Pierre & Vacances Origo Mare Review: A Villa with Two Kids

Disclosure: our stay at Origo Mare was hosted by Pierre & Vacances as part of a collaboration. We paid for our own flights, car hire and food, we chose room-only rather than a meal plan, and nobody saw this review before it went up. Everything below is what we actually found, including the parts that would put some families off.

This winter felt unusually long. Damian had started asking me when he’d finally be allowed to go to school in shorts, which I took as a sign to start looking for somewhere warm.

Fuerteventura had been on our list for years and always lost out to Tenerife or Lanzarote on price. This time it worked out — and we ended up not in a hotel but in a villa, in a holiday village big enough that we got lost trying to find reception.

Quick verdict: who Origo Mare is right for

• Right for you if: you want space, a kitchen, a private terrace and a serious water park, and you are hiring a car anyway.
• Wrong for you if: you want to walk to a sandy beach. There isn’t one — see below, because this is the thing to understand before you book.
• The villa: one bedroom with a king bed, sofa bed in the living room, full kitchen with a dishwasher, private terrace. Comfortable for a family of four.
• Crater Park: a 5,000 m² volcanic-themed water park. This is the reason to come.
• You need a car. The village is genuinely isolated.
• Getting there: about 45 km from the airport. Officially 45 minutes. It took us over an hour.

The thing to know first: Origo Mare has no beach

I want this near the top rather than buried, because it is the one thing that would change whether some families book.

Origo Mare sits on the Majanicho coast on Fuerteventura’s north shore, and that coastline is volcanic rock, lava and boulders. It is dramatic. It is not a beach.

• The nearest beach is roughly a kilometre away — a 15 to 20 minute walk
• Playa de Majanicho, the closest named one, is about 150 metres long, with fine sand and usually calm water, but no lifeguard and no facilities at all
• Playa El Hierro further along is bigger but reached by 4×4 track only, and is not a children’s beach
• The resort runs a shuttle to the beaches at Corralejo and El Cotillo, which tells you everything

None of this was a problem for us, because we had a car and were driving somewhere different every day anyway. It would have been a problem if we’d arrived expecting to walk to the sea.

Families come here for the water park and the villas. Treat the ocean as scenery.

Where Origo Mare actually is

The address is Carretera Majanicho 100, Lajares, 35650, in the north of the island.

We flew Barcelona to Fuerteventura direct with Ryanair, booked well in advance for a good fare — flights from Barcelona run dearer than from Madrid, and a lot of the guests we met were British, where the connections are better. It is a three-hour flight, which is a long time for small children who have decided not to sleep.

We landed late on a Friday, picked up the hire car, and drove. The resort is officially about 45 minutes from the airport. It took us a bit over an hour. Allow for that if you are arriving in the dark with tired children.

Roughly: 15 minutes to El Cotillo, 20 minutes to Corralejo, ten minutes to Lajares village.

Do not come here without a car. This is one of the most isolated places to stay on the island — literally a village on its own, outside any residential area. If you are planning to rely on public transport, phone the property first and ask them directly.

Arriving: the check-in that made the difference

We got to reception at nine in the evening, having first got thoroughly lost — the village is much bigger than it looks from the entrance.

Reception is open 24 hours, and the receptionist took proper time with us: the layout, the villa, the activities, where everything was. After ten minutes of that the place went from confusing to obvious. On a late arrival with two children in the back of the car, that mattered more than anything else that happened that day.

Official check-in is 17:00, check-out 10:00.

The villa: layout, space and sleeping

We had a one-bedroom villa, which worked for the four of us:

• King-size bed in the bedroom
• Sofa bed in the living room
• Open-plan kitchen and dining area
• Private outdoor terrace with seating

Decorated in a traditional Canarian style, well-proportioned, and practical in the way that only matters once you’ve travelled with small children.

On the first night all four of us slept in the king bed — not by design, but because neither boy was going to wake up in an unfamiliar room at 2am and be calm about it. The bed took it.

Waiting for us when we opened the door: local bottled water, chocolates, and a handwritten welcome letter from the villa manager. A small thing that immediately made it feel like a house rather than a unit.

The bedroom and bathroom

The bedroom was genuinely spacious, in good condition, with proper hanging space and real hangers. Hotel-grade linens and towels — and the beds and pillows were better quality than I expected from an apartment.

The bathroom had huge mirrors and a design I hadn’t seen in hotels. Towels were changed every two days, which almost never happens in a self-catering stay and which I noticed every time.

Shampoo and shower gel were provided, and the hairdryer worked properly — both things you stop assuming after enough apartment stays.

