4. Fuerteventura: 7 – 25 Mar 2016

We are now in Santa Cruz in Tenerife, the capital of the island. We made our way here from Las Palmas in Gran Canaria via the east coast of Fuerteventura to Corralejo, from where we sailed the 130 miles due west to Tenerife.

Route covered in Blogs 3 and 4 

GRAN CANARIA

Las Palmas, from where we posted our last Blog, was named after a clump of three palm trees to the south of the city.  It is the capital of Gran Canaria. 

Overview of Las Palmas

The city exudes the energy normally associated with the Mediterranean. Its traffic, people, theatres, museums, restaurants and bars, shopping districts, businesses, thriving port and even city beaches all give off the vibes of an active city.  It is very different from the holiday resorts and more sleepy rural communities throughout most of the archipelago.

El Corte Inglés – Las Palmas’ answer to John Lewis

 

Typical sidestreet scene in the city

The Veguata and Triana districts to the south of the city are the oldest and architecturally richest parts of Las Palmas. They provide clear evidence of Spanish colonisation since 1494 – from narrow, often cobbled, streets to ornate older buildings decorated with carved stonework, grilled windows and traditional wooden balconies.

Cathedral of Sta Anna which dominates the skyline of Las Palmas

Casa de Colón, supposedly where Columbus stayed, reflects the architectural characteristics of Spanish colonisation

A grid of streets links the east and west coasts of the city and peninsula to Playa de las Canteras. This 3-mile stretch of beach made Las Palmas a holiday resort for overseas visitors long before those in the south were even dreamt of. Today, the old town principally caters for Canarian and Spanish holidaymakers.

Playa de las Canteras, the city’s vibrant Spanish beach on the west side of the peninsula

 

The marina in Las Palmas and the excellent adjacent sandy beach and anchorage are located in the heart of the city within its enormous port. The marina has over 1200 berths, a good boatyard, three excellent chandleries, two dive shops, engineering workshops and there is a range of boat support services in the local area.  Both the port and marina are government run and each is the largest of its kind in the archipelago. It is also, at  7€ per night, one of the cheapest.

Chart of Las Palmas port with marina at its entrance

 

Marina and anchorage photographed from hill above city

Two years ago we spent nearly a month based in the port while exploring the island by road.  During that time we got to know the city well. We like it. This time we visited for a only few days – specifically to meet up with friends and to sort out a few “issues” on the boat. 

Our friends Bryan and Dorothy Collins were renting a small apartment near the marina while their steel yacht Caitlin of Argyll was being worked on in the boatyard.  There it was under an excellent plastic tent.  The boat was, however, uninhabitable since it was being sand blasted and repaired before being resealed and repainted.  (Labour cost £20 p.h. v £50 p.h. in the UK.)

Bryan and Dorothy’s steel yacht Caitlin of Argyll being repaired under cover

Supper with Bryan and Dorothy on Island Drifter

Before retiring, Bryan ran a boatyard in Scotland. They built their own boat there over a period of six years.  As “professionals” therefore, they didn’t appear to be over-duly fazed when part of the hull of Caitlin had to be cut out and replaced where it had rusted too badly to be sand blasted and simply repainted. 

Bryan and Dorothy looking relaxed with part of their hull – and the man who cut it out

We also met up with Dave and Hazel McCabe and their two children Katie and Reuben.  The family are taking a gap year cruising.   In the temporary absence of a pilot book they had been using our 2013–14 Blog and had communicated with us (as we do with other Bloggers).  

Katie and Reuben on bowsprit of their family boat at anchor in Las Palmas

They have a large 1954 Irish wooden offshore fishing trawler, Ros Ailither, which they had totally rebuilt and converted into a motor sailer  and home – a six-year project.  It helped that Dave is self employed and is also clearly a very talented shipwright and engineer.  Their photos of the rebuild were fascinating, as was the whole chapter on their boat included in a book on the Irish Ros Trawlers.

Discussing the book about the Irish Ros trawlers 

with Dave and Hazel over lunch on Ros Ailither

Having failed to get our gas cylinders filled in the Canaries two years ago, we were delighted that “Health and Safety” policies appear to have changed and we were able to take one (camouflaged in a wheeled suitcase) to the main gas plant by bus and get it refilled without any hassle.  Probably only cruisers will understand our delight and satisfaction at this achievement! 

