Arucas

This Town, located to the west of Las Palmas, is dominated by the Neo-Gothic Iglesia de San Juan Bautista (Church of St. John the Baptist). Such is it’s grandeur, that it is colloquially known as the Cathedral of Arucas and does seem miss-proportioned to the Town. The Church was built on the site of the original Parish Church in Arucas (1515), which had become too small for Arucas’ growing population. The new Church was designed by Catalan Architect,Manuel Vega March, an aficionado of Gaudi. Construction began in 1909 and although it was consecrated in 1917, work continued until 1977.

Although Arucas was founded at the beginning of the 16th Century, most of the wonderful architecture that we see today is from the late 19th Century. The Town had become wealthy thanks to the Cochineal and Sugar Trades, and the destruction of the old Town centre during Spain’s “Glorious Revolution” of 1868 gave the Town an opportunity to express it’s prosperity.

The nearby, Montaña de Arucas, with it’s mountain-top restaurant, offers stunning views of the north of the Island and the encroaching City of Las Palmas.

Ron Arehucas (Rum) has been one of the Town’s famous products for many years. The Ron Arehucas Factory was founded in 1884 and it is possible to visit their Museo Ron Arehucas (Arehucas Rum Museum) at Calle Era de San Pedro 2.

Other places of interest include the Parque municipal (Municipal Park), Jardín de Gouriñe (Gouriñe’s Garden) and the Museo municipal de Arucas (Arucas Municipal Museum).