Casa Mariposa - A luxury, self-catering villa with private heated spa in Caleta de Fuste, Fuerteventura - one of the sunny Canary Islands - ideal for family holidays

   Frequently Asked Questions

How much will our flights be? How far is it to the beach/shops/restaurants?
Should we book the house or the flights first? What is there to do in Caleta/Fuerteventura?
Are our dates available? (1)  Are our dates available? (2) Is there a pool?
Can we have 10 days or 3 week holidays? When will we get the breakages deposit back?
Do you count children when you calculate the rental cost? Do you allow smoking? 
Our flight arrives in the morning.  When can we get into the villa? Is there maid service?
Our flight leaves in the afternoon.  When do we have to leave? Can you arrange transport back to the airport?
How do you work out the price comparisons? Why do we need to fill in a booking form?
Do we need to hire a car? What will the weather be like in the winter?
We have a baby - can we hire equipment? What should we do if there are any problems?

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Some of our visitors have been booking independent holidays for years and some are moving away from the standard package holiday for the first time.  Answers to the questions below can probably be found somewhere on the website but this is a quick summary of the most common questions.  If the answer to your question is not here, please just contact us with your query and we will help as much as we can.

How much will our flights be?
This can vary from day to day (or even hour by hour!) but the Useful Links page lists websites which are easy to use and offer consistently good prices.  Early booking may offer the best value for flights as booking within 6 weeks or so of your holiday can often attract a 'late booking fee' of around £12 per person from the airline.  Remember that some websites show the price including all extra charges on the first screen - many others only show this on later screens so make sure you have the final price when you are browsing for the best buy.  Another tip if you are travelling without school age children is to check your local authority website for the school holiday dates.  Flights from your local airport avoiding these dates will be very much cheaper.

Should we book the house or the flights first?
We usually recommend that you make your booking for Casa Mariposa first then find suitable flights.  If you are unable to find suitable flights, you can cancel the accommodation within 7 days of making the provisional booking at no charge.  If you book the flights first, then find that Casa Mariposa is not available on your chosen dates, you will have difficulty in obtaining a refund from the flight operator.

Are our dates available? (1)
Please check on the availability calendar.  It is updated as soon as a provisional or confirmed booking is made.  If you prefer, just give us a ring on 0141 577 6709.

Are our dates available? (2)
Availability shown for any particular date means that it is either available or booked 'FOR THE NIGHT OF' that date so that if you would be leaving on, say, a Wednesday, that date will still show as available because we could take another family arriving on that day - by which time you would be on your flight home!   The first 'booked' date of any holiday therefore should be regarded as a Changeover Day.

Can we have 10 days or 3 week holidays?
Most of our visitors stay for 1 or 2 weeks but we are completely flexible.  For 10 days just calculate the weekly rate for the number in your group, divide by 7 to get the nightly rate and multiply by the number of nights.  That would be your accommodation cost.  For holidays of more than 2 weeks, Contact Us to get an accurate quote as we can sometimes offer reductions for the third week.

Do you count children when you calculate the rental cost?
The price quoted for the villa is always based on a party of 4 or less.  If there are more than 4 of you, we charge the weekly rate plus the published charge for extra visitors but we don't count babies occupying a cot.  So, for example, 4 adults plus a 1 year old would just pay the standard weekly rate.  Four people plus a four year old (sleeping in a bed) would pay the weekly rate plus one extra person. 

Our flight arrives in the morning.  When can we get into the villa?
Standard check in time is 4.00 pm.  However, in practice we are as flexible as possible and if your flight arrives before this and the house is ready, then you just 'move in'.  However, if there is a party leaving on your arrival day, our property managers need time to make sure that the house is fully prepared for you.  If you take advantage of our airport transfer service, you will be able to leave your cases at the house and will be told when to return.  A spot of lunch should fill the gap!  

