San Buenaventura Convent was a Franciscan house founded in the fifteenth century, in the first decades of the Castilian conquest of Fuerteventura, and was among the first Franciscan foundations in the Canary Islands. Diego of Alcalá, later canonised, lived here as a friar. The friars left in the nineteenth century and the buildings fell into ruin. The stone walls of the church still stand, open to the sky, in Betancuria.
San Buenaventura Convent
Local name: Convento de San Buenaventura
Roofless ruin of a fifteenth-century Franciscan convent church in Betancuria, open at all hours.
- Entrance
- Free; no ticket.
- Accessibility
- The entrance is not wheelchair accessible. With a pushchair or wheelchair, approach from the motorhome parking.
- Parking
- Parking about 83 m away; a free asphalt car park about 350 m away.
- Difficulty
- A short walk up from the busier streets of Betancuria; the nearest parking is about 83 m away.
- Transport
- Bus stop Betancuria, about 370 m away.
- Advance booking
- Not needed; the ruins are open with no ticket.
- Hours
- Open at any time.
- Address
- C. Pdte. Hormiga, 13, 35637 Betancuria, Las Palmas, Spain
What makes it special
The church has no roof. Its stone walls still stand around an empty nave, the doorways and window openings frame the sky, and on many visits nobody else is inside. The ruins sit a short walk up from the busier streets of Betancuria, and that walk is enough to leave the village crowd behind.
Plants grow around the walls. The open nave makes a natural frame for photographs, with the bare brown hills of the island's interior showing beyond the masonry.
Good to know
- There are no toilets at the convent; the nearest, about 460 m away, charge a fee.
- The church has no roof, so the walls give no shelter from sun or rain.
- The way to the ruins is not clearly marked; a guidepost stands about 140 m away.
- With a pushchair or wheelchair, start from the motorhome parking, which gives the easiest approach.
- A drinking-water point is about 420 m away.
Getting there
The convent stands a short walk up from the busier streets of Betancuria. Drivers have two options: parking about 83 m away, and an asphalt car park about 350 m away. The Betancuria bus stop is about 370 m away in a straight line.
The last stretch is not clearly marked. An information board stands about 320 m away and a guidepost about 140 m away, so keep an eye out for both. With a pushchair or wheelchair, approach from the motorhome parking.
Best time to visit
Best: early morning or late afternoon, when the low sun falls across the stone walls.
Avoid: midday in summer.
The nave is open to the sky and gives no shade at midday, and since the ruins never close, you can choose your hour by the light.
Sun & daylight
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Frequently asked questions
Do you have to pay to enter San Buenaventura Convent?
No. The ruins are open and there is no ticket.When can you visit the convent?
At any time. The ruins are open around the clock, every day of the week.Are there toilets at the convent?
No. The nearest toilets are about 460 m away and charge a fee.Can you reach the convent by bus?
The Betancuria bus stop is about 370 m away in a straight line, and from there the ruins are a short walk.Is the convent accessible with a wheelchair or pushchair?
The entrance is not wheelchair accessible. For the approach with a pushchair or wheelchair, the motorhome parking is the best starting point.