Fuerteventura – Lanzarote – La Graciosa – Lobos – The catamaran charter

All aboard! The catamaran will set sail from Corralejo, Fuerteventura, heading north. Get ready for three days on the Fuerteventura – Lanzarote – La Graciosa- Lobos Cruise! You will enjoy impressive natural landscapes, beautiful sunsets and recreation.

The islands and islets of the Canary archipelago are true tourist gems located in the Atlantic.

Day 1 Cruise Lanzarote – La Graciosa- Lobos: Lanzarote

Sailing from the port of Corralejo, we go to our sister island – Lanzarote. From the north of Fuerte ventura we can appreciate a very different landscape from our beloved island of Fuerteventura. From afar we can see the traditional white houses of the island of Lanzarote.

White houses in Lanzarote

We land at Playa de Papagayo, the most popular beach on the island, which is located in the south of Lanzarote. Its golden sand and intense turquoise blue waters create a contrast of beautiful beauty.

Playa de Papagayo
Playa de Papagayo

After having enjoyed the water activities with our Kayak and Paddle Surf, we go to the capital of the island – Arrecife. You will enjoy a remarkable contrast after being in a place as wild as Playa de Papagayo.

Arrecife is the Capital of Lanzarote since the second half of the 19th century. It has become the administrative and commercial center of the island.

Then we go to the Marina de Arrecife, a marina for yachts and cruises, with restaurants, bars and trendy shops. There you will enjoy spectacular international food!

Arrecife offers us a lot of culture and history. We can find there among others: The Historic Quarter, the Castillo de San Gabriel and the International Museum of Contemporary Art. This is the only city we visited during our cruise.

Day 2 Lobos Cruise – Lanzarote – La Graciosa: La Graciosa Island

Now we leave from the port of Arrecife towards the north of Lanzarote, contemplating its rocky coast. After having passed the spectacular Risco de Famara, just beyond Punta Fariones, a pod of dolphins welcomes us just at the moment when we begin to see La Graciosa. What a happiness to be able to see them in their natural environment!

Dolphins

The coast of Lanzarote is very rich in marine fauna. With a little luck you can see a sperm whale or a whale during the tour. As if the welcome from the dolphins was not enough, the buzzer begins to sound. The result is a sierra fish, which we will have for dinner tonight!

Sierra

Finally, we cross the last section called El Río that is between Lanzarote and La Graciosa.

La Graciosa is known as the Eighth Island of the 7 Canary Islands. Only in 2018 was it recognized as such. With its white houses and sandy streets, it has a population of 700 people. It is one of the few places in Europe where roads are not yet built. This makes the island still virgin, and free of mass tourism.

Direction: La Graciosa

La Graciosa surprises us with its beauty, nature and silence.

The beauty of its exotic and solitary beaches captivates to a point of relaxation that is not easily achieved elsewhere.

Day 3 Lobos Cruise – Lanzarote – La Graciosa: Islet of Lobos

On the third day our cruise arrives at the islet of Lobos. Named for the large number of sea lions that once populated its shores. It is a beauty of volcanic nature, a natural space for birds and other animals on the island.

Then we landed at the Lobos anchorage to spend our last night of the cruise. The water here is crystal clear and shallow, making it easy to see the seabed.

Sunrise in Isla de Lobos

In the morning we have breakfast with a wonderful sunrise and we head back to the port of Corralejo. It is a short journey: about 15 – 20 minutes.

Enjoy 3 wonderful days on a cruise

It has been a wonderful 3 days. But as they say “all good things come to an end soon.” Until next time!

10 catamaran travel recommendations

If you are going on a Catamaran trip for the first time and you don’t know what to expect, you should read the catamaran travel recommendations that we bring today. Get ready for your next vacation and enjoy one of the best ways to visit the Canary Islands with Fuertecharter.

What we want with these catamaran travel recommendations is to prepare you in advance and avoid any unforeseen event. As in any trip, there are certain factors to take into account, especially if it is your first time on this type of adventure.

  1. Inform yourself

Catamarans are very comfortable boats for this type of trip. In fact, the supply and demand in the rental of these boats has increased considerably, due to their ease of use, comfort and privacy. Thus we avoid common spaces and we are in safer environments. However, it is important to inform yourself very well about the basic security systems and other relevant information.

