![](images/spacer.gif) |
FAQ's
What are the typical business opening hours ?
| Shopping
hours on around Caleta de Fustes and around Fuerteventura vary from place
to place but generally revolve around the siesta, when everything closes down
for three or four hours from around 1pm. Shops generally stay open until 8
or 9pm, but close on Saturday afternoons and all day on Sunday. |
| In
large resorts including Caleta, many shops stay open from 10am until 8pm or
even 10pm without a break, including Sundays. | | Banks
around Caleta and around Fuerteventura generally open Monday to Friday from
9am - 2pm (winter) and until noon in summer, and Saturday 9am - noon. Post
offices are open from 9am - 2pm Monday to Friday, and from 9am until 1pm on
Saturdays. |
What is the electricity supply voltage?
| Voltage
is 220, using two-pin sockets. UK / Irish appliances need an adaptor. |
What about money related issues?
| Local
currency on Fuerteventura is the Euro (€ or EUR) which replaced the peseta
in January 2002. | |
Euro coins have denominations 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, and 1 and 2 euros;
notes range from 5 to 500 euros. | | Outside
banking hours, travel agents and bureau de change on Fuerteventura displaying
the sign Cambio will exchange foreign currency. | | Cash-dispensing
machines are widely available in large resorts including Caleta de Fustes. |
| Major
credit cards, travellers' cheques and Eurocheques are accepted at most hotels,
restaurants and large shops in Caletta and around the island. |
| It's
wise to carry some Euro's, as some places (e.g. some petrol stations) insist
on cash. Note that there is a new petrol station at the entrance to the Fuerteventura
golf club. | | Restaurant
bills may include a service charge of 15 per cent. If you wish to leave a
tip for good service, add another 5-10 per cent. |
What about phoning or posting home?
| Stamps
(sellos) can be bought from post offices, tobacconists and most shops selling
postcards on the island. | | Post
boxes are yellow and the slot marked extranjero is for letters abroad. |
| Post
boxes are yellow and the slot marked extranjero is for letters abroad. |
| You
can phone home from a teléfonica kiosk, where you make a metered call
from a booth and pay an assistant afterwards. | | There
are also public telephone boxes on Fuerteventura, but you need a lot of change
to make an overseas call. | | For
international calls, dial 00. Wait for the second dialling tone, then dial
the country code followed by the area code (minus the initial zero) and the
number you want. The code for the UK is 44, and for Ireland it is 353. |
| The
cheapest time to call the UK is after 10pm and all day on Sundays. |
How
can I get around the island of Fuerteventura?
| Car
hire is readily available and cheap on the island, but the choice of car hire
firm can be bewildering. Our representative at Homecare Fuerteventura can
help with this. | | Always
carry with you your driving licence, car hire documents and passport (or a
photocopy of relevant pages). Road checks on the island are commonplace, and
if you can't produce these documents you will receive an automatic on-the-spot
fine. | | If
you are not keen on driving, there are plenty of organised tours. Beware of
illegal operators offering apparent bargains. Some may be operating without
insurance others may simply disappear with your money. It is safer to book
excursions through our Home care representative who may also be able to offer
a discount. | | Taxis
in Caleta and around Fuerteventura are relatively cheap and are easily recognisable
by the green light on the roof and the official plate marked SP (servicio
publico). In the top tourist areas including Caleta, boards by the taxi ranks
display fixed prices for popular routes. | | Bus
services in large towns are frequent and cheap. The Canarian word for bus
is guagua, pronounced 'wah-wah'. |
What is local beach protocol?
| Topless
bathing is common and there are several naturist beaches on Fuerteventura
. | | Some
popular resort beaches have lifeguards and use a flag warning system: Green
means that you can bathe in safety. Yellow is for strong swimmers only. If
the flag is red, do not swim under any circumstances. |
Is Fuerteventura a safe place to visit?
| In
short Caleta de Fustes and Fuerteventura generally is very very safe but a
few tips worth remembering. | | Theft
from cars is the commonest form of crime. Leave nothing of value in a parked
car, not even locked in the boot. | | The
best place to keep your valuables is in the safety deposit box provided at
the Villas. The code is easily changed for your stay. |
| Violent
crime is highly unusual on Fuerteventura, but watch out for pickpockets and
bag snatchers, especially in crowded market places. Always keep your belongings
in a bag tied securely to your body. | | In
large resorts including Caleta, avoid dark back streets and take taxis at
night. | | Beware
of ticket touts on the island of Fuerteventura who may sell illegal trips
on the streets and beaches. |
Is the Water safe to drink ?
| Tap
water on the golf course as on most of the island is produced by desalination.
It is safe to drink but does not taste very good and its rich mineral content
can cause upset stomachs. We do not recommend that you drink it. It is wiser
to drink bottled water, which is cheap and readily available. |
| Cooling
breezes on Fuerteventura can disguise the heat of the sun, which is very strong
all year round. Break yourself in gradually, cover up at midday and in the
early afternoon and use a good sunscreen. Drink plenty of liquid to avoid
dehydration. |
Are there medical facilities available?
| There
are English-speaking doctors and dentists in most resorts including Caleta
de Fustes. Ask our Homecare representative. Chemists are recognisable by a
large green cross on a white background. Most keep shop hours, but there is
always a 24-hour rota system for emergencies; each chemist has the name of
the nearest farmacia de guardia (duty chemist) posted in the window. |
![Book your Fuerteventura holiday now](images/book_now.gif)
|
![](images/spacer.gif) |