Fuerteventura is the least-discovered or developed of the Canary Islands, set in the Atlantic off the coast of Africa with gentle breezes wafting over the sand dunes and palm trees.
Irish holidaymakers tend to prefer Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Tenerife ahead of it in that order, and it is hard to imagine why.
Winter or summer, it is ideal for a two-week family holiday or a luxury short-break from the grey days and rain of home. Gourmet eating, sight-seeing, shopping, chilling out at the beach - the island has it all.
The place prides itself as a refuge away from high-rise hotels, lager louts and streams of visitors. This is an island which has avoided the worst excesses of mass tourism, concentrating instead on relaxing holidays.
There are three options for holiday-makers on the island. Those seeking luxury, up-market hotel accommodation will tend to gravitate towards 'The Beautiful South' (as it's known).
Here, the beaches of Jandia are a massive attraction. They start at the Costa Calma resort and then lie, like a golden necklace 30 miles long, right to the island's southern tip.
All the way along this lively coastline, there are luxury hotels on the water's edge. Just a few are the Rio Calma (928 54 60 50) or the Riu Calypso in Morro Jable (928 54 00 26) or the Costa Calma Beach (928 87 50 46).
The best beaches to match those of Jandia outside the Caribbean. How have they remained so relatively unknown is a mystery. The sand is golden, the sea absolutely pristine.
For those who like swimming in gentle waves, the water here is perfect. The waves lift you up and gently set you down. There are areas where the waves are higher, good for surfing - but lagoons also where it's always safe to swim whatever the wind is doing.
The atmosphere is laid back with plenty of room for both families and couples. The hotels are world-class and, judging by the new highway which is about to open, they are set to take the tourism world by storm.
Some holidaymakers, however, prefer the option of staying in a more established resort with all the choice and variety that means - wandering in the evenings through a maze of bars and restaurants.
The resort of Corralejo, the largest on the island, is the place to go for this, on Fuerteventura's north-eastern tip and beside the famous sand dunes that are now a National Park.
It also has some really up-market hotels, such as the five-star Gran Hotel Atlantis Bahía Real www.atlantisbahiareal.
On the other end of the financial scale, we found a fantastic café in Corralejo doing lunches for €6.95, right beside the sea so you could bathe between courses.
There is also the Baku Water Park in Corralejo which the children will love, Irish bars (for those who gravitate towards them) and a plethora of restaurants, proving that on Fuerteventura you can eat your way around the world (Mexican, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Thai, Caribbean) without leaving your resort!
Corralejo is surrounded by turquoise waters and has a harbour where you can take boat trips to nearby Lanzarote and the uninhabited Isla Los Lobos where the deserted beaches are spectacular.
Those with small children might prefer to choose Costa Caleta, however. It is beach is completely safe for the small ones with sand underfoot gently sloping into the sea.
There are plenty of beach umbrellas offering shade in the midday heat and the beach is fringed with snack-bars and cafes when lunch-time comes. No hike back to your hotel either as the resort is build on the flat.
After dark, children as young as a few months are welcome in the bars and restaurants in the village centre. There are also kiddies' parks in the centre of Caleta where children can safely play to their heart's content just a few metres from their parents.
Wherever you are in Caleta, you are only five minutes walk from the small boutiques, supermarkets, cafes and bars of the town centre. There appears to be no fear of crime about and absolutely no lager-lout culture to spoil things.
Best place to stay here is the Barcelo Club El Castillo, right on the beach and a short, palm-fringed walk along the promenade from the centre of things. We chose to stay here from the Falcon/JWT brochure which delivered all its promises.
Accommodation is mainly in ground-level, individual cottage/bungalows with bedrooms, kitchenettes and bathrooms, set around the main buildings housing reception, the main restaurant and a plaza.
It houses shops, the 'Arena' entertainment area and two restaurants, the Pizzaria and the Paella, which also overlooks the beach. The snack bar offers one of the nicest club sandwiches (at €3.80) I have ever tasted, just the thing for a light lunch.
There are children's pools, play areas and the man-made 'island' close by offers a dive school, more restaurants and an Oceanarium where you can watch the sea-lions and feed the large fish that swarm around the pontoons.
Caleta also has its up-market hotels, such as the Hotel Elba Palace Golf www.hoteleselba.com.
It also offers a handy free mini-train shuttle that takes visitors right around the beach from the Oceanarium to the El Atlantico centre on the opposite side which houses more restaurants and bars, a cinema and a good supermarket.
So, whether is a luxury hotel designed for couples and honey-mooners, a lively resort holiday for groups or singles, or a family resort where children and their parents feel equally relaxed, Fuerteventura has it all.
All the major holiday companies feature Fuerteventura in their brochures. A good generic website is www.myholiday.ie
Eoghan Corry
