Caleta de Fuste, the least-visited Canary Islands resort, sits on a golden-sand bay and is reachable via direct flights from Newcastle Airport for as little as £16.
While heavy-hitting resorts such as Playa del Inglés and Playa de las Américas often come to mind when thinking of the Spanish archipelago, these well-established areas have welcomed European sunseekers for decades and house millions each year in high-rise apartment blocks and large hotels. Some tourists enjoy the energy and clubbing opportunities of those resorts, but others seek a quieter spot for winter sunshine.
A calm, family-friendly alternative
Caleta de Fuste, on the east coast of Fuerteventura, is the least visited of the 15 resorts ranked by readers of Which?. It receives five times fewer arrivals than the busiest resort, with many drawn to its calm, family-friendly atmosphere.
A key selling point is the sheltered beach. Caleta de Fuste Beach is a golden-sand bay with calm waters, speckled with sun loungers and parasols. It faces south, ideal for soaking up sunshine. In December, Fuerteventura enjoys 7.30am sunrises and 6pm sunsets, with temperatures comfortably stretching into the 20Cs.
"The bay, with its fine, light-colored sand and small pebbles at water level, is ideal for children. Strong waves are rare. Various water sports are available," writes Hotel Plan.
Convenience and activities
Visitors value the resort's convenience. One hotel guide named it the most convenient resort in Fuerteventura, especially for a first trip, a family holiday, or a stopover close to the airport. It is a short ten-minute drive from the capital, Puerto del Rosario, located in the centre of the island's east coast, equidistant between northern destinations Corralejo and El Cotillo, and Costa Calma and Jandía in the south.
Hotels in the resort support a wide range of sports and leisure activities, including shopping centres, golf courses, snorkeling, diving and windsurfing. Popular outings include the 18th-century marina castle, the salt museum, and the nearby working salt flats.
Not for everyone
Caleta de Fuste is a purpose-built resort that can be accused of having the same "manufactured" quality seen in Playa de las Américas. In some ways, it is a smaller, calmer and more family-oriented version. World Travel Guide calls it a man-made, low-rise resort for north European visitors wanting a home-from-home holiday, designed with families in mind.
EasyJet flies directly from Newcastle Airport to Fuerteventura year-round, with fares from £16 this December. The airport is a ten-minute drive from Caleta de Fuste. Tourist arrivals in 2024 were 430,663 for Caleta de Fuste, compared with 2,016,510 for the busiest resorts, Maspalomas, Playa del Inglés and Meloneras.
