The Norman Conquest
Jean de Béthencourt and the first capital of the Canaries
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In 1404, a Norman knight founded Betancuria in a hidden valley on Fuerteventura. It was the first European capital of the Canaries. Six centuries later, the village of 800 souls keeps the conquest's secrets in its church walls and forgotten archives.
The first capital of the Canaries hides in a valley
Betancuria is a village of stone and silence in the heart of Fuerteventura. Jean de Béthencourt, Norman lord of Grainville-la-Teinturière, founded the first permanent European settlement in the Canaries here in 1404, with the blessing of King Henry III of Castile. He chose this interior valley, invisible from the sea, for protection against Berber raids. The Church of Santa María, founded in 1410, is the oldest in the Canaries. The Museo de Betancuria holds the conquest chronicles — Le Canarien —, the oldest account of the European exploration of the archipelago.
« "Béthencourt chose the most hidden valley on the island for his capital. What the sea cannot see, the pirates cannot find." »— — On the forecourt of Santa María church, the first church in the Canaries
From Grainville to Betancuria: the Norman epic in the Canaries
Jean de Béthencourt left La Rochelle in May 1402 with his companion Gadifer de La Salle and about sixty men. After a stop in Lanzarote, he landed on Fuerteventura and gradually subdued the Mahos, the indigenous Berber-origin people. He founded Betancuria in 1404 in a deep valley, hidden from view from the coast.
Béthencourt obtained the title "King of the Canary Islands" from King Henry III of Castile, though he remained a vassal. He built the Santa María church, a Franciscan convent and a fortress. The Le Canarien chronicles, written by chaplains Pierre Bontier and Jean Le Verrier, constitute the most detailed account of this conquest — a foundational text of Canarian historiography.
In 1593, the Berber pirate Xaban Arraez captured and ravaged Betancuria, burning the church and carrying off the archives. The town was rebuilt but never recovered its power. The capital was transferred to Antigua in the 18th century, then to Puerto del Rosario. Today, Betancuria is a village of 800 inhabitants — the smallest and most beautiful on Fuerteventura.
A game, a guided tour and a heritage guide — all in one
You're not just buying an escape game. You're carrying a living guide — historical anecdotes, forgotten legends, key monuments, hidden architecture — unfolding as you go.
At each stop, places ordinary guides miss — secret façades, sculpted crests, alleys steeped in history.
Every riddle is rooted in a real historical fact or local legend. You leave with dozens of stories to tell.
Learn to read buildings — flamboyant Gothic, Baroque, Art Deco — like a real art historian, while having fun.
Walk through the city like a novel's character — every alley becomes a stage, every square a theatre.
A voice walks with you at every step, tells the story of each place, reads clues, adds a cinematic feel.
Keep access to the guide & game for 1 year. Come back any time, share it with friends.
« You will not leave this city the way you entered it. »
How does it work?
Explore the city on foot solving puzzles based on real historical facts. No locked room — the city is your playground.
No app to download. Play directly from your browser. Guided step by step, at your own pace.
One purchase per phone is enough. Play with family, friends or as a couple — everyone participates.
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears and speaks to you in your language. Golden letters magically write themselves on the wall to reveal the puzzle answer.
Stuck? Progressive personalised hints. The character repeats the puzzle on demand — at your own pace.
French, English, German, Spanish, Italian + 27 other languages auto-translated by AI.
The Route
4 stages through the city
The gameplay: AR, camera, hidden clues
At each stop, open your phone camera: an augmented reality character appears on the façade and speaks your language. Hunt the clue — it materializes as golden letters on the real wall or floats in front of you. When you find it, the phone vibrates, an AR chest opens and reveals your answer fragment. 8 stops, 8 clues to find with the camera, 1 final code.
The stops on your route are a surprise. You'll discover them one by one, guided by your phone, starting from the meeting point.
How does it work with a group?
One phone = one team. Pick the number at checkout (1 to 10).
Solo, or a group sharing the screen. One team, one code.
Family, couple, or 2-3 teams competing. Each phone has its own code and its own score.
Friends, bachelor/bachelorette, small office outing — each their own code, each plays at their own pace. Tiered pricing then €6 flat per phone from the 6th.
- ✓All codes are independent — play at the same time OR separately, each team advances at its own pace.
- ✓Leaderboard between your teams + global game leaderboard — each score appears in the public ranking.
- ✓More than 10 phones or need a personalized quest? Discover custom tours.
Ready to live this adventure?
Get my code · 12€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
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Practical info
Why this route?
Norman conquest
A Norman knight founded the first European settlement in the Canaries here.
Le Canarien
The conquest chronicles are the oldest European account of the Canaries.
Hidden valley
Betancuria is invisible from the sea — a strategic choice six centuries old.
Oldest village
First church, first convent, first capital — it all began here.
A Norman knight. A hidden valley. The first capital of the Canaries.
Travel back to 1404 in the village where the conquest of the Canaries began.
9 features nobody else has
OddballTrip combines gamified play, augmented reality and AI. All our competitors deliver 1 or 2 of these angles. We deliver all 5.
AR treasure chest
A golden chest floats in front of the monument. Tap → opening animation → reveals a secret message.
AR narrator character
Point your phone at the façade: a knight, witch, monk, sailor, detective or ghost appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language with their dedicated ElevenLabs voice (each character has their own unique voice) — your living guide.
Magic golden letters
At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's the puzzle answer. An unforgettable visual effect.
Written + audio narration
Every puzzle available as text AND voice-over: read at your own pace or listen eyes-free while walking. Great in groups and for accessibility.
360° radar + vibration
A mini-radar shows the target even behind you, and the phone vibrates when you aim in the right direction.
Heritage storytelling
Every puzzle weaves in real historical facts (architecture, era, anecdotes). You learn by playing — like a gamified audioguide.
Progressive AI hints
3 levels of AI-generated help: vibe → where to look → answer format. You're never stuck.
AR selfie memento
At the end of the game, capture a selfie with OddballTrip banner + mascot, shareable on Instagram, TikTok.
Zero app to install
PWA technology: open the link, it plays in your browser. Same quality as an app, no App Store hassle.
Frequently asked questions
Q01Do I need an app or a paper guide?
Neither. Everything plays in your browser (Safari, Chrome) after you tap your activation link. No PDF to print, no download. The trail lives in your phone, that's it.
Q02Can we split The Norman Conquest across two days?
Yes — your code stays active and progress is saved. You can start Saturday afternoon, finish Sunday morning. Some players actually prefer this format to make the most of a full weekend on site.
Q03Can we do The Norman Conquest as a family with kids?
Yes, from age 6 with an adult reading puzzles aloud, and from age 12 on their own. Kids love the "find the camera clue" part — it's very visual, gets them genuinely involved.
Q04What's the best time to start?
Morning between 10 and 11, or early afternoon around 2 PM, is ideal. You still have daylight ahead, Fuerteventura · Betancuria & interior valley is less crowded, and the light is better for camera clues.
Avis des aventuriers
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Your turn to play
A Norman knight from Normandy founded here the Canaries' first permanent settlement — and the chronicles he left are the oldest European exploration account of the archipelago. Betancuria awaits your questions, 800 souls from the tourist bustle.
1 purchase = 1 phone. Play several on the same device.
No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
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