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Touring the interior landscapes of Fuerteventura makes for some of the most pleasurable driving in the Canaries (if you've a hire car - alternatively take one of the Grand Tours of the island which weave their way through the interior. Many visitors enjoy a grand tour, coming over first on the boat from Lanzarote!). Car hire on Fuerteventura is highly recommended, so you can really take your time to explore the beauty of this desert island's interior.
There's a good choice of museums on Fuerteventura focusing on agricultural history, religious history and the Guanche pre-hispanic settlers including the Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum, Sacro Art Gallery and Craft centre in Betancuria, the Antigua Windmill Craftwork centre, the Grain Museum and Canarian Art Centre in La Oliva, and the Unamuno Museum in the capital Puerto del Rosario.
The interior landscapes of Fuerteventura are arid indeed, with a haunting beauty that captivates. The interior mountain roads are some of the best on the Canaries, so driving in your car hire is a pleasurable experience indeed. Watch out for interesting rock and mountain shapes. Erosion has long been working its magic on this volcanically dormant Canaries Island (one particular mountain has been nicknamed Sophia Loren's Tit - no joke. It's a true enough analogy when you see the particular undulating mountain in question!) Mostly pretty arid, but with some variation - to the south is the Palm tree laden ravine - Vega del Rio de Palmas. You'll note in the centre many of what still remains an iconic feature of Fuerteventura - a scattering of windmills, most of which today are not in use and some of which date back a couple of centuries.
Settlements in the interior which are particularly popular include historic Betancuria - Jean de Bethencourt (leader of the Spanish invasion of Fuerteventura) set up camp here in 1405 - the spot was well served by water and a strategic defensive position against Guanche attack. With the usual pomp and circumstance of colonists, Bethencourt named it after himself - but as you can see it's been twisted to Betancuria since. Betancuria was the island's capital for a spell.
Franciscan monks settled here too, and you can see the monastery as you approach Betancuria from the north. Other sites in this historic location include the attractive Iglesia de Santa Maria dating from the 17th century, a Museo de Arte Sacro containing various examples of religious art, and the Casa Museo de Betancuria which is well worth a look particularly for its small collection of Guanche artefacts. There's some fantastic arts and crafts shops in Betancuria - especially for ceramics! A few great Bodegas too! There's a festival here - Dia de San Buenaventura every 14th July.
Other interior hotspots in the centre include historic Pajara, with its 17th century Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de Regla, and to the north pretty La Oliva, also once the capital of the island. The Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria is the focal point of this pretty town with its notable Ecomuseum which explores the tough rural history of the island. Checkout the Rural Tourism weblink right on Fuerteventura for further details on Guanche history, museum listings and walking holidays on Fuerteventura.
Antigua Windmill Craft Centre, Centro de Artesania Molino de Antigua, Fuerteventura. Open Tuesdays to Fridays, and Sundays 9.30am to 5.30pm. Includes cactus garden, and other indigenous Fuerteventura flora, plus a craft shop, a mill and various small galleries.
Betancuria Archaeological & Ethnographic Museum, C/Roberto Roldan, Betancuria, Fuerteventura. Tel: 928 87 82 41. Open from Tuesday to Saturday: 11am to 17:00/5pm and Sunday: 11:00 to 14:00. Closed on Monday. Also in Betancuria, the Sacro Art Gallery, C/ Alcalde Carmelo Silvera, s/n, Betancuria, Fuerteventura. Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 17:00. Closed Sunday Tel: 928 87 80 03.
Betancuria Craft Centre, Tel: 928 87 82 41. Opening times are the same as those of the Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum. Winter times: 10:00 to 17:00. Summer times: 10:00 to 16:00. El Carmen Salt Pans, Betancuria, Finca El Matorral Tel: 928 17 42 11. Opening Times: Every day: 10:00 to 19:00.
La Oliva in the north of Fuerteventura is another popular cultural and arts and crafts centre. Attractions include La Cilla House Grain Museum, Tel: 928 85 14 00. Open Every day: 9:30 to 17:30. Closed on Monday and Saturday. Also, checkout the Casa Mane Canarian Art Centre, Tel: 928 86 82 33. Open Summer: 10:00 to 18:00, Winter: 10:00 to 17:00. Closed Sunday and holidays. Special entrance fees for groups. La Ermita Ceramic Workshop, Open Summer times: 08:00 to 16:00. Winter - 08:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 20:00. Tel: 928 86 85 04.
In the pretty and work-a-day capital of Fuerteventura - Puerto del Rosario (well worth a day trip at least) is the interesting Miguel de Unamuno Museum in his one time home - the old Fuerteventura Hotel, C/ Virgen del Rosario, 9, Puerto Del Rosario, Tel: 928 85 14 00. Open Monday to Friday: 9:00 to 13:00 and 17:00 to 19:00, Saturday: 09:00 to 13:00. Closed Sunday and holidays. Unamuno was exiled here after he opposed the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera in Spain in the 1920s, and he took many a thoughtful walk on nearby Playa Blanca beach. Hopefully the museums exhibits will soon be translated into English - currently it's all in Spanish.
Tuineje Las Simonas House Municipal Craft Centre, C\Teniente Coronel Sanchez Umpierrez, Tuineje.Tel: 928 16 11 17. Tiscamanita Interpretive Centre for Tiscamanita Windmills. Tel: 928 85 14 00. Open Every day: 9:30 to 17:30pm, Closed Monday and Saturday.
Tamaretilla Cactus and Leisure Park, Finca El Matorral, Tel: 928 17 42 11. Open Every day: 10:00 to 19:00. Tarajalejo - Aquarium & Marine Museum, Ocios El Brasero, Ctra. Gral. De Tarajalejo. Fuerteventura. Tel: 928 16 13 51.
A summary of complete Fuerteventura Museum listings is as follows: Museo del Gran, La Cilla, La Oliva (open Tues-Sat 10am to 6pm), Ecomuseo de la Alcogida, Tefia (Open Tues-Sat 10am to 6pm). Casa Mena La Ampuyenta (open Tues-Sat 10am to 6pm). Centro de Artesania Molino de Antigua (Open Tues-Sat 10am to 6pm). Museo Arqueologico de Betancuria (open Tues-Sat 10am to 6pm). Centro de Interpretacion de los Molinos de Tiscamanita (open Tues-Sat 10am to 6pm). Museo de la Sal, Las Salinas del Carmen (Salt Museum - open Tues-Sat 10am to 6pm). Casa Museo de Unamuno (open Mon-Fri 9am to 2pm). Centro de Interpretacion Cueva del Llano, Villaverde (open Tues-Sat 1pam to 6pm).
Church of Our Lady of Antigua. Sacro Art Gallery, C/Alcalde Carmelo Silvera, s/n, Betancuria, Open Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 17:00. Closed Sunday. Tel: 928 87 80 03. Church of St Maria de Betancuria, C/ Alcalde Carmelo Silvera, s/n, Betancuria. Tel: 928 87 80 03/630 01 47 87. Opening Times: Monday to Saturday: 11:00 to 17:00, Closed Sunday. Also in Betancuria is the Convent of St Buenaventura and the Cahpel of St Diego de Alcala.
Pajara Church of Nuestra Senora de Regla - with unique retables and Mexican influence on design and interior sculptures is also well worth a viewing.
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