2. Be prepared for everything

What is the greatest fear of people when traveling by boat? That’s right, dizziness. Even if you think you are immune to these movements, don’t forget to take “biodramina” so that the dizziness doesn’t spoil your trip.

3. Protect yourself from the sun

In this type of adventure you will have to spend a good amount of time under the rays of the sun. Don’t forget to bring a good sunscreen. Even if it is very hot, don’t forget to wear clothes with long sleeves (made of light material such as cotton or linen) to avoid burns on your skin.

4. Forget about hats

When traveling on a catamaran forget about wearing hats, because they will end up flying very far. You better wear a cap, or if you really want to wear a hat, make sure it has a string to tie around your neck.

5. Better if it’s barefoot

If you walk barefoot you won’t be slipping. You will include on your luggage your favorite shoes in case you go down in a port and go to dinner in some wonderful town. But when you are on the catamaran, forget about them.

6. Take only the basics

In the cabins you won’t have much space to hang your clothes. Therefore, one of the most important catamaran travel recommendations is to pack only what you really need. Apart from the bikinis and swimsuits, don’t forget to include some windbreakers for the colder days. It´s better to bring a travel bag than a suitcase, because it will be easier to fit it in the cabin.

7. Do the groceries for the entire trip or contract a cook.

Buy enough food and drinks for the entire trip. For this we recommend that you think of your menu in advance. Purchases will be made for the entire journey and it is very possible that there will be no opportunity to buy anything during the cruise. This also applies to your favorite cocktail, or something special that you would like to drink. Also there exists an extra option to contract a cook, who would be at your disposition during all your escapade.

8. Be moderate about alcohol

Enjoying a good wine or exquisite champagne while sailing is definitely another level, but be careful not to overdo it. Crazy drinking can give you a hard time, especially in this type of environment.

9. Download your favorite songs

While you are cruising, it is normal for you to go through places where you don’t have an Internet connection. Therefore, make sure to download many of your favorite songs to your mobile device.

10. Ask all you want!

Our crew is there for you. Any details or questions that have not been clear, do not hesitate to ask.

Happy trip!

Pesca Family- Fishing Trip

The excursion is described from the point of view of our client, that has never fished in her life!

I love coming to Fuerteventura to disconnect from my everyday life and connect with the nature! This island has to offer so many attractions, both on the land and on the water that makes it impossible to do all of these activities during only one stay.

Fuertecharter is a company that I choose every time I come to Fuerteventura, and I am always positively surprised with whichever excursion I choose.

I already did the Catamaran trip, and also the Dolphin watching, which were just amazing, and I didn’t think that anything can be better than these two trips.

-“What else is in you offer?”

“ Tomorrow we have one spot for the trip Combo Pesca Family”

At the beginning I wasn´t too convinced because it seemed to me that fishing can be quite boring..

-“It´s all the oposite”- the girl from the sales office seemed quite reassured of what she was saying.

OK, let’s try it then.

We left on Wednesday, early in the morning. The ocean was very calm, it seemed like a lake. The sun was raising , and we were enjoying the incredible light.

The crew of the boat explained us what the trip was all about: we will go fishing in few places, then we will anchor in Lobos to do other water activities like SUP, snorkel, Kayak. During this time out captain will prepare us lunch, based on what we fished!

“What if I don´t fish anything? It’s the first time I will go fishing! I have no idea how to do it.”

“Calm down, the ocean is full of fish. You will see how many we will get. Once we have enough we will even put some of them back to the ocean.”

We anchored in the middle of the sea, between Lanzarote y Fuerteventura.

-“Let’s try here”. The crew gave us the fishing pole, and helped us to put the worm on the hook.

So now let’s wait…some minutes passed. “I was right” I though, I should have repeated de Catamaran trip, or Dolphin Watching Combo.

Wait…now each one of participants (besides me) started to get some fishes. Not so big for the moment, but at least now we were going to have some lunch!

The guys started to take out every time bigger species! And different!

“This is a Sama”, “This one is a Cabrilla!”, “This one is a Sargo!”

“How exciting” Every participant now had a few fishes each, even an 8 year old kid that came with us… besides me!

