Zona Arqueológica La Pared de Jandía

Across the narrowest point of Fuerteventura, the Isthmus of Jandía, stretches the mysterious Zona Arqueológica La Pared de Jandía. This ancient wall, La Pared, snakes across the landscape for 6 kilometers. It stands as a silent testament to Fuerteventura’s pre-Hispanic past. Imagine this desolate landscape centuries ago. Two kingdoms, Maxorata and Jandía, existed on this island, often at odds. La Pared, reaching a height of 0.8 meters and a thickness of 0.5 meters, was more than just a wall. It was a boundary, a symbol of division, and a strategic defense against invading livestock and potentially, rival kingdoms. The 15th-century chronicle, Le Canarien, describes a “great and wide wall that takes all the country across, from one sea to the other”. This account, along with later cartographic evidence, confirms La Pared’s historical significance. This wall wasn’t built in a day. Sections of dry-stone construction remain, a testament to the ingenuity of the indigenous people. Scattered along its length are 54 associated structures. These structures, varying in size and type, hint at the complexity of life around La Pared. One can only speculate about their purpose. Were they dwellings, guard posts, or ritual sites? The presence of a tagoror, a type of pre-Hispanic meeting place often associated with ritual practices located east of the wall, adds another layer to the mystery. The Zona Arqueológica La Pared de Jandía isn’t just a wall. It’s a window into a vanished world. It’s a place where the whispers of the past mingle with the windswept landscape. Visiting La Pared today is a journey through time. Park near the small tourist town of La Pared and walk towards the coast. The wall begins at Laja Blanca, near an 89-meter high mountain. It continues south toward the Montaña de Pasa si Puedes, where it branches in two directions: one towards Laja Blanca and the other towards Baja de los Erizos-Punta de Guadalupe. The construction of the road and the urbanization of La Pared interrupted parts of the wall. However, it reappears on the slopes of the Montañetas de Pedro Ponce and continues towards the center of the Isthmus of La Pared. From there, it runs alongside the Barranco de los Cuchillos towards Costa Calma, where the sands of Playa de Sotavento begin.