No more than a tiny fishing village and jumping off point to the nearby island of Lanzarote, Corralejo is now one of Fuerteventura's premier tourist destinations and residential tourism is on the rise here as indeed it is across the island. Although the town has grown considerably over the years, it still maintains an air of calm. The town itself spreads out from the port where ferries ply the waters between Fuerteventura and Playa Blanca in Lanzarote and further afield to the other islands of the Canarian archipelago. Near the ferry terminal, fishing boats bob in the sheltered harbour as they have done for centuries and as you follow the waterfront promenade around to the south, a small, sheltered, town beach flanked by restaurants and cafes can be found.

The main street, Calle General Franco, begins near this beach, where those in need of a bit of retail therapy will be delighted to find a whole host of outlets selling everything from radios to surfboards, sun tan oil to cheap cigarettes and flip flops to luxury watches.On the main street and on the streets which lead from it, cafés, bars and restaurants abound, catering to every possible taste. If you fancy good old English fish and chips washed down with a pint of bitter, Mexican tacos and tequila or Indian curry, Corralejo's collection of restaurants won't disappoint - there is also a fair smattering of traditional Canarian establishments where the fresh catch of the day is served up alongside a personal favourite - papas arugadas (small potatoes with their skins on) with delicious home made mojos (dipping sauces). There is certainly enough variation in the cuisine on offer to ensure even long term residents don't get bored with the choices.

The town of Corralejo has a busy calendar of local events too. Perhaps the biggest is the carnival in February where everyone takes to the streets, dressed up and ready to party till dawn. Canaria Day is another excuse to put on your party frock and there are plenty of other fiestas and events. During a recent visit, I went to watch the Miss Fuerteventura competition and a couple of days later the tortuous triathlon. All of these things have helped to create a real community feeling in Corralejo which is an important factor when considering making a permanent move to the island.

I spoke with Jenny Screen and Roger Davis, owners of Rogue's Gallery located near the port of Corralejo. Having met in Fuerteventura in 1999, the couple opened the café bar two years ago. Jenny had wanted to move to the mainland but decided to winter in Fuerteventura before heading north. She was bitten by the bug however as are so many on this island, and decided to stay where she was in Corralejo. "After spending time here I realised the potential of the island, especially this area." Jenny explained. "The fact that the weather is fantastic all year round definitely appealed - I was so sick of rainy, cold England. This in turn means that tourists are attracted at all times of the year which spelled good business sense."

Roger knew Fuerteventura well, he had been holidaying here for ten years before deciding to take the plunge and move permanently. It was his idea to call their joint venture Rogue's Gallery. "I knew the bar should have a theme" Roger told me. "Everyone loves a villain and I had seen a bar on the Algarve in Portugal called Hero's which gave me the original idea". After the name had been given the go-ahead by partner Jenny, Roger set about collecting clippings and cuttings to decorate the walls of their premises. They are now covered in framed pictures of rogues from all walks of life; film stars, sporting bad men, you name a rogue and you'll find him on the walls of Roger and Jenny's bar!

The premises had previously been an Italian coffee shop so the couple decided to carry on serving good quality coffees and try to keep the daytime clientele the previous owners had built up. This they have successfully done and the bar opens daily for a few hours at lunchtime as well as every evening. At night, the bar attracts a wide range of clientele, locals and tourists alike, many coming to see the regular live music performances. Any regrets? "None at all" chorused both Jenny and Roger. "We love it here; the weather, the people, the relaxed pace of life, we couldn't wish for more".

Although the beaches in town are great it is when you head south leaving the town that they really take your breath away. Clear Atlantic waters lap the shores of pristine white sand beaches and the sand dunes change their shape daily with the winds. The area is a National Park so therefore building on or near the dunes is not permitted. The dunes stretch back from the beach and again across the main road which at times becomes covered in the ever shifting sands. Made up of calcerous particles, marine fossils and bones and shell fragments, the dunes are formed by the almost constant North / North Easterly winds.

The dunes play host to surprising numbers of flora and fauna. Well adapted to the area's climatic conditions, i.e. sun and wind almost year round and virtually no rain, the flora includes many different lichens and other plants such as tree tobacco (nicotina glauca,) Launea (launea arborecens), Sea Spurge (euphorbia paralias), Saltwort (salsola venmiculata) and Large Yellow Rest Harrow (ononis natrix).

The fauna of the dunes is also surprising when looking at the stark conditions for supporting life within them. No less than 117 different species of invertebrate exist within the confines of the park along with various reptiles such as the Atlantic Lizard (gallota Atlántica) and the Eastern Canarian Gecko (tarentola angustimentalis).
By far the largest group of creatures both in number and variety in the area are the birds and these include Cory's Shearwater (calonectris diomedea borealis) Trumpeter finch (bucanetes githangineus amantum) and various Canarian or Fuerteventuran sub species indigenous to the islands such as the Houbara Bustard (chlamydotis undulata fuerteventurae), the Canary Islands Chat (saxicola dacotiae) and the Stone Curlew (burhinus oedicnemus insularum).

The biggest threat to this delicate combination of sand, plants and flowers is the dunes themselve;. Due to the mere nature of the dunes, the continuous alteration of the flow of sediment and the different make up of the actual flowing material, the characteristics of the dunes are forever changing. There are presently two main landscapes within the park. One is called relief and refers to the fixed and moving sands that extend north to south with dominant north Atlantic winds. It is in this area that the beautiful dunes are found. The other, the substratum, which stretches to the mid-limit of the park, is made up of diminished deposits of sand which merge together with the volcanic formations. The landscape of this central area is characterized by various volcanic calderas and cones, both aesthetically pleasing and geologically interesting. The erosive elements of the sand and wind have also unearthed a baranco, a valley caused by the flow of lava, and the only one of its type in the region.

With infrastructure and amenities continuing to improve, the protected paradise of the Parque Nacional de Corralejo and with property prices also continuing to rise, Corralejo is not just an ideal holiday destination or even a great location for a second home, it also represents a solid and sound investment.

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For more information about homes in and around Corralejo
please contact Intereatly's Fuerteventura branch.