The captain had a huge knowledge of the fish species that live in the Canarian seas. He knew the name of every fish that we got!

Then we moved few meters further, for some deeper waters, and there we were getting a fish every few minutes!

Suddenly I felt that my pole was pulled! Wow! It seems like I got something!

“I got a fish I think” I screamed to the captain, so he could help me to take it out!

The captain came and made few movements with the pole.

He said- “I´m sorry, for sure it’s just a rock, we will try to remove it”- he pulled the pole quite hard, and said “ Pull it up, it seems like you got something!”

I was rolling up the fishing reel, with 25m of the fishing line. In the end I saw a huge fish! A Pez Perro of 3.5kg! How amazing is that! Super happy like a little girl I was posing for the photos with my prey (which by the way you get for free in the end of the trip, and you can download from Fuertecharter page, the next day)

Finally I was calm and sure that I will not leave this trip hungry.

As we had already fished few kg of the fish, the captain explained us the importance of sustainable fishing, to avoid overfishing. We started to let free the last fishes we got. It made us reflect about the importance of protecting the nature and all the ecosystems. After a while we  picked up all the fishing poles, and we directed towards anchoring in Lobos Lagoon, in front of Playa de la Concha, to enjoy other water activities that I loved so much during other excursions: snorkel, sup y kayak. In the meanwhile the captain was preparing us the platter of the fried fish.

The lunch was amazing, fishes were delicious. They were served with the tipically Canarian side dish of “Papas arrugadas con mojo picón” (traditionally cooked potatoes with Canadian sauce). Without doubt, for all the fishing participants it was the most fresh fish we ever had ever eaten in our lives!

After few glasses of wine, and some chats with other participants of the trip, there came the end of this amazing experience!

I had so much fun and definitely I will repeat it in the future! Thank you Fuertecharter for this trip and for sharing my experience on the blog.

Our Fleet

“The strength of the business lies in its ability to constantly evolve”.

Fuertecharter is a company with 25 years of experience that dedicates itself to maritime excursions and chartering Catamarans. We never stop improving, always keep growing! We are modernizing our fleet constantly, removing the older boats and replacing it with the new ones!  We do all of that to think about our clients of everyday excursions and the ones who choose to charter our catamarans for a longer cruise.

 

 

The brand we are working with is the Lagoon Catamarans. Every Catamaran lover knows that Lagoon Catamarans is the number 1 in the world, with more navigating the globe than any other catamaran brand.

Our recent purchases is the 13.61 m Lagoon 440 and 15.54 m Lagoon 500.

 

 

What does it mean for our clients? For a rookie, the name doesn’t say a lot, so we will try to approach you these two models.

If you love to join us on our day trips and you are the repetitive customer you will realize all the extra space you get on the exteriors of Lagoon 500 catamaran. It´s much more comfy, has more space for sun beds. You can enjoy the outside space and the trampolines during your trip as, you will want to spend most of the time outside. With its 5 cabins and 5 bathrooms, it can feat up to 14 persons.

 

 

The Lagoon 500 is one of our most requested charter ,  due to the beautiful open space aft, large windows of the salon that provide amazing light, and large comfortable cabins with all the amenities. Cruising on the Lagoon 500 means that every ship’s cabin will have its own bathroom, you can enjoy more the privacy. Obviously also the bigger space on the outside.

The Lagoon 500 is the flagship of Lagoon’s fleet of catamarans. Pioneer of many innovations regarding multihulls, the shipyard has here created a very modern boat, full of little extras that will make your cruise an exceptional one. Fly-bridge, forward deck saloon, you will be spoilt for choice when deciding on an ideal place to enjoy the aperitif or watch the sunset from.

 

 

The lagoon 440 is both a luxurious and innovating yacht. From the steering and seating position on the upper deck, you will benefit from a breathtaking 360-degree view. When you will be sailing at full speed, you will have the impression to fly a jet plane.

 

Inside, it will offer you the comfort you would expect from a starred hotel. On board a Lagoon 440, whether inside or out, memorable sensations are guaranteed! It has 4 cabins and 4 bathrooms, and can feat up to 12 passengers!

