File:Betancuria Church.JPG

Summary
Fuerteventura's former capital Betancuria was founded in 1405 by the Norman conqueror Jean de Bethencourt. The reason for its location was to protect the capital from pirate attacks, although in 1593 the pirate Jaban penetrated the Betancuria and reduced everything including the Santa Maria church (in picture) to a pile of rubble and ash. The church was not rebuiltuntil 1691.

Betancuria was capital for quite some time until the local people started moving away from the town due to lack of arable land. In 1834 Betancuria bowed down and handed the honor over to La Oliva.

Picture taken February 2006 by KRing.