As we all know retirees do have a busy life and so do we. We are a retired couple fond of traveling that was in need of some rest and wanted to flee the nasty weather back home. Our destination was Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands. The hotel we picked out was located on the southern end near the little village Morro Jable on the Jandía peninsula. We did all the planning and booking single-handedly because we like to create the big picture by putting together all the puzzle pieces by ourselves. Booking a trip in an travel agency is just a tiny little bit too boring for us.
Fuerteventura – Occidental Jandía Mar
In order to book our hotel we searched and found it on booking.com. The big advantage was that we would have been able to cancel the reservation until two days before arrival without any extra fees. You never know what is going to happen. Even as a retiree there might be incidents that you just couldn’t foresee (even though you think you have the entire day off usually). Doctors appointments, kids and grandchildren or even our own parents tend to infiltrate the day and make claims. Therefore a free cancellation option is a nice thing. Condor offers direct flights to Fuerteventura so we booked those on their website.
We chose the hotel Occidental Jandía Mar in Morro Jable. This all-inclusive hotel is located very conveniently near the beach Playa del Matorral (with the lighthouse Faro de Morro Jable) on a rather steep hill. In the midst of this beautifully arranged hotel complex families with children as well as couples without children have a lot of free space with big pool areas where you can fulfill the desire of getting some rest and recharge or get involved in some action like pool games, however you want. Once you feel like you had enough of the hotel it is possible to walk to the beach in 10 to 15 minutes. For the elderly amongst us we want to point out that maybe the way back up the hill might take a little more time than 15 minutes. Fortunately the hotel offers a shuttle service to and from the beach three times a day – very practical.
Fuerteventura – Occidental Jandía Mar
Talking about shuttle services… To get from the airport to the hotel and back we booked a shuttle service beforehand through Rideways. We didn’t want to risk using the local busses or cabs. We wanted to know ahead of time what we had to pay and were afraid of paying an extra “tourist-fee”. Since we already paid the shuttle from Germany we did not have to worry about anything at all when we got there. Especially on the day of our departure we only had to make a quick call and the shuttle was confirmed. Rideways was very reliable and on both ways the drivers were right on time without any delays. For two people we payed 180,- € roundtrip and we didn’t have to wait or organize anything once we got there.
The food in the hotel was good and nicely arranged. A nice change to the everyday life was that for once we did not have to go grocery shopping or be creative in thinking of dishes to make for the next meal. No, it was all taken care of – a great feeling. The fact that it was also payed for already (also the drinks) made it even better. A little downer to that was that bottled water was not included. To get bottled water we had to go to the hotel shop and buy it there for hotel prices. A way cheaper alternative is the supermarket that is down the hill, only a 10 minute walk from the hotel. After all that walking up and down the hill here a little note on the side: The hotel Spa is also not included.
Fuerteventura – Occidental Jandía Mar
If you are interested in some excursions it is possible to book those right there in the hotel lobby. The center of Morro Jable is close to the hotel, the National Park Jandía and the lighthouse Faro de Punta Jandía are a little further away on the southern tip of the island. We recommend a walk on the beach to Morro Jable. It is beautiful. If you spend the evening in the hotel the animation team will entertain you with one of their shows or you can let the day fade away on the terrace.
To sum it up: Our vacation on Fuerteventura was very nice and relaxing – exactly what we were looking and hoping for. If you look for more action – no problem though. Surfing, mountain climbing, hiking towards and along the ocean or in the mountains are just a few possibilities that await the more active traveler that wants a change from the everyday life but also wants to spend the free time in a beautiful hotel.
