The Canary Island Fuerteventura - History

Facts
Size: 1.731 sqkm
Population: 49.000
Capital: Puerto Rosario

 Fuerteventura  History Temperatures

The second largest island of the archipelago developed almost simultaneously with the island of Lanzarote about 16 – 20 million years ago. Millions of years of erosion gave Fuerteventura its present appearance. A half desert scattered with rocks spreads between the mountains.

Unlike in Lanzarote there has not been any volcanic activity in the modern times. Plenty of theories try to explain the origin of the islands. Records of old Asian societies, of which legends Plato reports, state that there used to be a continent called ‘Atlantis’ of which the Canary Islands are supposed to be the highest mountains and only remnants.

Newer theories claim that the origin of the archipelago is explained by the lifting of the sea bottom as a result of a creasing in the Earth crust. To establish the exact age of the Canary Islands proves to be difficult. The oldest rock was found in Fuerteventura and is about 35 million years old. Therefore it is to be concluded that the formation of the archipelago took place after the continents arrived at their present position.

The northern part of the island between Cotillo and Corralejo is only 8.000 years old and of volcanic origin. The solidified magma is still clearly visible in some parts of the west coast. If one turns north coming from Pajara and passes the village Vega de Rio Palmas one arrives after a few kilometres at a small, dreamy village: Betancuria. It is named after Jean de Bethancourt, who conquered the island for the Spanish crown in 1402 and later, in 1405, founded this little village as the first one away from the coast in the protection of the mountains.
Here one will find the old bishops church from times when Fuerteventura was residence of the bishop. Strangely the bishop never actually visited the island and therefore never saw his cathedral. Around the cathedral are plenty of old patrician- and aristocracy houses with their typical canarian wooden balconies. They’ve been renovated in the last few years in one of them is situated the Casa Santa Maria, a restaurant with a shop on the ground floor. There one can watch the art workers at their work and buy some of their products at the same time.
Also, one will find the Museo de Arto Sacro here, the ‘museum for church art’ with its various sculptures and clerical garbs as well as the conquest banner of Fuerteventura.
At the through road is the Casa Museo de Betancuria. This local history museum displays a wonderful collection of household equipment as well as the biggest collection of prespanish exhibits on the island. The two cannons in front of the house are pieces of booty of the battle of Tiscamanita in 1740 when a British conquest attempt struck back.

Also worth seeing are the ruins of the Convento de Buenaventura. This former monastery was renovated a few years ago and now radiates a comfortable tranquillity. Seven monks converted the inhabitants of the island from here. They came to the island in 1416 and straight away started to build this convent, which was dispersed in 1835 and served the community as a quarry for a long time.
All valuable objects and also the beautiful Mudéjar-ceiling were sold or moved to other churches. Last year a mirador (lookout point) was built at the Montana Tegú above Betancuria from which one has a fantastic view over the centre of the island.

The building was designed and supervised by the famous architect and landscape designer Cecar Manrique from Lanzarote.