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Fuerteventura beaches, FUERTEVENTURA WITH CHILDREN, Routes and trails, What to see in Fuerteventura ?
The Ajuy caves
Aug
Fuerteventura is the ideal destination for family travel. Here you will find everything you need to disconnect during your vacation. You will be able to enjoy both establishments dedicated to nightlife, and beaches and spots located in an incomparable setting, which will make you feel like a real explorer.
Fuerteventura treasures number of spots where you can not only enjoy but also learn a little more about our history, our culture. If you want to see some of the most spectacular views of the island, then keep reading. Today we look at the caves of Ajuy, an entertaining and even educational visit
Where is Ajuy?
Ajuy is a small and charming village situated on the west coast of Fuerteventura. Although nowadays Ajuy lives mainly from tourism, its origins are fishing. However, there are still families who are dedicated to inshore fishing.
Ajuy has several places of a natural beauty that catches everyone’s eye. On the one hand, there is its beach, nestled between high rocky escarpments, one of the few black sand beaches on the island. And on the other hand its caves.
Ajuy it’s a must-see. Here you will find the oldest rock formations in the Canary Islands, dating back more than 100 million years.
How to get to the Caves of Ajuy?
Once you’ve arrived in the village of Ajuy, head to its beach. There you will see, on the right hand side, a path that you will have to take to see the Caves of Ajuy. In just over 20 minutes you’ll be at the mouth of the spectacular caves. But first, you will have passed through several points worth mentioning, such as: the raised beaches, the lime kilns and Casa de la aduana
The first section of the path, before reaching the lime kilns, you will walk over some impressive formations of petrified sand, these are the raised Beaches. This space was part of the seabed millions of years ago. But the telluric movements made them rise, leaving them in sight. Later, the entire coastal profile was filled with basaltic lava, leaving these impressive cliffs, more than 40 meters high, that so characterize the west coast of Fuerteventura.
About 500 meters after starting the walk to the Caves of Ajuy, we can see the remains of the old and flourishing lime industry. Both the old lime kilns, which were running for more than a century, and the customs house still stand. There are also remains of the ramps used to bring the lime closer to the boats, as well as the pier.
What will we see in the Caves of Ajuy?
The Ajuy Caves are one of the main tourist attractions in this part of Fuerteventura. They are part of the Ajuy Natural Monument. The caves are some impressive oquedales that nature has formed in the coastal cliff. They are wide but not deep. At its highest point, the ceiling is more than 15 metres above the ground. The caves are getting narrower as we go deeper into them. When we get to the bottom we’ll see some artificial holes. These are part of an ancient tunnel that was attempted to be dug out of the rock.
The Ajuy Caves Tunnel One of the minerals that were extracted in some parts of Fuerteventura was syenite, a material used in the production of cobblestones. In fact, today there are still major paving stones in Vegueta neighborhood, in Las Palmas of Gran Canaria. As with the lime, the elaboration of paving stones was one more way to make an economic return to the bowels of the earth. An infrastructure was planned, with rails and wagons to transport the paving stones from the quarries to the port.
The aim of the tunnel was to connect Ajuy beach with the shelter of Puerto de la Peña, in order to facilitate the loading of the stone. In addition, near the lime kilns of Ajuy there was a syenite quarry. Finally this tunnel was not finished. However, the drilled area was used as accommodation for the lime workers and some sailors who came to the beach.
As a historical note, we will comment that it was in this part of the island where Jean de Bethencourt, with twenty-three Normans and forty Andalusians, arose in 1402, to begin the conquest of Fuerteventura. For several centuries the Port of Ajuy was one of the most important ports in the Maxorata.
Other frequent questions about the caves of Ajuy.
Is the visit to the Caves of Ajuy free?
Yes, the visit to the Caves of Ajuy is totally free. There were, a few years ago, attempts by individuals to charge an “entrance fee” to allow access to the caves. Luckily this was left in an anecdote.
What can be seen near the Caves of Ajuy?
The town of Ajuy has restaurants and other services to spend a nice day at the beach, but if you are looking for something more quiet, then we recommend that you visit the Playa del Jurado, and the Palmeral de Madre del Agua, two unique enclaves, located a couple of kilometers from Ajuy.
Is it advisable to visit the Ajuy Caves with children?
At present, the path to the caves has been adapted so that everyone who does not have mobility difficulties can visit them. However, as it is a somewhat rugged area with cliffs, extreme precautions must be taken when going with children.
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