 

If you are planning your summer escapade in the Canary Islands, chartering a Catamaran with Fuertecharter, or coming on our daily trip to Lobos are most certainly worth experiences to choose! You will discover the virgin coast lines of the Canary Islands where you can only access by the boat, enjoy the amazing views, and take part in our water activities. For any questions you can contact our crew at www.fuertecharter.com

Are you ready to unshackle yourself from the shore? 

Adults only Fuertecharter.

LAGOON 500 FUERTEVENTURA LOBOS EXCURSION.

 

There are times when we love to spend our day with the family and kids, but other times we just feel like relaxing away from the laughs and screams of the little ones. If you are one of this person, choose the Adults Only excursion with Fuertecharter from Fuerteventura to Lobos. An excursion in a small group (max 12pax), on one of our most luxurious Catamarans Lagoon 500, will make you spend a day disconnect from your everyday life.

 

 

The Fuertecharter excursion to the lagoon of Lobos Island, where you can admire hundreds of fishes and swim in the most turquoise waters around Fuerteventura that you have ever seen, just at the cost of the Lobos island, will make your holiday epic.

 

enjoying the activities

 

A part from the lovely views, and exciting trip, you will also have time to do some water activities like snorkeling, kayak, stand up paddle, you will be able to jump from our Catamaran Lagoon 500, which is loads of fun. All the equipment is ready for you to use it whenever you want as we are moored in the Lobos Lagoon.

 

The snorkeling equipment is carefully disinfected after every trip, according to the protocols.  The equipment that we are using are the masks from Cressi. If you are a fan of this relaxing activity you will be amazed about all the exotic fish species that you will be able to see during this excursion, which will basically eat out of you hand. Our crew will also take you some photos, so you can have this one of the life time experience photographed!

 

snorkling

 

Our captain and the team will take care of you, and also prepare you a delicious paella- a typical spanish dish, which for sure you have heard of. Also you will enjoy the fruit skewer, and  the drinks (which include wine, beer, and the soft drinks) during all the trip.

 

Just think of that- having a delicious meal with a first class view from our Catamaran.

 

paella with first class views

 

If the weather permits us we will take a tour around full Lobos island, where you will be able to see the lighthouse, the Volcano Montaña La Caldera, 127 meters (417 feet) above the sea level. If the swell is too big, we will just make the half tour, for your safety. On the way back we will see the cost of Fuerteventura, which also look amazing from this side of the sea. You will admire the volcanoes, dunes, and all the coast line of  Corralejo. 

 

perfect trip to spend with your love!

 

enjoying the views

 

In the end of the trip we will provide you the brief how to download the photos, which are all included in the price of the trip.

 

If you are up to make something different during your holiday, and you have been always dreaming of having the experience of the luxurious catamaran trip, Adults Only excursion with Fuertecharter  the trip just for you! As its one of our most demanding products, make sure you book it with some advance.

 

Remember to bring sun cream, glasses, bikini, a cap, and good humor!

 

Villages to visit in Fuerteventura: Lajares

If you have already visited Lobos in one of our trips you already know the best. But there are still many places you must visit. This time we’ll tell you about Los Lajares,  a village about 10kms from Corralejo.

Lajares is a village with around 3000 inhabitants in the North of the island. Despite not being next to the sea, Lajares is the surfers’ village par excellence in Fuerteventura, as it is in a privileged location next to the best surfing peaks in this island, at the same distance from the Eastern, Western and Northern Coast.

Residents from different nationalities live in Lajares, which enriches its culture, apart from being a tourist and yet not crowded place, as the lodging offer consists of apartments or really charming houses.

Lajares is a crossroads town, as it is located between El Cotillo and Corralejo, the three of them being the most interesting places in the Northern area as far as tourism is concerned, having  a great leisure offer. In the main street of Lajares you find everything: surf and kite schools, clothes and crafts stores, apart from bars and restaurants for all tastes to have breakfasts, lunch and dinner and enjoy live music almost every day of the week: Canela Bar, Return Bar…

What to do in Lajares?

Visit Calderón Hondo Volcano
Probably one of the best preserved volcanic cones in Fuerteventura. Climbing it is a pleasure, and this will allow you to enjoy the views of the North of the island, Lanzarote and Lobos Island. It won’t take you longer than one hour, and the track is fully accessible for the visitor. The track is not hard, but recommended for all kind of people.