The living room and terrace

The living room held the seating area and the TV, and it opened into the kitchen, so it was the middle of everything. We barely watched television.

The terrace was where we actually lived. The boys played out there while we sat with a map and argued about which end of the island to drive to the next day.

The kitchen — and yes, there’s a dishwasher

Small, but well laid out and fully equipped: cutlery, plates, serving dishes, pots and pans, plus dishwashing tablets, washing-up liquid and plenty of kitchen towels.

Appliances: coffee maker, kettle, oven, dishwasher and fridge.

I’ll be honest about my own bias — I don’t give a self-catering apartment full marks without a dishwasher. We eat at the apartment most evenings and have breakfast there before heading out, and doing that for five days by hand is a different holiday.

Food: what we can and can’t tell you

We took room-only, so I cannot comment on the food. Several people asked on Instagram whether we’d gone all-inclusive and the answer is no.

What I can tell you: meal plans run from room-only through half board to all-inclusive, and there are two restaurants — one buffet, and one à la carte where you need to book ahead. There are also snack bars and a bar by the pool area.

We cooked most evenings and ate out on the road during the day.

The pools and Crater Park

This is the reason to book Origo Mare.

There are two pool areas. One is adults-only and looks spectacular — I never once got into it, which tells you how the week went. The other is the children’s area, and I counted three pools in it. Standing in the middle of it felt like being in a water park rather than at a hotel.

That impression was right: the resort’s water park is called Crater Park and covers 5,000 m², volcanic-themed, with slides and a wave pool. ⚠️ We were there in early spring, so check which features are running in the season you’re booking.

Every pool area has sun loungers and places to eat, so you are not walking children back and forth across the village for lunch.

The pool areas are included in the price of the stay.

Kids’ clubs and evening entertainment

Kids’ activities run daily and are free of charge. You can leave your child for a whole day or just a couple of hours, morning or evening, and they run a mix of play and learning sessions.

Neither of ours wanted to go, and we didn’t push it — we had five days and a car and a list. But the programme looked good, and the one thing I actually wanted out of it was an hour in the adults-only pool, which I never got.

⚠️ The clubs are split roughly 4–5, 6–11 and 12–17, so there is something for teenagers as well as small children — worth knowing if you have a spread of ages.

Evening activities run in the bar area: something for children from 9pm to 9:30pm, then shows for adults afterwards. We went once, on a night we weren’t wrecked, and it was genuinely nice.

Minigolf, parking and the practical stuff

Minigolf: we are not golfers in any sense, but Damian watched other children playing long enough that we gave in. An hour’s rental is €5 ⚠️ *(our 2019 price — check current rates)*. An hour was exactly right for four people who have never played.

Parking: several parking areas plus off-street spaces. No problems at all, and no extra charge.

Wi-Fi: provided, and it worked throughout.

Cleaning: the villa was clean when we arrived and stayed that way.

Check-out: 10am, and you can ask reception about a late one. We couldn’t have it — guests were arriving into our villa — but they let us stay until 11. If you want to use the pool on your last day there’s a separate area with showers for after check-out.

We didn’t use it. Our last day was so windy that we abandoned the pool plan and went to see more of the island instead.

What we liked

• The private terrace — more valuable than any hotel facility with young children
• 24-hour reception and a receptionist who took the time at 9pm
• The dishwasher, and a kitchen that was genuinely equipped rather than nominally equipped
• Towels changed every two days in a self-catering unit
• The children’s pool area — three pools, and it kept them occupied on the days we stayed in
• The welcome letter and the small arrival details
• Staff who were approachable throughout

What we didn’t

• No beach. Say it out loud before you book. The coast here is volcanic rock and the nearest sand is a kilometre away with no facilities.
• The isolation. Wonderful if you have a car and a plan; difficult if you don’t. There is no walking to a shop or a restaurant outside the village.
• The airport drive took over an hour, not the 45 minutes quoted.
• It is big, and we got lost on arrival. Ask at reception for the layout before you try to find your villa in the dark.
• The wind. Not the resort’s fault, but it wrote off our last pool day entirely.

Would we book it again?

Yes — with a car, and with the beach question settled in advance.

What Origo Mare does well is give a family space: your own front door, your own terrace, a kitchen that works, and a water park your children will not want to leave. What it does not do is put you by the sea.

If your holiday is “walk to the beach in the morning, walk back for lunch”, book Corralejo or Caleta de Fuste instead. If it is “base ourselves somewhere comfortable and drive the island”, this is very good indeed.

