Betancuria

The town of Betancuria was founded in the fifteenth century, by Jean de Betencourt, the conqueror of the island, and until 1834 was the administrative capital of the island.

It is located in the valley of the Massif Betancuria (Country Park), and is one of less desert areas of the island, and that runoff from these mountains converge into the valley.

Betancuria is the least populated municipality of Fuerteventura (only 800 inhabitants), and has no tourist facilities and beaches of interest, but is the town of artistic and historical interest of the island.

Among these points of interest is the Church of Santa Maria, the fifteenth century and was destroyed by pirates in the sixteenth century and rebuilt in the seventeenth century, and inside you can see various works of religious art.

Next to the church is a tourist area with a café and shops of typical products of the island that have a large stock in all kinds of crafts and souvenirs.

Another place to visit is the Archaeological Museum of Betancuria, where we learn the ways of life of the ancient inhabitants of Fuerteventura.

Leaving Betancuria south, we reach the village of Vega de Rio Palmas, where we find one of the only water storage infrastructure: the small reservoir of Penitas, which is now silted up. In this valley, we found a particularly attractive vegetation including palm trees and other vegetation.