Which is the best Canary Island!!!!!

[sweetpea1602]

We have been thinking about moving to Fuerteventura in the future. My only problem was that I worried I will miss greenery! I saw a programme on TV about Gran Canaria and it seemed more lush. Can anyone help with this question? and give me some idea of the differences between the islands. I was told when we were out there that Fuerteventura is the cheapest property wise and is the least developed of the islands. Thanks.

[Stravinsky]

Cant help you there, never been there

[LBS]

Hi Sweetpea I hope that I can help you a little here ...
The answer to your question lies in what you are looking for! The difference between the Canary Islands is large and even within those islands the resorts and areas majorly differ. However compared to the mainland you will find a much better year round climate with average temperature on most islands 21c even in January (today it's 28c in our back garden).
I can give you a good idea of Lanzarote but not living in the other islands it would be unfair of me to give an accurate guide ... although wikipedia is always a good place to start.
Property prices do vary from island and resort however it is important to think about location, development and infrastructure ... as finding a nice place on one of the islands with no telephone lines, no local shops and bars and with big development around you might save you some cash but maybe not your sanity.
When I first decided which island to live on I visited them and visited the resorts, the answer then came easy to me as I fell in love with Playa Blanca, which is in the south of Lanzarote ... modern resort, good infrastructure (we're even getting a bus service), good school, nice local community (expats & Canarians), limited development boundaries, quiet natural beaches (Papagayo) etc. etc. I wasn't so worried about the greenery (it is only 20 euros to fly from Lanzarote to Tenerife anyway)
(SNIP)I hope some other islanders give you an insight in to their islands as well!
Good luck and I hope like many of us you find your perfect location to settle!
Phil

[Wils & Nance]

Originally Posted by sweetpea1602

We have been thinking about moving to Fuerteventura in the future. My only problem was that I worried I will miss greenery! I saw a programme on TV about Gran Canaria and it seemed more lush. Can anyone help with this question? and give me some idea of the differences between the islands. I was told when we were out there that Fuerteventura is the cheapest property wise and is the least developed of the islands. Thanks.

Hi I just thought i would butt in ! Fuerteventura property is limited, we were there in 2006 and were considering it as a move, but a friend there told us you have to buy whats available as any and all planning permission has been issued to property developers and private buyers so no-one else can build, they have put a dead stop on land purchase because they don't want over developement.
It is a nice island and they want to keep it that way, can't blame them ! some of it is quite desolate though !
Nance.

[LBS]

Hi Wils & Nance

That is indeed correct for Fuerteventura and Lanzarote (especially) building permits were limited and were given out to limit the development of the islands. That doesn't mean there is no more building works or that properties are limited (yet!), it means that the rich developers applied for licences on land that shows nothing at the moment but only they can build on in the future, a good example of this is Corralejo that has seen rapid growth in the last 5 years on land to the South of the town where there was previously no development!
I love the fact the both Fuerteventura and Lanzarote have a sustainable development plan and when visiting parts of the mainland where there are 100s of houses for sale it is easy to understand where they learnt their ideas from.
Where did you end up moving to then?
Phil

[Wils & Nance]

Hi Phil,
We are actually still working on it ! But it's looking like either Almeria/Murcia or Costa Blanca North !
Our first choice would be Rhodes Greece, or Patras/Halkidiki on the mainland but not practical workwise. Although I love greece more than anywhere I have ever been, and they are the nicest people !
My son is now in Albacete(castilla-mancha) and he's quite settled with his Spanish fiancee, so it kind of makes us lean a bit more to Spain( for future grandchildren...lol )!
But it all hangs on one of us getting a permanent job, we're not loaded and a wee bit away from retirement, so it's proving not so easy.
I would just sell up and go for it, but hubby is the sensible one, that is why we have spent a few years looking at different places, want to try and get it right, you know, don't want to be coming back to Scotland with our tails between our legs, I am told that happens to a lot of peeps !
So fingers crossed someone will hire us, we are learning the lingo, so hopefully that will help, just got to try and be patient !
Nance.

[sweetpea1602]

Hi, thanks for that, will have a look at photos on the internet.

[Greenwings]

Hi,
I have lived in Corralejo in the North of Fuerteventura now for nearly 2 years and love it, I have taken my kids on the plane to Tenerife and yes the north is very Green and beautiful, however for good reason, the cloud is held up by Mount Teidi, Spain's highest mountain, this means although temperatures are warm, it is mostly cloudy hence the green fauna. Personally I love the sun so would not choose Puerto de la Cruz, but only for this reason as I found Puerto very beautiful and has more sophistication and culture than Fuerteventura.

Work in Fuerteventura is very poor at the moment and those that even have skills are leaving by the droves at the moment as there just is not the work to go round. No point looking to buy a bar or restaurant here at the moment as they are all either losing money from previous years gone by or worse still going out of business. The current exchange rate is not helping this but is not totally to blame. Statistics for the islands visitors shows an increase, this is true but a decrease in British! Too many properties and not enough demand make it a bad time to buy (short term).

Personally I have a lot of faith in the long term, I remember Playa de las Americas (Tenerife) as achild when I used to walk the mile from Las Americas across the desert to Los Christianos, to buy bait for fishing,(25 years ago) now look at it. As,ong as the sun is in the Sky and the long term economy of the rest of Europe matures people will want to have holiday escapes here.

With regards to building, you can build what you like(within reason) as long as it is on a plot designated for building and there are plenty of those. (Check out Villaverde this is Fuerteventuras Beverly Hills!)

If you are retired and pay social security you are entitled to full heath care, you can draw your pension over here and also a lot of other benefits that are provided in the UK can be bought here. My parents retired here over 10 years ago and they enjoy full pension and health care here.

My Mother would never return to the UK as she has a huge network of ex pat Friends here who socialize together. (She is 70)

My biggest recommendation would be to if you can keep your options open and rent your current home out for say 12 months and come and rent here for 12 months, this way you can take time to decide.

Regards
Adam

[SueBrown]

Originally Posted by sweetpea1602

We have been thinking about moving to Fuerteventura in the future. My only problem was that I worried I will miss greenery! I saw a programme on TV about Gran Canaria and it seemed more lush. Can anyone help with this question? and give me some idea of the differences between the islands. I was told when we were out there that Fuerteventura is the cheapest property wise and is the least developed of the islands. Thanks.

We have been here for over 2 years now, there is a government incentive to re-forest the island and to return to the previous agricultural ways, this may be more possible now we have a second de-salination plant for water. To me having been brought up in North Wales, the mountains are wonderful, and I planted my own trees in the garden (over 50 of them) then made a pumped water feature whicch means I now regularly have birds singing in the garden and sitting on the water feature. Specific planting meant an absolute glut of huge butterflies this year, and a swimming pool meant so much to me and to the swallows who swooped down for a drink! Instead of squirrels, we regularly have "chipmunks" or "rock squirrels" and small geckos which are not at all scary but eat any flies that get in the house. As an artist, I have found much to inspire me on the island, but I must admit nothing lifts the spirit like waking up to the sun flooding into the bedroom!
Fuerteventura properties are reducing in price rapidly because there have been too many built at once, so now is a good time to but. However, please think twice if you need to work while you are here, because many businesses have failed due to the recession and traditional work such as bar and building is scarce at the moment.

[sweetpea1602]

Thanks for that reply, very interesting, sounds fantastic with those animals! Of all the canaries I have visited I do always seem to favour fuerteventura, its seem less commercial than the others. I am envious of you waking up the sun every day! Will take a look at holiday home prices again, would be interesting to see how much the property prices have dropped.