Fuerteventura, Canary Islands – Sun, sea, sand…..and conservation

In the past Fuerteventura had a reputation for being the poorest and the least developed of the Canary Islands but nowadays the guaranteed sunshine, the huge expanses of fine golden sand and turquoise sea have made it irresistible to tourists from Europe and, increasingly, further afield and tourism has become big business here.

However, for those prepared to venture outside the tourist resorts there is more to Fuerteventura that just sea, sand and sunshine.

Historically the islanders made their living from fishing, goat-herding and local crafts but, with the increase in tourism, there has been a dramatic increase in demand for skin care products from those visiting the island for the year round sunshine. As a result the Aloe Vera plant has become one of Fuerteventura’s most important products due to its moisturising and healing properties. Aloe farms can now be found all over the island and factories have been built producing skin-care creams and sun tan lotions which are not only sold locally but also exported overseas.

Additionally a number of conservation projects have been set up on Fuerteventura. One of these projects is aimed at protecting the endangered Mediterranean monk seal by re-introducing it to the neighbouring island of Los Lobos, just off Corralejo in the far north of the island.

In the south of Fuerteventura is the town of Morro Jable which, as well as being a resort area, is now also the home of the Sodabe Turtle Reserve where loggerhead turtles are being reintroduced after an absence of over 100 years. The turtles are being transported from Cape Verde and hatched on a beach on Fuerteventura’s west coast at Cofete. From there the baby turtles are placed in “nursery” tanks until they are large enough to be released in the sea. The hope is that when the females reach maturity (after 10 years) they will return to Cofete to lay their eggs, ensuring the ongoing presence of these turtles on Fuerteventura.

Another important development for the island was when UNESCO declared the island a Biosphere Reserve in May 2009. This will ensure that the almost completely untouched west coast, the interior of the island with its pretty towns and villages, and a large part of Jandia in the south will be preserved for the enjoyment of future generations of residents and visitors to Fuerteventura.

The increase in tourism also means an increase in the importance of water sports here in Fuerteventura and these are among the best in the Canary Islands. There is a stark difference to the seas on the east and west of the island. To the east the sea is nearly always calm and the winds tend to be constant and reliable, perfect for windsurfing and kiteboarding enthusiasts. The Sotavento lagoon and beaches are hosts to annual World Tour events in the last 2 weeks of July.

The western coast of Fuerteventura is wilder and for the most part unsafe for all but the most experienced swimmers and divers. However there are a handful of surfing beaches, especially around El Cotillo in the north-west. There is also exotic marine life with excellent visibility and underwater caves and grottos as is typical in submerged volcanoes.

Many tourist guide books will lead you to believe that the beautiful golden sand on more than 150 beaches scattered around the island was blown here from the Sahara desert. However, the sand on Fuerteventura is actually completely natural and the sand dunes of Corralejo are a major attraction of the island. The dune area was declared a Natural Park in the 1980’s and apart from the two Riu hotels already standing on the beach no further building is allowed, ensuring the protection of the dunes for the future. Additionally a new road is currently under construction to divert traffic around, rather than through, the sand dunes. It is hoped that work on the new road (which will run from La Caldereta to Corralejo) will be completed by December 2011, helping to preserve the beauty of the Natural Park.

There are many reasons for visitors to Fuerteventura to leave their hotels, leave their resorts and explore all this wonderful island has to offer.

New Flights and solid Real Estate prices in Fuerteventura all help in the Islands progress as a place that is growing on the touristic map of Spain

Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands has recently been named a Bioshere Reserve, all this is seen to assist and help in the growth of the island, which will produce good returns on real estate prices, provide a better environment for visitors and access is being provided by more and more flights to the Canary Islands from the UK.

Last week it was announced that UNSECO have made Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands a biosphere reserve. This means that Fuerteventura have been recognised as having a unique environment and that the islanders are working to ensure that people and wildlife live harmoniously together. This should help to stop some of the over development that has happened and keep the island the beautiful, peaceful place that has made Fuerteventura a place for those that have visited a place we all love. The announcement that Fuerteventura has been named as a UNESCO biosphere reserve, what you can do to help the Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands live up to this honour. The award is given to areas where people and the environment are working to live in harmony with each other and the recent survey that showed a 30% increase in the Hubara bird in just one year helps to confirm this. But you cannot just leave this up to the Cabildo to follow good environmental practice, this has got to come from every one of us who visits Fuerteventura for their vacation / holiday.

The immediate thought that comes into people's minds when they think of themselves and the environment is recycling, but in many ways this should be almost your last resort.......

More good news on flights to Fuerteventura island this week, Palmair are going to come to Fuerteventura from Exeter for the winter season, these start in November.

Fuerteventura Named As Biosphere Reserve

As well as a tiger reserve in India and a former military training area in Germany Fuerteventura is one of 22 new sites from 17 countries added by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to its World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

Biosphere reserves are areas designated to serve as places to test different approaches to integrated management of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine resources and biodiversity. As a result, they are sites for experimenting with and learning about sustainable development

Fuerteventura is the second largest island of the Canaries archipelago, close to the West African Coast. It includes a wide range of ecosystems from desert or semi-desert areas to coastal and marine habitats. While the island is characterized by a rich diversity of marine species, including dolphins and cachalot’s, as well as marine turtles that reproduce on its beaches, the biosphere reserve also represents one of the world’s major geopalentological observatories. Development of sustainable ecotourism practices is the major focus of the population living on the island. The island is also investing in the increase of its renewable energy capacity, mainly through wind-based and solar energy production and is representing itself as one of the models for the implementation of the European Union's Directive on Renewable Energy.

The other new sites are: Lagunas de Montebello (Mexico), Flores Island (Portugal), Geres-Xures (Portugal and Spain), Shinan Dadohae (ROK), Altaisky (Russia), Vhembe (South Africa), Giam Siak Kecil – Bukit Batu (Indonesia), Great sandy (Australia), Lajat Biosphere Reserve (Syria), Desnianskyi (Ukraine), Delta del Orinoco (Venezuela), Cu Lao Cham – Hoi An (Viet Nam), Mui Ca Mau (Viet Nam), Mount Myohyang (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea), Biosphare Bliesgau (Germany), Similipal (India), Pachmarhi (India), Nokrek (India), and Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve (Lebanon).