Mike with gas bottle – suitably camouflaged for travel by public transport!

From Las Palmas we were easily able to catch a bus south down the motorway and then coastal road to "our" Welsh bar in Puerto Rico in order to watch the Six Nations Rugby (England v Wales). The rooms of the bar were packed out and there was a great atmosphere.

The Welsh Bar in Puerto Rico where we watched 
the Six Nations rugby

  

FUERTEVENTURA

Morro Jable at the southeast corner of Fuerteventura, the next island we sailed to, is 60 miles due east from Las Palmas in Gran Canaria. As a consequence, with a moderate F3-4 northerly breeze we enjoyed a pleasant 12-hour sail between the islands before stopping, in the dark, on the concrete quay for the night.

Sailing comfortably between Gran Canaria 

Fuerteventura with our lightweight genoa

Helen enjoying supper in the cockpit during the crossing

The government-run port of Morro Jable services ferries, an active fishing fleet and some “pleasure craft”.  The marina area is supposed to have been leased out to the Calero group, who were going to develop it significantly – but locals we spoke to feigned ignorance.

Island Drifter on the quay at Morro Jable

The virtually empty harbour in Morro Jable –  still not developed

Fuerteventura is the second largest island in the Canaries after Tenerife. It is similar in many ways to Lanzarote since both were formed by giant volcanic eruptions some 20 million years ago and both are close to the African coast which exerts a major influence on their weather and climate. Certainly, with their desert-like terrain, lower hills, and many volcanoes, they differ significantly from the more fertile western islands of the archipelago which are "younger" and influenced to a great extent by the damper Atlantic weather.

The principal characteristics of the island are its more colourful (compared with Lanzarote) landscape and buildings, its volcanic interior, desolate lava sea cliffs, and the sandy peninsula and isthmus of Jandía.

The spectrum of colours that typifies the Fuerteventuran volcanic landscape

Nature’s colours reflected in Fuerteventura’s buildings

Two years ago we stayed in each of the four ports in Fuerteventura and from them explored the island and its anchorages by road. This time we wanted to visit and enjoy the coastline and overnight anchorages by boat.

Chart of Fuerteventura showing 
the principal ports and anchorages

The port and old fishing village of Morro Jable lies to the west of a series of large modern tourist developments along the spectacular 25 miles of sandy beaches and hills that run from the southeast corner of the island north up the Jandía peninsula to the Jandía isthmus and the large German resort of Costa Calma.  Since the peninsula is windy and therefore a mecca for wind- and kite-surfing, it is not surprising that there are no fishing ports and anchorages along the peninsula’s coastline.  

A view of the Morro Jable tourist development from the west

The lighthouse at Morro Jable looking from the north on our way up the Jandía peninsula

The isthmus at the northern end of the Jandía peninsula

By contrast, the rugged volcanic coastline that runs east from Costa Calma to Punta Lantailla contains five well-indented, beach-backed bays that provide good shelter from the prevailing northerly winds.  Each of them initially evolved as fishermen’s hamlets where small boats could be pulled up on to the beach. Those hamlets have since expanded to incorporate small tourist developments often at the expense of the fishing industry. Each bay offers good holding in sand, albeit that unused and abandoned mooring buoys usually make it difficult to anchor in the best-protected areas. (We’ve now concluded that the best aid to anchoring in the Canaries could well be a sharp knife!)

Some of the volcanic coastline between Costa Calma 

and the 12-mile beach south of Corralejo

A closer view of the steep 
volcanic sea cliffs on this coastline

There is a government-run port in Gran Tarajal that has consumed part of one of the anchorages – but there is still plenty of room to anchor in the large adjacent bay.  It used to be Fuerteventura’s second commercial port.   Today its ferry and commercial traffic has been taken over by the other three ports on the island.  It still, however, has an active inshore fishing fleet, a fishing cooperative and boatyard.  Facilities for pleasure craft and visiting yachts have been expanded to fill the vacant space in the harbour and it is an important port of refuge on this inhospitable coast.