FuerteCharter Excursiones | Pueblos: Lajares


Strolling along “El Barranco de los Encantados”
This is probably one of the best kept secrets of Fuerteventura. It is a sandy ravine you can access on your way out of Lajares towards Cotillo. You must take the dirt road exit on the roundabout. There you can park and start the trekking. As you get into the ravine the landscape becomes impressive: you find the most original rock formations and a great deal of fossil remains. These special rock formations in “El Barranco de los Encantados” come from large antique masses of sand under the sea;  when significant drops of the sea level took place these large masses of sand were exposed forming, over time, this place of unequalled beauty.  It has been declared asset of cultural interest, with the category of palaeontological area in 2008.

©es.enjoyfuerteventura.net
©es.enjoyfuerteventura.net

On Saturdays, Crafts market in Lajares
Every Saturday from 10 to 14h different craftsmen in Fuerteventura put on a market where you can find a large variety of pieces of handicrafts. A highly recommendable visit, as thanks to the market the village is extremely lively. Besides, it is located in the very square of the town and just next to it there is a playground, so if you are travelling with children this is a perfect stop.

© Mercado Artesanal Los Lajares
© Mercado Artesanal Los Lajares

Enjoying the Jam Session on Wednesday
If you like live music, every Wednesday, in an emblematic spot in Lajares, “Canela Café”, musicians and amateurs meet to put on one of the best known sessions in Fuerteventura. Around 20h locals and tourists turn up to enjoy the gastronomic offer of this place, and around 22h music starts. You’ll be amazed to see the large number of people from different nationalities that pop up.

FuerteCharter Team

Villages to visit in Fuerteventura: El Cotillo

In our quest  to let people know about the wonders of Fuerteventura we continue writing about those places you should definitely visit to fully enjoy the island. We are based in the port of Corralejo and our favorite place is Isla de Lobos, a place where we make our tours for visitors to enjoy, but there are plenty of corners in this paradise island, one of them is the fishing village of El Cotillo.

It is the most northern town on the west coast. It is an uncrowded fishing and tourist town, as the offer for visitors focuses on the rental of apartments and small aparthotels and just one new built hotel. Its beautiful beaches, for all tastes, are some of the most beautiful ones on the island, with fantastic  natural landscapes and the charm of  a small fishing village that  turn it into  a must visit for traveller. It also has a very good range of restaurants where you can enjoy delicious local fresh fish,  as marine fauna is abundant.

Points of interest:

EL TOSTÓN LIGHTHOUSE.   Lighthouse in El Cotillo . Traditional Fishing Museum.
This beautiful lighthouse, located in a wonderful setting,  both for  its landscape and the richness of the birds that frequent it, now houses the Museum of Traditional Fishing, a representative sample of what  the fisherman trade meant to this town of El Cotillo and all over the island throughout its history.

Excursiones Fuertecharter Fuerteventura | Pueblos: El Cotillo

“MUELLE REFUGIO”
This  dock  is  a natural breakwater combined with a pier, used as a shelter dock for traditional fishing boats and small boats.

OLD DOCK
It is a small but lovely dock which has a small beach of black sand and pebbles, bounded by the pier and the cliff and surrounded by a variety of restaurants and bars where you can enjoy the local  fresh  fish and heavenly sunsets.

“LA CONCHA” BEACH
The beach of “La Concha” is one of the most beautiful corners of the area, located north of the village. It’s a natural pool sheltered by natural stone dikes that protect the beach from waves and made of pure white and fine sand and crystal water inviting to take a bath. In your way to El Tostón Lighthouse you can enjoy many more bays of this kind known as the Lakes of El Cotillo, because nature has wanted  this area to be made of small pools of sea protected by small stone dikes, ideal free of wave beaches to swim and enjoy with children without any danger.

“PIEDRA PLAYA” BEACH
South of town, under  a cliff with an amazing volcanic landscape behind we find this almost 2 km long sandy beach, the longest beach in the area, where year-round star sports in the island are practised: windsurfing, surfing ….

Excursiones Fuertecharter Fuerteventura | Pueblos: El Cotillo

“El  TOSTÓN” TOWER
“El Toston” Tower is a seventeenth century fortress built of stone which is accessed via a staircase connected to the door trhough a drawbridge. At its highest point there were three cannons to defend the territory against attacks by Berber , French and British pirates. Nowadays it’s a tourist information office.

