Still not much is known about the origin of the first settlers on Fuerteventura, or for that matter on the Canary Islands in general, and there are many very different hypotheses. Nevertheless, the discovery of Libyan-Berber inscriptions has created the need to discover more about the origin of the settlers on the islands northeast of Africa. Recent research indicates that groups of Berbers came from this area and they were the first settlers in Fuerteventura - the former Majos - and some of their cultural vestiges still remain today, such as the words Tofio, Baifo, Tesjuate, and also certain land farming and cattle grazing methods.

The island was conquered and colonised by Juan de Bethencourt and Gadifer de la Salle at the beginning of the 15th century. On arriving at Fuerteventura, the conquerors established their own kingdoms in place of the existing Maxorata and Jandía ones, and the previous monarchs, Guize and Ayose, adopted the names of Luis and Alfonso, respectively. Settling in the present Valle de Betancuria, the conquerors built the Franciscan monastery which was responsible for evangelising the island. From the 15th to the 19th century, Fuerteventura was dependent on the Kingdom of Castilla, until in the 19th century it was incorporated into the Spanish province of the Canary Islands.