graffiti on the walls and plastic furniture and bins overflowing in that special way only the Spanish seem able to manage. You'll have all the time in the world to notice this as the queues to get a table go down the street.Once inside for the price of a factory pizza and chips with a sneeze of saggy salad you'll get a serious glass of wine and a portion of risotto or paella or a plate of grilled fish that's to die for. The local BiB, commercial drivers and ferry crews pack the place early every morning having the traditional Spanish breakfast of a glass of cortardo, slug of brandy and a fag.
paulguitar said:
PF62 said:
Well a three hour flight time from the UK, with lots of cheap flights
Three hours? The last time I went I seem to remember it was more like 4.5?Stansted to Furteventura is nominally 4 hours but I've known actual flight times to vary from 3.5 to 4.5 hours.
If the aircraft borks and you have an unscheduled landing at Faro and have to hang about for some pilot to finish his mid-afternoon lie down, check his Facebook and then fly another one out there it takes quite a bit longer than that.
If the aircraft borks and you have an unscheduled landing at Faro and have to hang about for some pilot to finish his mid-afternoon lie down, check his Facebook and then fly another one out there it takes quite a bit longer than that.
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