 The port of Gran Tarajal with its fishing fleet tucked into a 

snug corner (to the left), boat yard above and the large “marina” to the right

The large anchorage at Gran Tarajal viewed from town

The local town is still essentially Spanish. It retains a “village atmosphere” and offers a glimpse of how things were before the tourist boom took place.  Tourism in Gran Tarajal remains relatively low key.

One of the many colourful murals in the town
 – a Gran Tarajal speciality

 

 Confradía des Pescadores' (Fishermen's Co-operative) excellent restaurant in the old town

Playa de la Lajita, the most western bay on this south-facing coast, is a pleasant sheltered overnight anchorage backed by a sleepy village. A few small local fishing dories were pulled up on the beach, but it did not look as if they were overused. We particularly liked the fact that the village still had a beachside restaurant overlooking “our” anchorage.

Island Drifter at anchor seen from beachside 
restaurant in Playa de la Lajita

The village of Playa de la Lajita and Island Drifter 

viewed from our dinghy as Helen us rowed ashore

Tarajalejo is a larger, albeit equally well-protected bay, which has almost completely “developed” into a tourist resort with the odd rowing boat lying about for effect.  Its principal value to cruisers is that it has a rough quay with steps at the east end of the bay where it is possible to leave a dinghy and get ashore. The alternative of landing on a beach by dinghy in breaking surf can be a somewhat damp experience.

The resort of Tarajalejo viewed from its anchorage

Giniginámar’s anchorage, nearest to Gran Tarajal, has a smaller old self-contained fishing village to the east of the bay – although a modern holiday complex has been developed on the other side of the bay. Like the other anchorages, it offers good holding in 5 metres over sand and provides reasonable shopping facilities, bars and restaurants ashore.

The old fishing village of Giniginámar 
viewed from its anchorage

Las Playitas, to the east of Gran Tarajal, occupies a steep-sided valley. Its anchorage offers the best protection on the coast against northeasterly winds (other than the port at Gran Tarajal). It provides good anchoring in sand and stone, although it is rather shallow. The lack of a sandy beach, unusual in Fuerteventura, has provided a degree of protection from overdevelopment and much remains of the pleasant fishing village that has existed for decades. A stone mole with steps helps with access ashore.

Las Playitas, the best-protected (from northeast winds) anchorage on this coast

It is a 40-mile passage north up the rugged east coast of Fuerteventura from Gran Tarajal to Corralejo – as the seagull flies.  It can be as much as double that distance if one has to tack against the prevailing northerly winds.   “Ports/anchorages of refuge” are limited to four – and each of them has drawbacks. 

In 2014 we were fortunate that there was an empty “temporary” pontoon in Rosario, the island’s principal commercial port and capital, which we stayed on at New Year with Alan and Lynn. This has now been removed.  Visiting yachts are no longer welcome in the commercial port although one can still anchor in sand in front of the Yacht Club.  Its anchorage is well protected by the Port’s extensive breakwater. However, we found the holding poor and have met other cruisers who have had a similar experience.

Island Drifter “dressed overall” in Rosario for New Year’s Eve 2014 with Alan and Lynn

Theoretically one could stop at the small private marina at Caleta de Fuste, but it is invariably full of boats belonging to owners of the adjacent villas – and it’s expensive.  

We pulled in to look at Ensenada de Jacomar, a small canvas-tented fishing encampment tucked in behind Punta de Jacomar. We watched with considerable interest as one of its inhabitants, who had previously offered advice on anchoring, rowed to the shore in a heavy swell. The sandy-bottomed anchorage would probably have been all right for an overnight stay, providing there was no east in the wind.  We didn’t stay since the wind was from the east!

Tented fishing encampment at Ensenada de Jacomar

The fishing hamlet of Pozo Negro actually offers the only other practical overnight anchorage along this east coast up to Corralejo. It is sheltered from the north by Punta del Viento. It has good holding but, again, there would have to be no east in the wind. Even so, we particularly liked it, since it is one of the few locations left in the Canaries that looks anything like what such hamlets were before the tourist invasion of the sixties.

Pozo Negro’s old fishing hamlet on the east coast viewed from its anchorage. 