We stayed five days. Talking to other guests, plenty of them were there for two weeks or more, and I could see why.

Origo Mare in numbers

Address	Carretera Majanicho 100, Lajares, Fuerteventura 35650
Phone	+34 928 456 002
Check-in / check-out	17:00 / 10:00
Our villa	1 bedroom — king bed + sofa bed, kitchen with dishwasher, private terrace
Water park	Crater Park, 5,000 m², volcanic-themed, wave pool and slides
Pool areas	2 — one adults-only, one children’s area with 3 pools
Kids’ clubs	Free, daily, split roughly 4–5 / 6–11 / 12–17
Restaurants	2 — one buffet, one à la carte (book ahead), plus snack bars
Meal plans	Room-only, half board, all-inclusive
Parking	Free, on site
Beach	None on site. Nearest ~1 km, no facilities. Shuttle to Corralejo and El Cotillo
Airport	~45 km. Officially 45 minutes; took us over an hour

More Fuerteventura

• Fuerteventura with kids: best areas, beaches and things to do
• The best sunsets in Fuerteventura
• Top 10 things to do with kids in Lanzarote
• Top 10 places to visit in Tenerife

Origo Mare: your questions answered

Does Pierre & Vacances Origo Mare have a beach?

No. The resort sits on the Majanicho coast on Fuerteventura’s north shore, and that coastline is volcanic rock, lava and boulder rather than sand. The nearest beach is roughly a kilometre away, a 15 to 20 minute walk, and Playa de Majanicho is only about 150 metres long with no lifeguard and no facilities. The resort runs a shuttle to the beaches at Corralejo and El Cotillo. Families come here for the water park and the villas, not for walking to the sea.

Is Origo Mare good for families?

Yes, if you are hiring a car. The villas give you a bedroom, a sofa bed, a full kitchen with a dishwasher and a private terrace, the children’s pool area has three pools and forms part of a 5,000 m² water park called Crater Park, and the kids’ clubs are free and run daily. The catch is the location: it is one of the most isolated places to stay on the island and there is no beach and nothing within walking distance outside the village.

Do you need a car to stay at Origo Mare?

Yes. The village stands on its own outside any residential area, with no shops or restaurants within walking distance. We nearly did not hire a car, planning to stay at the resort the whole time, and changing that decision at the last minute was the best thing we did on the trip. If you plan to rely on public transport, contact the property directly before booking.

How far is Origo Mare from Fuerteventura airport?

Around 45 km. The resort is officially about 45 minutes away, but it took us a bit over an hour arriving on a Friday evening. Allow for that if you are landing late with children. El Cotillo is about 15 minutes away and Corralejo about 20.

What is Crater Park at Origo Mare?

Crater Park is the resort’s volcanic-themed water park, covering about 5,000 m², with slides and a wave pool. Separately there are two pool areas: one adults-only, and a children’s area which had three pools when we stayed. All of it is included in the price of the stay, and every pool area has sun loungers and somewhere to eat.

Are the kids’ clubs at Origo Mare free?

Yes, the daily kids’ activities are free of charge, and you can leave your child for a full day or just a few hours in the morning or evening. The clubs are split roughly into ages 4 to 5, 6 to 11 and 12 to 17. Neither of ours wanted to join in and we did not push it, but the programme looked good and there are evening activities for children from 9pm to 9:30pm followed by shows for adults.

What meal plans does Origo Mare offer?

Room-only, half board and all-inclusive. We chose room-only and cooked in the villa most evenings, so we cannot comment on the food quality. There are two restaurants, one buffet and one à la carte where you need to book ahead, plus snack bars and a pool bar.

What are the check-in and check-out times at Origo Mare?

Check-in is at 5pm and check-out at 10am. Reception is open 24 hours, which mattered to us because we arrived at nine in the evening. Late check-out depends on availability — we could not have it because guests were arriving into our villa, but they let us stay until 11am. If you want to use the pool after checking out there is a separate area with showers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Pierre & Vacances Origo Mare Village good for families?

Yes, it is ideal for families thanks to spacious villas, kids pools, daily activities, and a safe, relaxed environment.

Do you need a car to stay at Origo Mare Village?

Yes, renting a car is highly recommended as the resort is isolated and not close to shops or towns.

Is the pool included in the stay?

Yes, all pool areas, including kids pools and the adults-only pool, are included in the price.

Are there restaurants on site?

Yes, the resort has a buffet restaurant and an à la carte restaurant. Meal plans are optional.

How far is Pierre & Vacances Origo Mare from the airport?

The resort is approximately 45 minutes by car from Fuerteventura Airport.