Excursiones Fuertecharter Fuerteventura | Pueblos: El Cotillo

LIME KILNS
Throughout the entire geography of the island lime kilns are numerous, and  in between  the Shelter Dock in El Cotillo and El Tostón Lighthouse you can find up to four of them.

El Cotillo is definitely a place you should not miss; you can stroll along its streets or trails to enjoy the coast and swim in clean water, eat in its restaurants and enjoy an authentic  and quiet fishing village.

FuerteCharter Team

History: La Ampuyenta

Not everything will be sailing to Isla de Lobos from Corralejo, and visit this piece of paradise that Fuerteventura is. On the contrary we love you to know every corner of this wonderful island. A small corner is the quaint village of La Ampuyenta, which has a historical and cultural heritage, several landmarks, worth knowing and visiting to look deep into the history of Fuerteventura.

The Ampuyenta offers, in a small walking tour, to discover the past and get to know an important part of the history of Fuerteventura.  We are talking about the historical heritage resort of La Ampuyenta, an environment fully restored and ready to be visited, made up of several buildings:

-The House Museum Doctor Mena

In this house, Tomás Mena and Mesa was born to a humble family in 1802. His parents made great efforts to get him studying and at the age of 19 he travelled to La Havana for a doctorate at the University of Medicine, specialty in surgery, thanks to his brother’s small fortune, living in La Havana, who had an influential ecclesiastical position in that city. Later on, Tomas Mena y Mesa moved to Paris and he got a PhD in Tropical Medicine by The Sorbonne; back to La Havana he enjoys great fame as a physician and from there he travels to the US, broadening his knowledge. Such was his fame that he was made an honorary member of the Faculty of the University of Cadiz in 1846.

MENA-6

After a trip to Cadiz, he returns to his native Fuerteventura where he would spend the rest of his life, managing his vast fortune and devoted to research. But this great man never stopped providing services to others, ministering to his neighbours in his office for free.
In his legacy he left 25,000 pesetas to the people of Fuerteventura for the construction of a hospital where the needy could be taken care of.  But although such a building was built 60 years after he died, “El Hospitalito Doctor Mena” never worked as such and it is currently owned by the Church and contains the exhibition of saint platforms of Fuerteventura’s chapels.

 

The Charity Hospital of San Conrado and  San Gaspar

This is the hospital that Dr Mena y Mesa ordered to be built in his Will, and to honour his brother, the clergyman, he named it like this. It is a picturesque building built in three pavilions linked by corridors. The doctor wanted it to be devoted to charity and to be built in his home-town, but as we mentioned above it never got to serve its purpose. At present it is known as “El Hospitalito de La Ampuyenta” and it houses the exhibition of the saints’ platforms of  Fuerteventura’s chapels,  a dozen of such procession items, along with an old photo exhibition of the Festival of San Pedro de Alcantara. Outside, it has a tank which can also be visited.

la-ampuyenta

 

-The House of Fray Andrecito

In the early nineteenth century, Andrew Grace Acosta was born to a humble peasant family in this house; he worked as a goatherd but in his youth he was influenced by the Franciscans and history records that when he completed his day-to-day tasks he surrounded himself with children and taught them religion. After the death of his mother, he decides to embark on an expedition of emigrants to America caused by hunger and joblessness due to drought. First he moved to Uruguay and later on to Chile where he was related to the Franciscan order, achieving  —for his work,  strength and charity— great popularity in the humble occupation as beggar monk. He died in Santiago de Chile in January 1853.
Currently his humble and simple home is of Cultural Interest in the category of Historical Site and Fray Andresito is in the process of beatification.

 

-The Hermitage of San Pedro de Alcantara

Despite its small size, this chapel is the most important religious building of Fuerteventura, as it contains one of the most valuable and unique artistic ensembles in The Islands. Its architecture is very simple, contrasting with the wealth it contains, the most important religious painting collection of Fuerteventura. This chapel was founded in August 1681 with the sponsorship of the Franciscan saint San Pedro de Alcantara, canonised in 1669.
Inside, you can appreciate paintings, most of them dedicated to San Pedro de Alcantara, along with other architectural assets. The mural painting of the chapel of Ampuyenta is considered one of the most important in the Canary Islands, dating from the late eighteenth century; it’s an unmatched work in the archipelago, due to the quality of the illusionist technique in which painting, architecture and sculpture are mixed.

