Here, I give my top 5 reasons for living in Fuerteventura, which I thought might be useful for anyone considering doing the same.
My top 5 reasons to live in Fuerteventura
1. Climate
It would be hard for this not to be number one on my list of top 5 reasons to live here, particularly having lived in the UK for the first 58 years of my life.
It is an ideal climate, in my opinion. There are very few extremes in temperature – generally never ridiculously hot in the summer, as it often is in southern Spain, and never colder than 15-16C during the day in the winter, and more often in the low 20s.
We get perhaps 9-10 days of rain a year, mainly in the winter. It rains so infrequently that I enjoy seeing the rain here – a stark contrast to living in the UK.
Having such a wonderful climate means that I can live a much more outdoor lifestyle all year around than I would have been able to had I retired in the UK. Even in the depths of winter, it doesn’t get dark until around 6pm. Having a phobia about early mornings, I couldn’t tell you what time sunrise is – whatever they are.
We have been here for 3 years, and I have only worn shorts. Although some of my friends who have been here many years now dress like the locals in winter with jeans, jumpers, and coats, I think that is something I will never do. Sue thinks my thermostat has broken!
2. Cost of living
Not everything is cheap here, as pretty much everything needs to be imported, but having said that, there is little that is much more expensive.
A few examples.
- Local council tax – I pay a little more annually here than I used to pay monthly in the UK. The streets are lit at night, the rubbish/garbage is collected, the roads are repaired and every year I can go to the local council nursery and pick up 20 free plants for the garden!
- Petrol /gas is 40-45% cheaper here than in the UK (although a bit more than in the US).
- I don’t smoke or drink, but cigarettes are about 75% cheaper, and alcohol is 50% cheaper than in the UK. The cost of a drink in a bar here is much cheaper than in a UK pub, and the measures for spirits are at least twice as large.
It is certainly possible to live in Fuerteventura cheaply, that is for sure.
3. Landscape
Fuerteventura’s landscape resembles Marmite – you either love or hate it. When I first brought Sue here for a holiday about 20 years ago, she thought I had brought her to the Moon as it seemed very barren. But the more we came, the more she started to love it.
So much of it is unspoiled, including plains, mountains, volcanoes, secluded valleys, sand dunes, and lots more. There are many beautiful unspoiled beaches. They have miles of lovely golden sand and clear water. Along with the climate, the beaches were one of the main things that initially drew us here for holidays.
The island is a Mecca for surfers, windsurfers, and kiteboarders. They hold some rounds of various World Championships for these here, too.
4. Lifestyle
Although I spent many years wearing a suit and tie for work, I have never really liked dressing up. Well, living here means I never have to as I can wear shorts and a T-shirt all year round. Even if we go out to eat or whatever, then shorts are an acceptable form of dress in all but a few places. And I wouldn’t eat in those anyway!
5. People
The Canarians are generally very polite, friendly people. If you walk down the road, almost everyone you meet will say hello, good morning, good evening, etc. Ex-pats have actually chosen to live here, which makes them happier than they would be in their native countries. Holiday-makers are the other main group here, and they are on holiday, so naturally, they are happy.
Also, coming back to the climate, I think it is noticeable in the UK, for example, that when the sun shines, people are noticeably more cheerful as it shines most of the time here, which has a more permanent effect.
The island also has a very low crime rate. It is rare to hear about any serious crime here, I am pleased to say.
If you have a different list of reasons you like to live in Fuerteventura, please let me know in the comments.
I have been holidaying in Fuerteventura for over 30 years and have been living here full time since 2013. I have a popular Youtube channel related to this website called JP in Fuerteventura
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