El Club · Betancuria

The Convent of San Buenaventura is a former Franciscan convent located in the town of Betancuria, Fuerteventura, today preserved in the form of ruins and archaeological remains integrated into the historical complex of the municipality. The available documentation identifies it as the first convent factory of the archipelago and links it to the early Franciscan establishment in the Canary Islands. It was founded in 1416, under the auspices of Pope Benedict XIII, and is related to the evangelization of the island at the beginning of the Castilian period. The sources consulted place it in the 15th century and associate it with the history of Betancuria as the first center of insular relevance. As for its architecture, the references describe it as a construction of Gothic character, with a Latin cross plan, although the current state is one of ruin and only parts of the conventual complex are preserved. The existence of a cloister is also mentioned, as well as later reforms and reconstructions, which are now the object of archeological studies and interventions. The heritage value of the place lies both in its antiquity and its historical role in the colonization and religious organization of Fuerteventura. Its inclusion within the Historic Site of Betancuria, declared in 1979, reinforces its importance as a key testimony of the religious and foundational heritage of the island.

The Church of Santa María de Betancuria is a monumental parish church located in the historic center of Betancuria, in Fuerteventura, within the historical-artistic ensemble declared for the town. It was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest with the category of Monument in 2019, being linked its movable property and its protection environment. Its origin is located in the 15th century, with the first factory promoted around 1410, although the current church responds to a long history of reforms and reconstructions. The patrimonial sources describe the building as a three-nave construction, with the presbytery and the chapels at the head of the side naves on the same plane. In its historical configuration, elements of Gothic and Mudejar tradition can be recognized, with later Renaissance and Baroque additions. Among the most outstanding documented elements are the Mudejar coffered ceiling of the main roof, decorated and polychrome, and several interior altarpieces, among them the one of the Immaculate Conception. Its heritage value lies both in its antiquity and its central role in the religious history of Betancuria, former main center of the island and one of the most important enclaves of the historical heritage of Fuerteventura.

The viewpoint of Guise and Ayose is a heritage tourism resource of monumental viewpoint type, identified in some files as tower / wall for its link with the defensive and historical landscape of Betancuria, in Fuerteventura. It is located on the FV-30 road, in the vicinity of the historic village of Betancuria, within the Betancuria Rural Park, at an elevated point with sweeping views over the ravine and the interior of the island. The set is presided over by two bronze sculptures of large format, about 4 meters high, representing Guise and Ayose, the aboriginal kings of Fuerteventura at the time of the European conquest in the fifteenth century. The work refers to the traditional division of the island into two territories, Maxorata and Jandia, and the historical memory of the pre-Hispanic period and the conquest. More than a defensive construction in the strict sense, the enclave functions as a landscape and interpretative landmark of the territory. The local tradition and several guides relate it to the ancient wall that would have separated the insular domains, although this data should be understood as a historical reference and not as a factory preserved and documented in its entirety. Its heritage value lies in the relationship between landscape, historical memory and public sculpture, in addition to its role as a visual access to Betancuria, the ancient capital of Fuerteventura and one of the most important historical sites in the Canary Islands.

Morro Velosa is a natural viewpoint and interpretation center located in Betancuria, in the interior of Fuerteventura, on the Tegú Mountain, about 669-700 meters above sea level. Its location, between the Betancuria Rural Park and the Santa Inés Valley, makes it an exceptional vantage point to understand the central relief of the island and its arid and eroded character. From here it dominates a wide panoramic view of the center and north of Fuerteventura, overlooking plains, volcanic hills, ravines and small white villages scattered across the landscape. The interest of the visit is in the visual reading of the territory: the contrast between the ocher tones, the dominant aridity and the forms of the massif allow us to understand why this sector of the island is one of the most representative of its natural landscape. The resource has landscape and informative relevance because it was adapted as an interpretive space on the arid Fuerteventura and its natural and ecological values, associated with water scarcity and an island environment highly conditioned by the climate. In addition, the building and the viewpoint are linked to César Manrique, which adds cultural value to the whole without detracting from the landscape that surrounds it. For the discerning visitor, Morro Velosa is interesting both for the views and for its ability to explain the majorero territory: it is not only a panoramic viewpoint, but a gateway to understanding the landscape of Betancuria and the interior of Fuerteventura.