The Iberostar Playa Gaviotas Park Hotel, Fuerteventura

We spent a week at the Playa Gaviotas Park in Fuerteventura in April 2017, and had such a lovely time that I thought I'd share a little review of the Iberostar holiday where we stayed. Although our children were on their Easter holiday from school it was a slightly quieter (and cheaper!) week as not all the schools had broken up.

We booked our holiday with Jet 2 Holidays and flew from Birmingham. It was the first time that we had travelled with Jet 2 and we were very impressed, everyone was very friendly and it was a very smooth flight. The transfer from the airport was about an hour and a half - quite long although with some interesting scenery on the way and not too much stopping at other hotels. We did end up getting off at the wrong hotel though, the Playa Gaviotas. I'm not sure if it was our fault or the coach driver (there was no rep on board the coach), it did lead to a bit of confusion and although only next door we ended up lugging our suitcases up a few flights of steps to get to the reception at the correct hotel!

There are three hotels in this Iberostar complex - the Playa Gaviotas Park, the Playa Gaviotas, and the Fuerteventura Palace. You can use some of the facilities at the other hotels but do check at the hotel directly, for example we could get drinks at the Playa Gaviotas but not at the Fuerteventura Palace, but could use the pools at all three. We also had the option of dining in one of the other hotels for one evening.

Our room was a Suite which was located on level 4, the same level as the main reception and a floor above the restaurant and pools. There was a lovely feel to the communal areas in the hotel, with plenty of plants and fresh air.

We had a large double bedroom with double doors leading out to the balcony, a desk, and large wardrobe.

The children slept on a double sofa bed in the living room, again with large doors to the balcony, a television, and a dining table and chairs. The bathroom had a bath which is very important when it comes to dealing with sandy children. There was plenty of storage and it felt very spacious and clean.

We also had a small kitchen hidden in a cupboard. Although we didn't do any cooking, the fridge was very handy to store snacks and drinks in. There was no kitchen equipment provided though, so you'd need to bring it all along yourself if you did want to self cater.

We had a lovely view from our balcony over the pools (good for checking sun lounger availability in the morning) and the sea in the background. Talking of sun loungers, we did find that people were reserving them from fairly early on, despite warnings that items would be removed. We generally headed down to the pools around 10am and found somewhere, but tucked away at the back (which suited us as the children weren't that bothered about the pools). Later on in the day it was quite difficult to find a group of sun loungers anywhere, although we found plenty of outdoor seating on sofas and comfy chairs at the Iberostar Playa Gaviotas hotel next door.

Only one of the swimming pools was heated, and it was still quite chilly, so our children didn't go in them much. It's a shame as the other pools looked lovely but were mostly empty as they were very cold, there was a good range of shallow areas and deeper parts for swimming.

Breakfast and dinner were served in the main restaurant, with lunch in the pool bar. The main restaurant was large and never felt crowded, although to be fair we were visiting during a quiet week. There was plenty of food and a good selection, we aren't foodies and the children are quite picky, so we didn't make the most of it at all. As vegetarians we did end up with quite carb heavy options (lots of pasta, bread, pizza) but there was plenty of fruit and veg to balance it out. At mealtimes you could help yourself to drinks in the restaurant and the bars, including many types of alcoholic drink.

Several times during the week there was a barbecue at the pool bar for lunch, and there were three themed nights during our stay - Mexican, Canaries and Tapas - with some more interesting and varied menu items. We spotted a timetable for the following week and there was a themed night every night with lunch also served in the main restaurant, so things obviously change during busier times.

I have terrible will power when it comes to unlimited desserts and there were plenty to choose from, luckily small portions so you could try a bit of everything. On one of the themed nights there was a chocolate fountain which we all enjoyed, and every evening we were welcomed into the dining hall with either sparkling wine or a cocktail.

