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Puerto del Rosario Travel Guide


Puerto del Rosario (Spain)
Coat of arms of Puerto del Rosario (Spain)

Puerto del Rosario
 
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Coordinates: 28.5°, -13.866667°

Population: 43.390 inhabitants (2023)
 
 

Puerto del Rosario is a city-municipality located on the island of Fuerteventura. It is the municipality with the largest population on the island.

This city originated at the end of the 18th century as a hamlet called Puerto de Cabras that developed simultaneously with the growth of port traffic. It received approval to export in 1713.

By the 19th century, several significant changes had taken place throughout Fuerteventura, including the creation of new municipalities and the consolidation of old ones. This caused bureaucratic problems due to border disputes between Puerto de Cabras and the newly created municipality of Tetir.
 
Puerto del Rosario (Spain)
The situation continued in the following years until Puerto de Cabras became the capital in 1860, thereby increasing its economic and political influence. However, this did not prevent new border disputes, which were finally resolved in favour of Tetir.

One of the most important events occurred in 1954, when the Council of Ministers of the Fuerteventura City Council began a deep economic reorganization that, among various measures, changed the name of the city, which became Puerto del Rosario in 1956.
 
During the 1960s, a demographic increase began to take place in the city. This was motivated by emigrants from the Sahara and stemmed from the economic growth of the Canary Islands, which was becoming a tourist enclave. This helped to boost the economy, especially in the lime production industry.

With the arrival of democracy at the beginning of the 1980s, the island of Fuerteventura was consolidated as a first-rate tourist destination. Also, Puerto del Rosario began to compete with the rest of the archipelago despite the fact that, in the late 1970s, the island lost political influence. It made up for this with its economic growth.

Currently, Puerto del Rosario is a dynamic and thriving city that openly competes with the rest of the islands and serves as a first-class tourist destination in the Atlantic region.

Top 5 places to visit in Puerto del Rosario

Although Puerto del Rosario does not have the longevity of many other Spanish cities, it is home to countless places of great artistic, heritage and cultural interest. Among them, we can highlight the following:

Sculpture Park

Sculpture Park (Puerto del Rosario - Spain)
One thing that makes Puerto del Rosario stand out is that it is a cultural city full of museums, works of art and monuments.

One of the most popular and attractive is the so-called Sculpture Park, which has more than 50 sculptures, many of which came from the famous International Sculpture Symposium, held since 2001.

Throughout this event, international artists make their sculptural creations outdoors, under the watchful eyes of locals, visitors and passers-by.
 
Over the years, this unique Sculpture Park has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city.

Unamuno House Museum

Puerto del Rosario - Calle Virgen Del Rosario - Casa Museo Unamuno 01 ies
This house served as the home of the famous writer Miguel de Unamuno in 1924, when he arrived from the continent in exile by order of Primo de Rivera.

He lived in the house for four months before leaving for Paris. In addition to holding some of the writer's possessions and memorabilia, the House Museum serves as a centre for the dissemination of his work.

It is frequently visited by students and academics due to its enormous cultural and heritage value.

La Alcogida Ecomuseum

Puerto del Rosario Tefia - FV-207 - La Alcogida 02 ies
Of the many museums in Puerto del Rosario, this is one of the most loved and treasured due to its immense educational value and strong identity in the community.

The Ecomuseum is a small town, located on the outskirts of Puerto del Rosario, where the daily tasks of day labourers and peasants during the first 50 years of the 20th century are reproduced with great accuracy.

It owes its name to the land where rainwater was collected (the “alcogidas”).
 
It is an interactive eco-museum where visitors can observe how the different artisans of the area carried out their trades, interact with them and get involved in the process.

Church of Our Lady of the Rosary

Church of Our Lady of the Rosary (Puerto del Rosario - Spain)
This simple but beautiful church, located in the historic centre of the city, was inaugurated in 1835 after more than 10 years of construction and is one of the best-preserved monuments in Puerto del Rosario.

Inside, beautiful pieces of art from various historical stages are treasured.

