Anyone considering La Ampuyenta as a place to stay will find a clear focus: protected cultural sites, distinctive architecture and a rural cultural landscape. A short walking tour takes you through the village, its rural surroundings and historic buildings. The details below show what sets a visit focused on architecture apart from one focused on history or landscape.
Protected Buildings and Their Details
The Ermita de San Pedro de Alcántara is protected as a Monument of Cultural Interest (Bien de Interés Cultural, BIC) and was founded on 14 August 1681. Its architecture is clearly structured: the chapel has a single nave and a gabled roof, while the presbytery is set apart in height and width. The complex also includes a high, crenellated outer wall known as the barbacana. These architectural features give the building distinct contours, from its roof to its enclosing wall.
Inside, a single work of art is described in specific terms: the pulpit is a wooden structure made in the 18th century, with polychrome decoration and gilding. Twelve panels depicting the Apostles and inscriptions from the Creed form part of its design. So, alongside the history of its founding, the craftsmanship of the pulpit is a focal point for anyone interested in religious art and historic architectural forms.
The Casa de Fray Andresito is protected as a historic site of cultural interest. Following restoration work, it preserves two rooms with features of the island’s traditional architecture. Today, the house serves as a small, simple place of pilgrimage; explanatory panels and images explore the life and legacy of Fray Andresito. The Casa thus brings together architectural details and a place of religious remembrance.
The Hospitalito de La Ampuyenta consists of three interconnected pavilions and was considered an architectural innovation. It lies within the protected surroundings of the historic monument of the Ermita de San Pedro de Alcántara. Since 2015, part of the Hospitalito has housed the Centro de Interpretación de las Ermitas de Fuerteventura. The exhibition venue focuses on the island’s religious heritage and includes temporary exhibitions and educational content. Check which exhibitions are currently open before you travel.
Walking Tour and Cultural Events
The Complejo Cultural Patrimonial de La Ampuyenta offers a short walking tour through the village, its rural surroundings and historic buildings. It connects the buildings with the landscape, rather than focusing on just one structure. Visitor arrangements may change, so it is a good idea to check the latest visitor information before setting out.
Events can also shape a stay: the patron saint’s festival of San Pedro Alcántara takes place in Ampuyenta on 19 October. The “Andrés Valerón” cheese and wine tasting is a featured event during the January celebrations in honour of Fray Andresito. Check the annual programme for your travel dates to confirm the specific event details. The “Doctor Mena” literature and short-story competition was held in its third edition on 16 January at the Complejo Patrimonial y Cultural de La Ampuyenta.
The Rural Cultural Landscape
The area around the village offers another perspective: the gavias of La Ampuyenta are still visible and form part of a historic cultural landscape adapted to dryland farming. They add the history of adapting to dry conditions to the protected buildings. If you are weighing up architecture, religious heritage and rural character for your stay, La Ampuyenta offers more than a single historic point of interest: its buildings tell of different forms of cultural heritage, while the gavias bring the agricultural landscape into the picture.
Discover more destinations: Jandia, Majanicho, TefĂa, Valles de Ortega, Tindaya, Ajuy, Puerto Del Rosario, Castillo Caleta de Fuste
For the broader travel guide: Fuerteventura.
