One of the things we always check out when we are on a self catering holiday or staying in a villa is the shopping options, and where to buy water to keep hydrated. For some trips we load our suitcase with some emergency supplies, noddles, soup, crackers and spread and hope that our host will leave a starter pack of milk and water to get us through the first night. In Fuerteventura, there is no need to plan ahead unless you are staying in a remote spot, as there are lots of small supermarkets in all of the main resorts. The Mercadona at Costa de Antigua is close to the airport and is in a mall with other shops. We picked up some superb cakes and pastries and some really lovely hand cream. Our youngest loved throwing oranges into the juice machine to make squeeze-to-drink orange juice. The fishy pick-and-mix was different, and a lot of fun.
There is also a Lidl in Puerto Rosario, and an Ikea. All the supermarkets stay open past 7pm (often until 9pm) and most villages also have an Inpescasa (a Canarian chain) and there is a large number of Hiper Dino Express outlets too.
Generally the Fuerteventura roads are very good, and even if you’re not a confident and experienced driver it is worth giving it a go. The roads in most places are pretty straightforward and well signposted. You can pick up a rental at the airport and the route out onto the FV-1 coast road is simple, with a choice of north or south.
If you want to explore further afield is possible to drive round the island in one day, or you can break up the trip into the north, a middle of the island trip and a trip south. There are free island maps given out at the airport as you arrive or in hotel receptions which you can use to plan your journey
If you are a nervous driver you might want to avoid the FV-30 highway in Fuerteventura. This 20 mile twisty mountain road runs north to south through Betancuria natural park, from Casillas del Angel to Pajara. It can be narrow in places and sheer drops, but if you have a head for heights it has stunning views.
I don’t think you can under estimate how much first impressions matter when you arrive in a new country, usually from the people who have frontline jobs. When we arrived in baggage reclaim we were greeted by some smiling ladies, who offered a free map of the island and it was a really nice welcome to the island. We plan to pick up a hire car to explore further afield at some point so this will be useful, and framed it might make a nice souvenir for the downstairs loo too. As soon as we recovered our bags, we headed out to take a photo of the sun and the palm trees straight away. It is not something we see a lot of back in Scotland!
It’s about a 30 minute transfer from the airport to Corralejo, or 15 minutes to Caleta de Fuste where we are staying on this trip. We found the roads really easy to drive on, they are long and straight with easy access to the main trunk road directly from the airport for a quick exit. The beautiful views are a bonus too.
This is our fourth time here, but are are looking forward to trying new things revisiting favourite places. Snorkeling is on the list, along with exploring the rest of the island. For us, Fuerteventura has it all, but is really about time together sitting back and relaxing so we will be doing a lot of that too. More in our next post once we have unpacked or at least thrown the things out the case and into a drawer.
Scotland has lots of perfect crabbing locations for some simple, summer family fun-all you really need is a line and some bait. Here is our easy guide with everything you need to know.
Crabbing lines are inexpensive or you can make your own with a line and an empty fruit net as a bait bag. The fruit nets are also handy to have as replacement bait nets too. A weight is useful to make sure the line drops to the bottom of the seabed, there is no need to use a hook, as the crab will cling onto the bag. Bait the bag with bacon or tinned sardines, or most meat or fish scraps will work too.
Find a good spot, ideally with a jetty or safe ledge to sit on. The best places are on thick harbour walls that you can spread your stuff on, but anywhere you can dangle a line and your legs over will do fine.
Half-fill your crab bucket with seawater. A bit of seaweed is also good if you can find it to provide some cover. It is important to keep the bucket in the shade so the crabs don’t overheat.
Drop your line into the water. Make sure that your bait reaches the bottom and try to avoid any clusters of seaweed or rocks that you line can get tangled in. Hold the line loosely in your hand and wait until you feel a tug. If there is a crab onboard the line will feel a little heavier and give some resistance when you pull gently.
Once you get the crabs attention, wait a few seconds and pull up slowly. Once above the water they may let go if they are not busy trying to eat your bait.
A few shakes above the bucket should be enough to loosen them and or if you are brave enough you can carefully pick them off. Only keep a few crabs in the bucket at a time, especially if they are more aggressive male crabs or they will start to fight.
Don’t be tempted to eat them as most crabs in the UK are inedible. When you let them go, make sure they don’t have too high a drop to reach water. Release them near the water edge for a spontaneous crab ‘race’ to add to the fun.
This weekend we made a family trip to Dumfries House in Ayrshire, which ended up revolving in a lot of ways around HRH, The Prince Charles. Dumfries House is his ‘haunted’ Scottish stately home that Camilla has supposedly refused to set foot in for years.
We started off with brunch at the renovated 18th century Coach House which serves up the most delicious cream teas and sandwiches. The orange clementine cake is amazing! Each stable is named after its previous occupant, we opted for Snowballs stable. You can also get sandwiches or ice cream to take away, or of course you can bring your own for picnics in the grounds. With full tummies, we meandered down through the ancient forest heading for the Maze.
The Maze is very pretty, with obelisks and a Japanese pagoda, and is said to be inspired by the elaborate maze at Sandringham. Our eldest daughter pointed out the corners to us which each had a different phase of the moon. For the small entry fee (£1 for adults, and free for children) it was well worth the time we spent playing hide and seek amongst the yew hedges to get to hidden centre. The woodland walk has some amazing trees.
Gran and Grandad loved sending time with a book and a crossword on the many spots to sit and relax in. Disabled car parking with close proximity to the House, and easy access loos opens up the park to anyone with mobility issues.
The planting is also a big draw for gardeners, and I’m sure the Prince has a hand in that too. We were hoping to see him painting or sketching in one of the many little seating areas through the woodland area, or walled garden, but not today! But we did find some tiny wild strawberries hidden amongst the trees.
But for us it was off to the fantastic water and sand play area at the Engineering Playpark. The kids loved playing with the pumps, and connecting water gates to fill troughs or power water wheels and we got a bit involved in the splashing too! The main attraction is a step that you can jump on to produce a big water jet that arcs high up into the trees above. If you time it right soaks anyone unaware!
There is also a sand play area with climbing frames and buckets on chains for lifting sand up, and sand slides for sliding it back down again although our two were much more interested in the water.
We didn’t make it to the house on this visit, there was just too much to see and do, but we hope to make it back as there are ½ hour mini tours for families during school holidays. A full house or Art tour is also on the list of things to come back for, as a local told us the unrivalled collection of Chippendale furniture is well worth a look!
Our Verdict
Set in 2,000 acres, this stunning estate and 18th-Century house is a hidden gem. Entry to grounds and playparks are free and there is plenty of access and facilities for visitors with kids or mobility issues.
Dumfries Houseis located in Cumnock, Ayrshire, KA18 2NJ.
This is our family blog and our very first blog post. We plan on sharing our travels with the family on here, giving you some insights into our experiences and hopefully help you plan your travel too! If you have any tips or questions, do let us know as I would love to hear them.
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
Travel blog devoted to making the most of days out, weekends, city breaks and holidays. Tips, tricks, opinions, and more.
Happy Campers 