The village of Pozo Negro in Fuerteventura

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Presentation

General presentation
Pozo Negro is a small port village of few houses situated on the east coast of Fuerteventura. With its creek, which easily allows the anchoring of ships, the port of Pozo Negro was long the main port of the city of Antigua, before being replaced in this role by Caleta de Fuste. The population of the town is engaged primarily in the inshore fishery.

Etymology and toponymy

The place name Pozo Negro means “black pit”; it refers to a well in a black lava located right on the sea.

Valley Pozo Negro is the largest of the coastal set of Antigua; the valley, wide at its beginning, tapering towards the coast to become a ravine. The valley floor is covered by a lava flow to few meters of the shore: this casting is the continuation of the lava fields of Malpaís Grande. In the valley, the waters have carved their way along the lava flow, giving rise to a torrent, the Barranco de Pozo Negro.

Since the FV-2 road, regional road along the east coast of Fuerteventura, one reaches Pozo Negro forking on the FV-420 road between Las Salinas del Carmen and Teguital. After about 5 km we reached the port of Pozo Negro.

The road to Pozo Negro crosses some of the most arid landscapes of the island, but in the bottom of the valley, meadows alternate with groves; on the right we see a huge black lava that flows into the sea at Pozo Negro.

Pozo Negro is located on the northern edge of the Protected Landscape of Malpaís Grande.

Visits

The settlement of the Atalayita (Poblado de La Atalayita)

The village of Pozo Negro in Fuerteventura. The Guanche The village Atalayita (author Frank Vincentz). Click to enlarge the image.

In the Barranco de Pozo Negro, in the territory of Malpaís Grande, is an interesting archaeological site: aboriginal Guanche settlement of La Atalayita. This primitive village of stone houses dating back to the period before the Norman Conquest; it was established by the ancient inhabitants of the island, known as the “majos” which is believed to be of Berber origin.

The village is made up of nearly 115 small constructions in the shape of circular or semi-circular arches, built of volcanic stone Malpaís; most houses are half buried (“casas hondas”), with the floor of the house below the ground level, for better adaptation to climatic conditions (wind and drought). These ancient inhabitants were devoted mainly to raising goats, but it may also existed some agriculture based on the cultivation of oats, considering the high fertility of the soil, limited only by the lack of rain. The majos also harvested all kinds of shellfish and crustaceans that complemented their meal; near the village, is also a kind of filled shells tank shells of different species of mollusks. Archaeological excavations have also led to the discovery of many pre-European origin ceramic scraps.

After the conquest, the local shepherds continued to use the site, adding stone pens for their animals.

The settlement of La Atalayita is on the right road that leads to Pozo Negro, right next to the promontory of La Atalayita that gave it its name, within 1.5 km from the coast; there is a wall with the name “Poblado de La Atalayita” at the entrance to a dirt road that leads to the hamlet.

Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 18 pm. Closed Sundays and Mondays.

The interpretation center, visitors can learn about the excavations that took place at the site and see objects that were discovered.

History, geography, arts, traditions, flora ...

History

Some historians believe that this is Pozo Negro that landed the Norman conquerors Jean de Béthencourt and Gadifer de La Salle in the fifteenth century, rather than Puerto de la Peña nearly Ajuy as believed.

Practical information

Restaurant Los Pescadores
Restaurant with terrace on the beach of Pozo Negro. specialty paella, prawns with garlic, fresh fish. Flat around € 10. Phone: 00 34 928 174 653
Restaurant Los Caracoles
Café-restaurant with terrace on the beach of Pozo Negro. Paella and fish. Phone: 00 34 928 174 617