LOCATION

Fuerteventura, a Spanish island, is one of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. It is situated at 28°20' north, 14°00' west. At 1,660 km² it is also the second largest of the islands.

The elongated island has an area of 1660 km². The island is 100 km long from and 31 km wide. It is part of the province of Las Palmas

Fuerteventura is the oldest island in the Canary Islands dating back 20 million years to a volcanic eruption from the Canary hotspot.

The climate on the island throughout the year is pleasant. The island is also called the island of eternal springs. The sea adjusts the temperature making the hot Sahara winds blow away from the island of Fuerteventura. The island's name in English translates as "strong wind". During the winter months, temperatures average a high of 21°C and a low of around 15°C, whereas during the summer a mean high of 27°C and a low of 20°C can be expected. Precipitation is about 147 mm per annum, most of which falls in the winter.

The first tourist hotel was built here in 1965 followed by the construction of the airport at El Mattoral, heralding the dawn of a new era for the island. Fuerteventura, with its 3,000 sunshine hours a year, was placed firmly on the world stage as a major European holiday destination.

The summer Trade Winds and winter swells of the Atlantic make this a year-round surfers' paradise. Sailors, scuba divers and big game fishermen are all drawn to these clear blue Atlantic waters where whales, dolphins, marlin and turtles are all common sights.

Much of the interior, with its large plains, lavascapes and volcanic mountains, consists of protected areas which can be best be explored in a 4x4 or (for the more daring) with a cross-country motorbike.