Had a great visit walking round Betancuria when staying in Fuerteventura. A absolute beautiful place to visit which was part of our day trip. The drive up and over the mountains to reach there though was a little scary at times! Always seem to pick a tour which involves trips over mountains in a coach on a roach not really built for coaches The oldest town in the Canary Island, founded in the fifteenth century, and was once the capital of the island. Beautiful scenery, gift shops and places to eat

Charming quaint old capital of the island which is reached either from the north or the south on the very mountainous FV30 road which if is a heck of a drive. Stunning views both into and out of the town with some parts of the road a tight squeeze for a car versus a coach so drive carefully and keep an eye on the road ahead. Once you reach the town there is an official car park which €3 for the whole day. It did fill up quickly though both with cars and visitors so would recommend visiting early in the day. The old style buildings, pretty flowers, fountain, cobbles and church make for a lovely walk around. There are some very pretty bars and restaurants too full of local plants and flowers. Overall it’s a pretty place to spend some time but just keep your wits about you on the road.

This historic town/village is located in a mountainous part of the island, accessed via a road which has plenty of bends, some single carriage sections and steep drops. It is often possible to see quite far ahead as you drive and to prepare to give way to oncoming vehicles where appropriate. We drove the route from Corralejo down to Pajara and managed fine on the mountain section as it was fairly quiet, that said, my wife as passenger was keen on having a glass of wine over lunch at Betancuria! Alcohol not recommended for the driver of course. The town dates back to the 15th Century and was capital of the island at a time when pirates would invade, hence the location inland, up a mountain. It remained the capital until the 19th Century. It has become a tourist attraction over the years and has been gentrified to meet that demand. Catch it at a time when there are few or no tour buses and it is very picturesque. Parking is permitted in the main street however we just used the official car park at the south end of the town which is easy to find and keeps the streets clear. As we parked up we were approached by a young mannerly guy who advised that (unlike previous visits) parking charges had been introduced in the last year and we were charged €3 for a ticket which was valid for the day. We did get a ticket and I expect it was official rather than a scam. There are toilets and a foot path from the car park to the village centre. The village has a few historic places to visit, including the Santa Maria Church, however we had visited previously and didn’t venture inside on this occasion (a small charge is made). There is an agricultural museum on the main road through the village and a ruined convent a short walk away. We did get access years ago to municipal offices in town which had some history of the place but I’m unsure if that is still open to visit. It’s a nice place to have a wander and there are little shops to buy gifts and many restaurants to get refreshments if you‘re staying for lunch or dinner. We enjoyed lunch at La Taverna on this occasion in shaded gardens. Take your camera for some photos.