Our flight leaves in the afternoon.  When do we have to vacate the villa?
Standard check out time is 10.00 am.  However, we are as flexible as possible and will set your check out time as late as possible - again allowing for cleaning time for anyone arriving on your final day and the check in regulations at the airport.  We will write to you approximately two weeks before your holiday begins with a check out time based on our other arrivals.

How do you work out the price comparisons?
We price a self-catering package online for the selected dates and number of people, taking account of any price reductions or free child places available at the time.  The complex we use for comparison is within a few yards of the villa.  If there is no availability at this complex for the selected dates, we use another nearby complex to get a package price.  For groups of more than 4 people two one-bedroom apartments (not necessarily next to one another!) would be required.  We then find available non-stop flights for the same number of people on the same dates.  We add together the cost of the flights (including all supplements and taxes), in-flight meals (or snacks if a meal is not available on that particular flight), Casa Mariposa accommodation and the cost of return transfers to the airport (transfers from the airport are included free in the accommodation costs).  The difference between the two totals on the day that the online search was made is the saving we show on the Price Comparisons page.

Do we need to hire a car?
No.  The whole resort is within walking distance and taxis are cheap if you are tired after a long day at the beach.  See our Caleta page for ideas of what to do in Caleta itself.  If you do want to see more of the island, hire car companies are plentiful in the resort centre. 

We have a baby - can we hire equipment?
Yes, we can arrange for a travel cot, high chair etc to be in the house ready for your arrival.  These are all pre-bookable and payable locally (along with a refundable deposit).  If you need more information, please email for exact costs. 

How far is it to the beach/shops/restaurants?
Approximately 8 - 10 minutes walk to the nearest beach.  There is a mini train which you can get near the house.  A 15 - 20 minute walk will take you to the new beaches and lagoons at the Atlantico Centre - taxis are cheap for the return home if you are tired after a long day in the sunshine!  Shops and restaurants are about 2 minutes walk away in the Montecastillo Centre, with a bigger selection in the resort centre (8 - 10 minutes walk).

What is there to do in Caleta/Fuerteventura?
Caleta is a family orientated resort and as such is not for the clubbers among you!  Our Day Trips page gives an idea of what the rest of the island has to offer.  There is also a folder in the villa with lots of leaflets and previous holidaymakers have left their suggestions in the visitors' book.

Is there a pool?
No, but our visitors can use the freshwater pools at a holiday complex just across the road.  And, of course, you have your own private spa on the terrace!

When will we get the breakages deposit back?
If there are no problems, we aim to return the breakages deposit approximately 1 week after you return home.

Do you allow smoking?
Yes, but we do ask you not to smoke in bed.

Is there maid service?
The house will be ready for your arrival and if you are staying for more than 7 days, the house will be cleaned midway through your holiday, with clean bedding and towels supplied.  Extra cleaning can be arranged for a small charge (payable locally).

Can you arrange transport back to the airport?
Yes, just tick the box on the booking form.  Please note that more than 4 passengers will be transferred in 2 cars.  The charge is payable locally to the driver(s) on the day.

Why do we need to fill in a booking form?
So that there are no misunderstandings on the telephone about flight numbers, UK postal addresses etc and so that we can send accurate information to our property managers. 
PLEASE NOTE:  At the top of the form, you will see the words
 Please click here for a Printer Friendly Form Please do click on this then print out the form as this will make it fit on a standard A4 sheet in your printer and you will be able to fill in everything much more easily!

What will the weather be like in the winter?
It should be warm (or even hot) and sunny most days.  The average day time temperature over the winter months is around 20 degrees C or above.  It gets dark at about the same time as in the UK and then the temperature does drop but only by a few degrees.  However, we always recommend that everyone has at least one pair of long trousers and a warm sweater or jacket just in case.

What should we do if there are any problems?
Contact our property managers - their phone numbers are in the villa.  If you can't do that, then give us a ring and we will try to sort things out.  Please do not wait until you come back home to tell us about any difficulties - it's too late then for us to fix it!


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