Excursiones Fuertecharter Fuerteventura | Historial: La Ampuyenta

It’s also currently an asset of cultural interest under the category of Monument and a place worth visiting to appreciate the uniqueness of the works it contains.

For these buildings, the history of the famous people we have commented on and thanks to the work of recovery and restoration of the Island Council and the Canary Islands Government in recent years, The Ampuyenta is a must-stop for those who want to learn more about a past which is really present in this village, a great walking tour of the historical heritage resort of La Ampuyenta,  a highly recommended visit.

As we said before, not everything will be day trips to Lobos and beach days;  Fuerteventura has, besides all that,  an interesting history.

How to get there:
La Ampuyenta is located in the municipality of Puerto del Rosario,  inland, about 20 kilometres from the capital of Fuerteventura, on the FV-20 road. Old address.

Logo_ComplejoAmpuyenta

The gannet in Fuerteventura

These days we are enjoying our trips to Lobos Island from  Corralejo’s Pier (Fuerteventura) in the pleasant company of one of the largest birds in the Atlantic, the gannet, which is in the process of migration in search of warm weather to spend the winter. Let’s look at them more closely.

Scientific name: Morus Bassanus.
Order: “Pelicaniformes”
Family: Sulidae

Excursiones Fuertecharter | Gannet in Fuerteventura

The gannet, with a large wingspan, reaching up to 2 meters,  is a true master of diving,  able to dive into the sea, like a projectile, to catch prey (average size fish) 30 to 40 meters away and at high speed (100km / h) . It is found on both coasts of the North Atlantic and spends most of the time at sea only coming ashore to nest on cliffs and islands of the North Atlantic.

Description:

Adult birds weigh between 3 and 4 kilos. They have long narrow wings, with average wingspan of 1.80 meters and about 1 meter tall. Its plumage is white, with dark edges. They have a pointed and slightly curved beak.

Young pelicans are distinguished by the grey colour with white specks of their plumage. Because of the way they fish, diving into the water at high speed, they lack nostrils but they do have side nasal holes that can close when in the water; They have characteristic notches  in the corners of their mouth, through which they breathe.

To cushion the impact of their dives, they have a pneumatic bag system under their skin (air bags under the skin of their face and chest, which protect them when they plunge into the water) acting as a buffer, their plumage becoming very compact.
To withstand the high temperatures they have a layer of subcutaneous fat and dense and overlapping feathers.
The colonies are very noisy, since these birds emit a characteristic cry when they approach although they are silent on the open sea. They emit guttural sounds of short syllables: ghaghag-hoghog.

Excursiones Fuertecharter | Excursiones Fuertecharter | Gannet in Fuerteventura en Fuerteventura

Reproduction:

In summer gannets nest on the shores of the North Atlantic (located mainly in the British Isles and Scandinavia). They gather in colonies of up to 20,000 couples where they make their nests very close together, with algae and marine plants.
It is when they are about 4 years old that they start breeding, laying a single blue-white egg which will be incubated for about 45 days. Both parents incubate the egg alternating periods of 24 hours, taking turns with a very peculiar ceremony, a greeting ceremony among parents.
The hatched chicks are fed by their parents for about 12 weeks, born naked and dark, and after some days their white feathers start to appear and they stop needing parental warmth. These chicks leave the nest and jump into the sea without being fully prepared to fly but with a good layer of grease (1 kilo more than their parents) that provides the heat they need while they remain floating for about 10 days until they finally begin performing their first flights and fishing.
They have aggressive behaviour in the nest, although the fights only take place among birds of the same sex. A female will only fiercely defend the nest from another female;  if  a female approaches the nest of another male, the latter grabs her by the neck and ejects her from there. The struggles between males occupying a nest for the first time can become quite intense. The fights are preceded by threatening gestures and males show their neighbours the property of a nest by gesturing with their head and beak facing down and erecting their wings.
Males are the ones that look for a place to breed and try to attract a single female, about 4 or 5 years old,  flying over the colony several times before landing and showing the male,  by stretching their neck, that they allow for the wooing; the males answer by shaking their head with closed wings.
Although couples separate after the breeding, they rejoin the following year, they are monogamous, breeding together their whole lives or for many years.

