In January we took Lucas on his first holiday abroad to Fuerteventura . We flew from Manchester with Monarch. We were a little worried that Lucas would get bored at the airport but the time went quickly, we had something to eat and did a bit of duty free shopping before playing in the children’s soft play area. The baby changing facilities were adequate and clean, my only bug bear was that there was only one at each set of toilets so we were waiting to use it and much to my annoyance a lady wandered out of it with no child.
As it was our first holiday flying with a baby and I wanted it to be as stress free as possible I prebooked our seats so I knew we would definitely be sat together and were on the plane we would be. I wouldn’t do this again, especially if we went at the same time of the year as there were lots of empty seats and we ended up having a row to ourselves. The staff on the plane were very polite and attentive. I prebooked our inflight meals which I would have highly recommended, I remember going on holiday with my parents when we were younger and the food was what I would call plasticy but these meals where beautiful and excellent value for money. Unfortunately since February 1st the meals are no longer available to pre-book. Buying on the plane, if the prices are the same as they were in January would mean spending more than double what we got for the pre-booked so I will be taking something with us next time.
We stayed at the Barcelo Castillo Beach Resort Hotel in Caleta De Fuste which was approximately 20 minutes from the airport. The resort is set out as a Canarian Village with beautiful bungalows, manicured lawns and colourful flowers. We stayed in a superior bungalow which consisted of a double bedroom, a bathroom and open plan kitchen, dining and living area. The sofa in the lounge could also be used as a double bed. We couldn’t fault the bungalow, it was immaculate and the furniture was great quality. The TV had various channels in different languages and even had CBeebies and ITV on it, we don’t go away to watch TV but it was nice to have the option of curling up on the sofa when Lucas went to bed early.
We had a porch area with sunbeds and a small hedge for privacy. Other than that we were on the pool side so it was great for sunbathing and us taking turns going to the pool or pool side bar that did snacks whilst the other stayed with Lucas during nap times. There was also a kids club on our part of the complex, the staff with the children sang and did a dance everyday which was lovely to see and amused Lucas.
There was a board that showed the various activities throughout the day for children and adults but the staff didn’t harass you to join anything which I liked, I hate it when I’m on holiday and feel the need to hide from the holiday reps. Some of the activities for adults included mini golf, pilates, beach volleyball and salsa. The resort also has free wifi but it didn’t work where we were staying, we had to go to the reception area to use it. I went a couple of times when we were passing but I must say that I did enjoy being cut off for 10 days and not checking my emails or seeing what was happening at home.
The complex was also on the beach front so we took Lucas to the beach most days, the beach was incredibly clean and the sea was perfectly clear. The fish came right up to the shore, it is definitely my favourite place I have ever been swimming. I loved looking at the fish whilst swimming without having to put my head underwater.
We were a short walk from the marina that is next to the theatre that holds the evening entertainment as well as a sports bar and cocktail bar. We went all inclusive and drinks were included in these bars as well as the pool bars and restaurants. The food was superb in the buffet restaurant that we went to, serving a variety of fresh food with pretty much anything you could want. The staff were also very accommodating and meal times were definitely Lucas’ favourite part of the holiday.
I turned 30 whilst we were there and on my birthday the hotel staff left a note in our bungalow along with a bottle of cava and birthday cake which I thought was a beautiful touch as this wasn’t something we had mentioned to them.
Caleta De Fuste itself is a beautiful and relaxed place but also has plenty to do for those that don’t want to lounge around. There are plenty of cafes, bars, sports and excursions as well as a shopping centre and thalassotherapy centre. This seems the right place to move to Spain and get residency if you like this kind of stuff.
It is the first time we have been and we completely fell in love with the area. We can’t wait to book to revisit x
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