Jandía: My Verdict

I like the Canary island of Fuerteventura. Normally I stay in Corralejo, which is still basically an old fishing village; so it has an old town and its hinterland expands in to the wider tourist resort. Indeed, it is agreeable enough to stroll through the older streets of the town.

Corralejo sits in the north of the island. Jandía, on the other hand, lies in the south. I decided to stay at Jandía on this occasion, just for a change. I can tell you that I intend to remain loyal to Corralejo (if there were suitable accommodation at El Cotillo I'd try it, though).

Jandía has no heart. I suppose it could be called a resort. It is merely a two-mile long stretch of concrete beach-shops interspersed with the odd cafeteria. That's it. What it does have is a beautiful beach which is also miles in length.

Because Jandía isn't a town, there are no locutorios, those internet shops with rows of phone booths where cheap phone calls can be made. I missed this a lot, because I like to keep in touch at home; instead, I used the public pay-phones which are possibly three times dearer, or more.

Fuerteventura has a decent public bus infrastructure, but I could hardly find a bus-stop in Jandía! Bus-stops are few and far between there. So I only managed to use the bus once, happening to encounter one on its way to the nearby town of Morro Jable.

My hotel was very good, though. The residents were mainly German. The evening entertainment was excellent, the team putting on musicals like Grease and Starlight Express most nights. It was a friendly hotel, I felt, and all the staff were most diligent. The chambermaid service was exceptionally good. Meals were perfectly acceptable, too.

I spent most of my time on the beach, reading P G Wodehouse, basking in the sun and taking the odd dip. I did meet a Bavarian lady on the beach from Munich. We got on well and chatted - she spoke good English. I might have seen more of her, though she was leaving in two days. I asked her out for a drink in my bashful way; she politely declined. Nothing lost, nothing gained. Perhaps, unlike me, she didn't fancy a one-night stand!

I am sure it shan't be long till I pay Fuerteventura another visit.