One of the best examples left in the Canaries of a traditional fishing hamlet

Our final port of call was Corralejo on the northeast corner of the island.  We’d already stayed there once this year – when I rejoined Mike after flying back to Fuerteventura following a 5-day trip to the UK in January.  This time we went there in order to position ourselves for the passage due west to Tenerife.  

Sunset as we approached Corralejo

In the absence of an allocated berth we were allowed to berth on the “tourist boat” pontoon for the night.  Next morning we moved to the town’s anchorage.

Island Drifter’s temporary overnight berth on Corralejo’s tourist boat  pontoon

 

 Island Drifter at anchor – viewed from an adjacent boat

The old fishing village of Corralejo is adjacent to a magnificent 12-mile-long sandy beach. While much of the old town still surrounds the port, the village has, not surprisingly, expanded dramatically into a large modern tourist resort.  The location is a major centre for surfers of all types.  Today the port itself is dominated by tourist boats and the frequent ferries that ply their way across the Estrecho de la Bocayna to Playa Blanca on Lanzarote.  The pontoons in the port, including the supposed “visitors’ pontoon”, have been taken over by local boats.

The port viewed from the balcony of Banana Bar, 
a surfers’ haunt

The town anchorage and ferry port viewed from the port’s massive breakwater

Dave and Hazel McCabe and their children Katie and Reuben, whom we met when they were at anchor in Las Palmas (Gran Canaria), were already anchored in the bay.

Ros Ailither at anchor in Corralejo

  

Soon after we dropped our hook, Lee and Sam Thomas and family (Meadow, Sol and Sennen) arrived in Magic Dragon. We had been berthed next to them in December while in Arrecife. They own and run, during the summer, a triathlon training centre near Poitiers in France.  For the winter months they cruise and surf.

Magic Dragon arriving in our anchorage in Corralejo

The day after their arrival, while we were still waiting for the wind to turn from the west to the northeast, we joined the two families on a 15-km hike up the Caldera Bayuyo which overlooks Corralejo.  

Caldera Bayuyo, which we walked to and climbed with friends, as seen from our anchorage

                                           

              Group photo at the top of the caldera

                                

Corralejo, with the Isla de Lobos in the distance, 

viewed from the top of the caldera

We didn’t visit Isla de Lobos (Wolf Seal Island) across the El Rio (straits) off Corralejo – although Dave and Hazel did and Lee and Sam have on many occasions. The island is now a nature reserve. It remains largely unspoilt, wild life abounds (sadly not the wolf seals which have been hunted to extinction) and it has an attractive lagoon at the south.  The island’s principal anchorage off the lagoon has good holding and makes a pleasant day stop.  It does, however, suffer from swell that creeps around the coast and as such does not fall within our definition of a reasonable overnight anchorage (i.e. one where we could leave the boat and go ashore without undue concern).

Dave and a friend manhandling their dinghy back across the bar that guards the lagoon at Isla de Lobos when they misjudged the tidal height over the bar

Above half-tide Dave was easily able to row over the bar into the splendid (swimming) lagoon albeit that there was a “little” surf on the bar when he did so.

TENERIFE

Once the wind veered from the northwest to the northeast as forecast, we left Corralejo for Santa Cruz, the capital of Tenerife.  It was a little bit bumpy on leaving the harbour but, we are told, nothing compared with what it can be in a storm when the area turns white with breaking waves and even the large ferries don’t risk going in or out.

Island Drifter leaving Corralejo harbour in a bit of a breeze

Our 130-mile overnight sail to Santa Cruz took us 24 hours with the wind behind the beam all the way. Good going by our standards!

Approaching Santa Cruz harbour and city under sail

We stayed in Santa Cruz two years ago in order specifically to see their carnival and to use it as a base from which to explore the island by road.  Marina Santa Cruz is located inside one of its four enormous city ports.   It is adjacent to the city’s centre. We therefore got to know Santa Cruz well last time and liked it.

Chart of Santa Cruz’s city, harbour and ports

   

Aerial photo of Marina Santa Cruz adjacent to city centre

This time we want to cruise more of the island’s coast and visit specific ports and harbours we went to by road last time – before visiting the three other western islands.

We’ll stay in Santa Cruz over the Easter weekend when there will be various processions through the city.

Meanwhile, we wish you all

 an enjoyable and Happy Easter.