Hotel Elba Carlota

The Elba Carlota Hotel is in the tourist resort of Caleta de Fuste, 8 mi from the capital Puerto del Rosario, directly on the beach, on the eastern coast of Fuerteventura. For the journey from the airport, located just 5 mi further north, allow for a 5 minute journey.

Numerous ramps facilitate the movement of handicapped people, and there are 6 rooms that are specially adapted. Sportsmen and women will be delighted with the top class gym which is open 24/7 free of charge, the multi-sports ground (for tennis, football and basketball), and the golf course in the neighbouring Elba Palace Golf Hotel. A shuttle bus takes you there every hour, as well as to the Playa El Castillo. During this time, you can leave your children in the safe hands of the big mini-club. If you are travelling with your laptop, be aware that all the rooms benefit from free wireless internet connection.

Accommodation Advice

Opt for the rooms overlooking the swimming pool, which are much more pleasant and quieter than those overlooking the street. Located on the two corners of the building, in a U-shape, the suites offer the best views of the sea.

A member of the Spanish hotel Group Elba hoteles, the Elba Carlota opened its doors on 15 July 2007. A five-storey sand-coloured building in a U-shape, served by two panoramic lifts, holds the 346 rooms of the hotel that can welcome up to 750 guests. The reception area greets you in a pleasant and green setting. Nestling in a pleasant tropical garden, two swimming pools, including one which is heated, make you want to go for a swim, (available from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm). 1m 30cm deep, they are both decorated with rocks and shells. A large whirlpool bath 1m 10cm deep is set between the two swimming pools. Children can play in the small 40cm deep swimming pool that has games and water slides. Pergola sunshades, showers and deckchairs are available in this pleasant and quiet space. Towels are provided at reception for a deposit of £8.80.

The rooms of Elba Carlota are vast (30m²), fitted out with tiles and wooden furniture, and decorated by some very beautiful paintings; they are clean and well-equipped, but the sound-proofing and the lighting are not really perfect. The rooms consist notably of a flat screen satellite television (20 channels), a safe with an electronic code (£2.60 per day), a fridge, a telephone with free wireless internet access, and individual air conditioning. They have two separate beds which are placed close together, a round wooden table, a chair and a wooden desk. They also have a large balcony done up with two armchairs, a round white plastic table and a clothes line.The bathrooms are clean and well decorated: they consist of a bath, which has two handles and a flexible shower head (with a relatively powerful flow of water, which is not often the case for hotels in Fuerteventura), elaborate hospitality products, a magnifying mirror, a telephone, a hairdryer, dressing gowns, slippers, a bidet and a toilet, without forgetting the comb and shaving and tooth-brushing kit. In short, it doesn't really matter if you forget your toiletry bag!
The suites have a lounge separated from the bedroom by a curtain. The bathroom has a large separate shower with a mosaic floor, a separate toilet, a double basin and a large whirlpool bath.

The main buffet restaurant Tindaya offers varied, high quality cuisine, of local and international inspiration, with show cooking. The room has a terrace area. With a capacity for 360 guests, breakfast is served from 8:00 am to 10:00 am, lunch from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, and dinner from 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm. The buffet is well presented, with the cheese set out like dominos for example, and the desserts are particularly successful. However, the breakfast is less appetising: there is neither freshly squeezed fruit juice, nor hot chocolate. You can also have something to eat at the El Arrecife a la carte restaurant, which proposes a more typically Canarian cuisine under its thatched roof (subject to a supplementary charge of £8.80). It is placed side by side with a bar that does snacks at lunchtime and has a wooden terrace leading on to the swimming pool. The swimming pool snack bar is open from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm. The Sinatra lounge bar offers shows in the evening at 10:00pm: you can sip your favourite cocktails here, as well as at the bar in the lobby, which offers musical entertainment in the evening.

The room card gives you direct access to the small beach of Guira. It is essentially a small bay protected by an embankment, where you will find a restaurant bar. The beach has pergola sunshades, plastic deckchairs and pedal boats in the form of geese. A free shuttle bus runs every hour and takes you to Caleta de Fuste beach, 0.6 mi away. It is called the Castillo beach due to the old fortified castle, classified as a historical monument, which is located within the walls of the Barcelo Club El Castillo Hotel. This beach of quite large grained brown sand with a few pebbles in a small cove, looks like a shallow lagoon with clear water and is sheltered from the wind, which is a change from the immense waved beaches of fine sand you generally find on Fuerteventura. It is quite busy, but quiet, and there are bins placed at regular intervals along the beach. The sporty ones among you can play beach-volley ball. There is a very sweet little port on the left that can be reached by the promenade that runs along the length of the beach, where there are several bars and restaurants. There is a water-sports club nearby. Trips on dromedaries are offered on the beach.