The beach, part of the Jandia Peninsula, is located a few minutes walk from the hotel, but you need to climb or walk down to it. There's a pretty little steep path from the hotel, or you can cut across through the neighbouring Iberostar Playa Gaviotas and use the lifts to get down.

It's a really beautiful beach, miles and miles of golden sand, and it was never busy. We spent a lot of time here building sandcastles and playing in the sea. There were lifeguards on duty but the sea was a little rough for swimming, however it was shallow and when the tide was going out it left behind large lakes which the children could splash about in.

There's a smooth foot path/cycle path along the top of the beach which makes for a nice walk. We made it as far as the lighthouse which was about a 30 minute brisk walk, and there's a whale skeleton on display which is an interesting sight. I made a little video of the beach which you can see here:

Our children weren't interested in the daily kids club, although there seemed to be plenty going on with daily activities. There was lots to entertain them though! Apart from the beach and the pools where we spent most of our time we found a nice playground in the Iberostar Playa Gaviotas and there was a Mini Disco every evening. There was also a later show which was suitable for children but as it didn't start until 9.15pm it was a little late for ours. We did enjoy most of Mamma Mia and the Magic Show, and the other shows looked pretty good too.

I have also made a little video about the hotel showing our room, the pools, the beach and some of the food, enjoy!

We had a lovely stay at the Iberostar Playa Gaviotas Park, and I wouldn't be surprised if we end up coming back!

Our family holiday to Fuerteventura

We've just returned from a lovely week in Fuerteventura, staying in the Iberostar Playa Gaviotas Park on the Jandia Peninsula. The children finished school a week earlier than many other schools, so we were able to take advantage of slightly cheaper prices and a less busy week at the resort, and we had a fantastic time. I've made a few videos about our holiday and below you can see the one that I made about the hotel - it's definitely one to recommend!

On our first evening it was so lovely to arrive from the chilly weather back home to a lovely warm late afternoon sun. The transfer from the airport was about an hour and a half, longer than we usually aim for, but the children were fine and there was some interesting volcanic and sandy scenery to look at. We immediately got changed into our summer gear and headed for the beach, just a few minutes walk from the hotel. We came across a couple of ladies that were feeding the squirrels with pumpkin seeds and they kindly gave our children a handful - they loved waiting for the squirrels to come and take the seeds even if it took a few goes before they were confident enough not to run away shrieking!

The next day we headed straight to the beach as soon as we were up, and we spent hours there every day of the holiday. Jandia Beach really is lovely, miles and miles of golden sand, shallow waters and not at all busy. The sea could get a little rough at times so we didn't attempt to swim (although there were lifeguards) but it was shallow enough that you could safely paddle, and when the tide went out it left behind large lakes of warm water to splash in.

After a couple of days we learned to time our beach trips with the tide coming in, and so the children built fortresses against the incoming waters - always doomed to fail of course but it was fun trying!

I made a little video about the beach which you can see below - I'm wishing I was back there now!

It's so nice going away with the children now that they are that bit older and can entertain themselves for a little while. We spent a good amount of time relaxing on sun loungers by the pool, as they weren't that bothered about actually swimming (the water in the pools was a bit cold, and they aren't natural swimmers). They could easily keep themselves occupied for ages with books, activity books and their tablets and it meant that we all had the chance to relax.

We aren't a foodie family so we probably didn't nearly make the most of the all inclusive food (many meal times were spent desperately trying to find something that they would eat, or at least try) but there was a great selection of different dishes and desserts. I put on 2 kg over the week - I just can't resist several helpings of cake for breakfast, and when I see a selection of different desserts I feel like I have to try them all! Lunch was served in the pool bar which was lovely, shaded tables with a view across to the sea in the background. 

We all had a really great time, it was fantastic to connect as a family and enjoy spending time in each other's company, it's so nice that that these types of holiday are becoming more fun for us all and not quite so much of a mission as they were when the children were tiny! 

Here's another little video with some of our holiday highlights.