Another of the great attractions of this temple is that it is literally surrounded by many other buildings of great heritage value, making it a mandatory stop for tourists.

Lime Kilns

Lime Kilns (Puerto del Rosario - Spain)
Both in the surroundings of Puerto del Rosario and on the rest of the island of Fuerteventura, one can find a large amount of limestone. This material quickly became the industrial and economic base of the entire island, resulting in the creation of a large number of lime kilns. This reached its zenith between 1940 and 1970, when production grew to export level.

The importance of lime in Puerto del Rosario has been so great that a Lime Kilns Interpretation Centre was even founded.
 
It discusses the history of the lime industry in the city and exhibits a series of interesting artefacts and objects of patrimonial value.

What to do in Puerto del Rosario

Puerto del Rosario has many places of great interest where recreational and playful fun is guaranteed.

Beautiful beaches for all tastes

Puerto del Rosario has a spectacular coastline with paradisiacal beaches that benefit from the mild climate, geographical position and intense breeze from the Atlantic. Thus, there are beaches ideal for surfing and others perfect for families and children to enjoy a day with excellent sun, soft and fine sand and crystalline waters.
 

Exciting races

One of the biggest tourist and recreational attractions in Puerto del Rosario is the Gran Karting de Fuerteventura, located on the outskirts of the city. Over the years, it has become a must-see stop for the littlest ones.

 


This impressive 1,000-meter-long track is made with high-competition asphalt and a professional width that allows adults to compete. In addition, it offers two-seater karts so that the little ones can accompany their parents.

It is one of the biggest attractions on the island that also has a children's playground and brings together a large number of families, especially during the summer, when one can admire the spectacular sunsets from a large terrace.

Gastronomy in Puerto del Rosario

The gastronomy of Puerto del Rosario has enjoyed a significant African, European and American influence over the centuries thanks to the Atlantic contacts from which countless ingredients arrived. Proof of this is the use of legumes, vegetables, greens, potatoes, peas, beans, zucchini, figs and wine.

Among garden-based products, we can highlight millet and wheat, with which the popular “gofio” is made. It is kneaded in a bag mixed with sheep's milk, water, broth, honey, potatoes and wine and is the base with which the pork rinds are made to complement vegetable stews.
 
Canarian food plate
Another essential ingredient in the diet is the enormous variety of fish and sea products obtained from the area's rich Atlantic coast. This serves as the basis for dishes such as “tollos”, “sancochos”, stews and seafood preparations, as well as many fried fish dishes.

Thanks to its important goat industry, Puerto del Rosario produces a large number of cheeses made with goat's milk that have achieved worldwide fame and are highly valued due to their extraordinary flavour. Among them are smoked cheeses and the unique rubbed cheese, which is made with gofio, camel milk, sugar and oil.
 
Its meat-based dishes are also highly valued and popular. Among them are the many stews made with goat meat and grilled roasts, as well as the famous Canarian stew.
 
 
Thanks to the intense intercontinental contact in Fuerteventura and the rest of the Canary Islands, a splendid and important confectionery was developed, characterized by a succulent selection of highly popular and exquisitely flavoured sweets and desserts.

Among the best known and most popular are “roscos”, cakes made with the fruit of the cactus, and the famous “frangollo”, made with goat's milk, flour, lemon peel, almonds and egg yolks, as well as the traditional sweet bread from Puerto del Rosario.

Accommodation in Puerto del Rosario

Festivals in Puerto del Rosario

Puerto del Rosario is home to a large number of festivals and celebrations, especially those of saints' days. However, without a doubt, the most attractive and popular are its carnivals and the festival in honour of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Carnivals are lavish, picturesque and fun, characterized by a spectacular parade with costumes, musical events and the popular election of the carnival queen.

The Festival of Our Lady of the Rosary is held at the beginning of October and lasts several days. Festivals, concerts, pilgrimages and all kinds of celebrations full of music, dances and gastronomic tastings are held.

Other popular festivities are Holy Week with its famous procession of the Holy Christ of the Good Death, considered the most important invocation of Jesus Christ on the island. It is carried out by legionaries.
 


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