# Advice needed for fuerteventura relocation



## adele303

Can anyone help. Myself and my husband are thinking of relocating to Cran canaria. I have looked at the islands and was struck with fuerteventura. However there does not seem to be any Brtish schools in this area. My son is 6 and my daughter is 3. I am also a secondary school English teacher. I am planning a visit in April for 3 weeks...has anyone got any advice?

Thankyou

Adele


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## jojo

Have a look at this list of schools, it shows some in the canary Islands. NABSS are a good guide for all international schools and do check and make sure that schools are to the required standards

Schools in Spain | Nabss

Jo xxx


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## adele303

Thanks Jo. Is this a common question? Its a big decision and I want to get it right. We moved to shanghai for a while but i really didnt settle there so i'm hoping this is a good move.

Adele


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## Alcalaina

adele303 said:


> Can anyone help. Myself and my husband are thinking of relocating to Cran canaria. I have looked at the islands and was struck with fuerteventura. However there does not seem to be any Brtish schools in this area. My son is 6 and my daughter is 3. I am also a secondary school English teacher. I am planning a visit in April for 3 weeks...has anyone got any advice?
> 
> Thankyou
> 
> Adele


Wise choice - best climate in Spain!

I don´t think there are any British schools in Fuerteventura, though there are several in Gran Canaria and a couple in Lanzarote. However I´m sure your kids would be fine in a Spanish school at that age and would soon become bilingual.

You´re not depending on getting a teaching job there, are you? ´Cos I think you might be out of luck ...


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## jojo

adele303 said:


> Thanks Jo. Is this a common question? Its a big decision and I want to get it right. We moved to shanghai for a while but i really didnt settle there so i'm hoping this is a good move.
> 
> Adele


It's certainly an important question and its nice to know these things before you come over. We do have "a sticky" on the top of the forum page re - education here, which may help you??! http://www.expatforum.com/expats/spain-expat-forum-expats-living-spain/62551-education-spain.html

I presume that you're not only looking for a school for your children, but work for yourself???? Some schools will give serious discounts on your kids fees if you're a teacher there!!? And international schools generally encompass all the schools ie nursery, primary, secondary, sixth form. However, there is a job shortage in Spain and its islands. But take a look and see what you come up with. 

Jo xxx


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## 90199

Hello Adele and welcome,

I live on the island of El Hierro, I once visited Fuerteventura, I have never been back, too arid.

However Gran Canaria is also one of my favourites and I fly there next Friday, ( 40 minute flight), and I will stay for a few days in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. I don't know much about the schools, however I have heard that the British School of Gran Canaria is quite well known,
Try this link,

British School of Gran Canaria, Canary Islands (English Schools).

You should enjoy your stay in April, at the moment the islands are very green and we have had heavy showers all day!

Hepa


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## littleredrooster

Hepa said:


> Hello Adele and welcome,
> 
> I live on the island of El Hierro, I once visited Fuerteventura, I have never been back, too arid.
> 
> However Gran Canaria is also one of my favourites and I fly there next Friday, ( 40 minute flight), and I will stay for a few days in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. I don't know much about the schools, however I have heard that the British School of Gran Canaria is quite well known,
> Try this link,
> 
> British School of Gran Canaria, Canary Islands (English Schools).
> 
> You should enjoy your stay in April, at the moment the islands are very green and we have had heavy showers all day!
> 
> Hepa


I would agree with that, after spending a couple of weeks in the desert-like, windy, sand blasted hell that is Fuerteventura, I flew across to the North of Tenerife and felt like I had just arrived in paradise.


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## 90199

littleredrooster said:


> I would agree with that, after spending a couple of weeks in the desert-like, windy, sand blasted hell that is Fuerteventura, I flew across to the North of Tenerife and felt like I had just arrived in paradise.


I hear on the news that it snowed last night in Puerto de la Cruz!!


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## casa99

littleredrooster said:


> I would agree with that, after spending a couple of weeks in the desert-like, windy, sand blasted hell that is Fuerteventura, I flew across to the North of Tenerife and felt like I had just arrived in paradise.


