La Oliva

The village of La Oliva was the political center of Fuerteventura from the early 17th to mid-19th century, and you can still see some of the buildings standing today. La Oliva is now home to the local district town hall (Ayuntamiento).

Directly in the centre of town is the main church (Parroquiade Nuestra Seiiora de Candelaria). This pretty little church has a square bell tower visible for miles around, and a finely-carved wooden door. Highlights inside the church include the mudejar ceiling, and a large painting of The Last Judgment, a baroque altar painting by Juan de Miranda (1723-1805), and also some fine trompe 1'oeil work.

Surely the grandest part of town and the main tourist attraction has to be townhouse the Casa de los Coroneles, or house of colonels which is currently under restoration. This was where the military governors of the islands used to reside. Above the main entrance is the family coat of arms with a crown a tree and a goat. The wooden balconies are decorated with carvings. It has been said many times that the building has 365 windows, but this comes mainly from comments made by the poor who expressed their opinions on the wealth of the people who were living in the house claiming they had "as many windows as there are days in the year".

Further from the centre of town is the Casa del Capellan where the local priest once lived. This building has a stone door and windows that are decorated with floral designs. Unfortunately the building has been left to decay.

Located just between the church and the Casa de los Coroneles, is the 'Casa Mane' art centre (Centro de Arte Canario Casa Mane). Here you can visit the exhibition halls that house work from well know Canarian artists. On the ground level there are rooms for current exhibitions and a sculpture courtyard, while the basement contains a large contemporary art gallery. Among the the permanent exhibits are the works of Alberto Manrique.

The population of La Oliva is around 10,000 people with an area of approx. 356 square kilometres.

'La Cilla' Museum opening times

From Tuesday to Friday : 9.30am - 5.30pm
Sunday 9.30 - 5.30pm
Monday and Saturday Closed