Fuerteventura Airport is located in El Matorral; at the same time, Playa de las Caletillas, the Rosa de Abajo archaeological site and the Fiestas de San Juan shape the character of the area. Arrival, coast, the island’s early history and a community celebration are distinct themes here. For your trip planning, it helps to keep these highlights separate: each describes a different side of El Matorral and may influence your choice of destination.

Arrival and Getting Around

Puerto del Rosario, the island’s capital, is five kilometres from the airport. This identifies two specific reference points: the airport’s location in El Matorral and the capital at this distance. The airport officially opened on 14 September 1969; this date adds a historical connection to Fuerteventura’s transport history to the geographical orientation. From 1 July 2026, an additional stop in El Matorral was added to the Line 3 Exprés route, which ran between Puerto del Rosario and Caleta de Fuste. Check the current timetable and service details before travelling.

Playa de las Caletillas

Playa de las Caletillas is located near Fuerteventura Airport in El Matorral. The bay is described as semi-wild, or natural in character, and has been restored for swimming and spending time there. During the work, boulders were removed from the tidal area and a sandy area was created, approximately 50 metres wide and about 170 metres long. The two descriptions refer to different aspects: the bay’s natural character sits alongside the deliberate creation of a sandy area for swimming and relaxing.

In 2022, the municipality installed a OneUp emergency and water-rescue totem at Playa de las Caletillas. The totem, as described at the time, had a direct connection to the 1-1-2 emergency service and rapidly inflatable rescue buoys. The installation adds a specific note about the emergency and water-rescue equipment provided there to the story of the coast.

Archaeological Traces at Rosa de Abajo

The Rosa de Abajo archaeological site is associated with Fuerteventura’s early indigenous settlement, dated to the 7th and 8th centuries AD. Investigations at the Rosa de Abajo site in El Matorral found burials in the open air or at the surface. Rosa de Abajo is described as the only dated open-air burial site identified so far, and as the location of the earliest funerary remains known to date on Fuerteventura.

The remains recovered include a lower jaw and some bones from the upper limbs; they were handed over to the Fuerteventura Archaeological Museum. Rosa de Abajo thus combines a date for early settlement with a distinctive place in the island’s known burial history. Those interested in archaeology will find a clear local connection to Fuerteventura’s past here.

Fiestas de San Juan

The Fiestas de San Juan in El Matorral are described as a community celebration combining tradition, culture and entertainment for all age groups. The multi-day programme includes romerías, verbenas with live music, workshops, traditional games, sports competitions, children’s shows and religious celebrations. The festival therefore offers a different perspective from Rosa de Abajo: here the focus is on community activities, while there it is on archaeological finds and their dating.

These different themes can help you decide what interests you most about El Matorral: the airport and its transport connections, the coast, archaeological history or community-oriented festive culture.

Discover more destinations: Tetir.

For the broader travel overview: Puerto Del Rosario.