When winter comes, at the end of the breeding season,  they travel south, they undertake the post-nuptial migration that will take them to the Gulf of Guinea. In Spain it is a common species during migration although they don’t nest here.

Currently the gannet is listed as “least-concern species”, as it has a very wide distribution area and the number of individuals is large enough and the demographic trend seems to be increasing.

Remain attentive to this time in Fuerteventura, as you may be lucky enough to come across one of these specimens and enjoy their peculiar way of fishing, a real show. We keep enjoying their company these days in our daily trips to Lobos Island.

FuerteCharter Team

History: The colonels’ house, power and splendour in la Oliva

One of the most interesting and emblematic buildings in Fuerteventura, with a great historical meaning as much for this majorera island as for the whole Canary Archipelago, is the colonels’ house; a feudal building, located in the malpaís of ‘La Arena’, in the outskirts of La Oliva, standing out not just because of its history but because of its architecture too.

It is a civic and military building that started to be built in the second half of the XVII Century, ruled by the Sánchez-Dumpiérrez family, and it surprises us because of its great dimensions, making a contrast with the desert landscape and the plains where it is located. The Sánchez-Dumpiérrez Family held repeatedly the office of Colonel of the Provincial Militias, which was held for life and it was hereditary. They created a military aristocracy extremely mighty, and they would dominate the island at the end of the XVIII century.

Excursiones Fuertecharter | Historia: colonels’ house

Why does the figure of the colonel have so much power in comparison to that of feudal lords?
Once that Fuerteventura takes part in the Catillian Crown dominions are established, and the family Arias de Saavedra held the title of Fuerteventura’s lords. The crown is aware that their power to control their own territories is weakening, as the lands are under the rule of lords that govern their own way. So, the crown decides to create a military regiment under the rule of a colonel that would take control of the island little by little. In 1708 the militia’s regiment is settled, and their colonel holds the office and duties of ‘Governador de Armas’; the mission of this office will be to undermine the power of the island’s lords.

First of all they take away their military power, and little by little colonels become the true landowners, ruling the island from their fortress houses: the colonels’ house. Fuerteventura’s lords lived in Betancuria, but colonels settle in La Oliva, so Betancuria loses interest, and political, economic and social development starts in La Oliva, living at that time its biggest splendour.

La Oliva becomes thus the most important major city in Fuerteventura; the colonel orders the building of La Oliva’s church (the biggest one in the island) and creates and important market; the first colonel even buys the sculpture of the ‘Virgen de la Candelaria’, thus undermining that of the ‘Virgen de Betancuria’. They became the richest family in the Canary Islands. The power the colonels got was so great that they started to live as proper lords- there was a splendorous social and artistic refinement. Among the payslips found in the house there was that of a pianist brought from France, which shows the refinement and artistic sensitivity they had. Painters of a great reputation went to this house and gave expression to portraits of La Oliva’s colonels.

The architectural complex of the Colonels’ house clearly shows the power that this family enjoyed. It is a building inspired in the rustic houses of nobility in the Canary Islands (like those that at that time were built in Tenerife’s Lagoon, but improved). It was made of several areas or buildings, each one with a different function: the main square, the cistern, the stables, the ceremony area, the agricultural area…. Within this complex you also find the doctor’s house, the chemistry, the administrator’s area, the carpenter’s workshop, the blacksmith’s… and in the central area, as a powerful castle, the building where the colonel and his family lived. Colonels get their full splendor in the XVIII C, but all through the XIX C. the new economic, political and social situations bring the military power in Fuerteventura to a slow deterioration.

Populations like Puerto de Cabras and Antigua gain importance as demographic segments. Colonels will lose their political and military power, not the economic one though, which they will keep even after the colonles’ office disappeared.

Nowadays The Colonels’ house is a museum that hints at the power that Fuerteventura held in the past.

FuerteCharter Team

Excursiones Fuertecharter | Historia: colonels’ house
© Ayuntamiento de La Oliva

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