I have had 3 holidays on the island allways in summer but if you look closely at the islands name it gives you a big clue that it is a windy place, but still a lovely place


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## jojo

casa99 said:


> I have had 3 holidays on the island allways in summer but if you look closely at the islands name it gives you a big clue that it is a windy place, but still a lovely place



Oh yes!! I hadnt realised that - its Spanish for "place of strong wind" or is it "Strong Luck" (thats what google translate said?????)

Jo xxx


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## casa99

jojo said:


> Oh yes!! I hadnt realised that - its Spanish for "place of strong wind" or is it "Strong Luck" (thats what google translate said?????)
> 
> Jo xxx


Yes Jo fuerte= place of strong wind ( and nothing to do with brussel sprouts!! ):eyebrows::eyebrows:


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## 90199

Strong Happiness or Venture one of my books translates.

More goats than people though!!

I read somewhere that the island was very lush and green when first discovered but the Spaniards introduced goats and in 500 years the island has become very barren, There are wild Chipmunks too!

Hepa


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## xabiaxica

Hepa said:


> Strong Happiness or Venture one of my books translates.
> 
> More goats than people though!!
> 
> Hepa


I get Strong Fortune ...........

I think we all agree that it's windy there, though!!


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## 90199

xabiachica said:


> I get Strong Fortune ...........
> 
> I think we all agree that it's windy there, though!!


And how!! windy here too today,

H


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## xabiaxica

Hepa said:


> And how!! windy here too today,
> 
> H


we had a windy night

now it's just wet & miserable


apparently it will be better from Thursday:cool2:


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## Alcalaina

jojo said:


> Oh yes!! I hadnt realised that - its Spanish for "place of strong wind" or is it "Strong Luck" (thats what google translate said?????)
> 
> Jo xxx


It could be either - even the locals aren't sure!

*The Name*
The Island first appears on a Map by Angelino Dulcet from 1339 under the name Forte Ventura. No one seems to agree on what the name means with various explanations being offered. They all agree that Forte/Fuerte means 'strong', but differ on the meaning of ventura - Luck/Happiness/Wind/Adventure - take your pick!​
Fuerteventura History :: FuerteventuraInfo.com


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## littleredrooster

Hepa said:


> Strong Happiness or Venture one of my books translates.
> 
> More goats than people though!!
> 
> I read somewhere that the island was very lush and green when first discovered but the Spaniards introduced goats and in 500 years the island has become very barren, There are wild Chipmunks too!
> 
> Hepa


The version I heard was that it was heavily afforested at one time, but the Spanish chopped all the trees down and failed to replace them, so the land eroded,dried out and turned into a virtual desert.

I recall driving around the barren landscape one day when suddenly I spotted a large green area on a hillside in the distance.
I thought great at least there is some decent growth and greenery after all.
However on getting closer I saw it was obviously not plant growth but simply the colour of the minerals in the rock.
My partner commented that they must have painted the hillside green to fool the goats into thinking there was actually something for them to eat.
Maybe they should just have fitted the poor sods with a pair of green specs each.


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## Alcalaina

littleredrooster said:


> The version I heard was that it was heavily afforested at one time, but the Spanish chopped all the trees down and failed to replace them, so the land eroded,dried out and turned into a virtual desert.
> 
> I recall driving around the barren landscape one day when suddenly I spotted a large green area on a hillside in the distance.
> I thought great at least there is some decent growth and greenery after all.
> However on getting closer I saw it was obviously not plant growth but simply the colour of the minerals in the rock.
> My partner commented that they must have painted the hillside green to fool the goats into thinking there was actually something for them to eat.
> Maybe they should just have fitted the poor sods with a pair of green specs each.


My most enduring memory of the landscape is the bright red backsides (and worse) on a colony of German nudists sunning themselves behind those stone windbreaks that look like sheep pens.


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## TheHendersons

Yup I have a similar memory of riding past a (and sorry to lower the tone) colony of doggers. 

Other than that, lovely place! Great views from the back of a horse!


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