Fuerteventura News

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Ice rink at Fuerteventura

Ice skating came to Fuerteventura when the island’s first sports fair opened its doors.

The fair took place in the area normally occupied by the FEAGA show near Pozo Negro.

The ice rink took 48 hours to build on an island where most residents have not even seen snow.

Clean streets honoured

Pajara has won a top award for its clean streets. The silver broom award was presented at a ceremony in Madrid. The town has run an intense clean-up campaign which included removing abandoned cars

Interpreter service for hospital

The General Hospital is to get a 12 hour interpreter service. The new call centre which will be capable of translating eight languages – English, French, German, Romanian, Italian, Polish, Moroccan and Portuguese. The call centre will be open from 8 am until 8 pm and  the hours may be extended.

Two new schools planned

Two new primary schools are to be built on Fuerteventura. Puerto del Rosario and La Oliva are the proposed locations for the new schools which will help meet the growing demand for school places. Each of the schools has a 4,400,000€ budget

War games in July

The annual war games which sees the Spanish military descend on Pajara will take place between July 18-25. The annual exercise has attracted criticism for damaging the environment.

Hotel deal reached

A deal has been reached over plans to demolish the two hotels on the sand dunes at Corralejo.

The Tres Islas hotel will be allowed to remain open for another 30 years and the Oliva Beach hotel for 10 years. In return, the Riu hotel chain has agreed to give up any rights it had to the island f Los Lobos and one of three valuable natural spaces at El Cotillo, Majanicho and El Jablito.

Bumper crowds for annual Feaga show

Bumper crowds flocked to this year's annual Feaga agricultural show.

Farmers showed off their prize bulls, goats and camels, the best of the island's goats cheeses as well as wines. Thee were scores of stalls and exhibitions - everything from luxury boats to tractors -and ample free samples to feast on!

Fuerteventura's biosphere hopes

Fuerteventura could be declared a biosphere reserve within the year said Javier Castroviejo, the president of the Spanish branch of the UNESCO programme Man and the Biosphere.

A biosphere reserve is an area of either land or coastal ecosystem that can serve as an example of biodiversity, conservation and sustainable use. According to UNESCO, which established the biosphere reserve program, a reserve must serve three functions - conservation, sustainable development and logistics to support research and education relating to conservation and development.

Electricity demand soars

Electricity demand in Fuerteventura rose by 8% in the first three months of 2006 putting  Fuerteventura at the top of the seven islands league for having the highest consumption of electricity. 

Health tourism

The tourism board on the island plans to create a new health and beauty holiday brochure promoting spa and wellness locations. The new brochure is in response to the growing demand in the health tourism sector.

Unemployment falls

According to figures released by the Canarian Government, during the month of April there were 4,669 people unemployed - 107 less than the previous month. At the beginning of the year the unemployment figures rose to 5,000 but slowly - and with the arrival of the busy tourist season - unemployment figures are starting to drop.

Shopping campaign

Gran Tarajal is launching a campaign to attract shoppers to the area. Street theatres, exhibitions and raffles will be held to woo shoppers to the town.

Bird observatories planned

The environment department plans to install five bird observatories throughout the marshlands of Fuerteventura. The department has earmarked almost 48,000€ for the project.

Fuerteventura to get frontier trading post

Fuerteventura is to get its own frontier trading post aimed at boosting trade with Africa and making the most of the new ferry service between Puerto del Rosario and Puerto de Tarfaya in Morocco.

 The current laws mean that all goods from Africa heading to the eastern archipelago need to first pass through inspection points in the capital islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria. The added cost of the detour is paid for by the businesses receiving the goods and this is then passed on to consumers.

Businessmen believe the new "Check Point Charlie" will lead to increased trade with Africa and will aslo boost tourism.

  New marina planned

A new leisure marina aimed at being the best in the Canary islands could be built on Fuerteventura.

 The new marina would include luxury shops, restaurants, homes and a hotel forming an exclusive maritime village based on the typical architecture of Fuerteventura.

 The project, called Puertoventura, would be financed by private capital and be similar to Marina Rubicon in Lanzarote.

 Twenty years ago a project was drawn to turn the area of El Jablito into the island’s first leisure harbour were rejected. They have resurfaced again with four major companies interested in building the marina.

Las Playitas 'tourism boom town' project

Las Playitas is soon to be the centre of a series of projects aimed at turning the sleepy fishing village into a new tourist destination.

The new part of the village, where there has been massive construction, will see with a luxury five star hotel and one of the first projects to begin is a coastal path connecting the old town to the new and a bicycle lane running from Las Playitas to the neighbouring town of Gran Tarajal.

The ayuntamiento of Tuineje is keen to cash  in on the tourism sector and has singled out Las Playitas where the old part of the village remains virtually untouched and the focal point of village life is its two traditional fish restaurants.

Fuerteventura to produce own olive oil

Fuerteventura could soon be producing its own olive oil. The Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries has bought an oil mill so the island can produce its own olive oil. Olive growers have been asking town councils for years about the possibility.

 Israel joins island fight against palm beetle

Israel has joined forces with Fuerteventura in the fight against the killer bug which is destroying the island’s palm trees. The environment department is collaborating with specialists from Israel to combat the current plague of picudo rojo - the red palm weevil which attacks palm trees.

EU grant to save island's bird

Over half the budget from the European Union’s environmental program Project Life is coming to Fuerteventura. The half a million euro windfall will go towards the island’s first nature reserve for the protection of the endangered hubara bird.

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