Antigua is Fuerteventura's windmill town — a quiet inland settlement in the green (by island standards) central plains, once the island's capital, and home to a beautifully restored mill that now houses a cheese museum. This is the agricultural heartland, where goats outnumber people and the famous Majorero cheese is made, offering a gentle, authentic contrast to Fuerteventura's beach resorts.
Come for a slice of the island's rural soul: whitewashed farmhouses, old windmills turning in the trade winds, and a genuine understanding of where that world-famous cheese comes from. It's a rewarding stop for anyone exploring the interior of Fuerteventura.
What it's like
Antigua sits in a broad, shallow valley in the middle of the island, one of the more fertile pockets in an otherwise arid, wind-swept landscape. Historically this was an important settlement — it briefly served as Fuerteventura's capital in the early 19th century — and it remains the centre of a large farming municipality. The town itself is small, low and white, gathered around a pretty church, with a calm, timeless feel.
The atmosphere is thoroughly local and unhurried. There's almost no resort tourism here; visitors come for the windmills, the cheese and the sense of the real island. It's the Fuerteventura of goatherds and dry-stone walls rather than sunbeds — quiet, honest and quietly charming.
What to see and do
The Molino de Antigua and cheese museum
The town's centrepiece is the Molino de Antigua, a beautifully restored old windmill set in gardens, now the hub of a well-presented visitor complex. Alongside the mill you'll find craft workshops, a cactus garden and — the highlight — the island's cheese museum (Museo del Queso Majorero), which tells the story of Fuerteventura's celebrated goat's cheese, from the hardy Majorera goats to the traditional methods that give the cheese its Protected Designation of Origin status. It's an engaging, family-friendly stop that explains a genuine island icon. Our guide to Canary cheese has more on this Canarian speciality.
The cheese museum and windmill complex is one of the best places on the island to buy authentic Majorero cheese to take home — look for the PDO label, and try both the young and the aged, paprika- or gofio-rubbed versions.
Windmills and the farming heartland
Antigua is windmill country. The trade winds that batter Fuerteventura once powered dozens of mills to grind gofio, the roasted grain flour that is a staple of Canarian cooking, and several restored examples dot the surrounding plains. Driving the quiet back roads here, past white farmhouses, grazing goats and the occasional palm, gives a real feel for the island's traditional way of life — a world away from the dunes and surf of the coast.
The church and old town
At the heart of town stands the handsome 18th-century church of Nuestra Señora de la Antigua, its white walls and simple lines typical of the island's understated religious architecture. The small old centre around it, with its shaded plaza, is a pleasant place to pause before heading on into the interior.
Where to stay and eat
Antigua is a place to explore rather than to base a beach holiday, and most visitors stay on the coast and drive inland to visit. The municipality does, however, stretch to the sea at the resort of Caleta de Fuste, a family-friendly beach town on the east coast — so many people staying there find Antigua and its museum an easy inland excursion. Rural cottages (casas rurales) offer a quiet, authentic base for those who prefer the interior.
Eating in the town and surrounding villages means honest Canarian country cooking: roast and grilled goat and kid, the island's superb cheeses, fresh bread and papas arrugadas with mojo. Read more in our Canarian food guide.
Getting there and around
Antigua lies in the centre of the island, roughly 20–25 minutes' drive from the capital Puerto del Rosario and the airport, and a similar distance from Caleta de Fuste on the coast. A hire car is much the best way to reach it and to explore the surrounding farmland and windmills at your own pace — see our guides to getting around and car hire. Bus (guagua) links exist but are limited in this rural district.
Nearby
Antigua is well placed for the island's interior and east coast. Just to the west lies the beautiful historic village of Betancuria, the island's ancient former capital tucked into the mountains, one of the loveliest spots on Fuerteventura. On the coast, Caleta de Fuste offers sheltered beaches and family facilities, while the lively northern resort of Corralejo and its great dunes lie further up the coast. Start with our Fuerteventura hub to fit this rural windmill town into the rest of your trip.