The late Gothic Revival church of San Juan Bautista combines striking stone architecture with stained-glass windows. Arucas is also known for its local stonemasonry, rum production and lively market traditions. If you are planning a stay, you can explore different sides of the town, from architectural history and sightseeing to regional produce.

Church, stonemasonry and historic houses

The church of San Juan Bautista is protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural in the Monument category. Its late Gothic Revival design emphasizes verticality, stone, light and rich ornamentation. Its stained-glass windows are another distinctive feature: they were commissioned from the French firm Mauméjean. The combination of architecture and stained glass offers a tangible way to explore the building’s history, without reducing the church to a single stylistic feature.

The Historic Centre of Arucas was recognized as a Conjunto Histórico Artístico in 1976. Historic buildings and the work of local stonemasons are central to this designation. The Centro de Interpretación del Labrante shows how stonemasonry developed in Arucas. The Museo Municipal is housed in the former Mayorazgo House, built in the early 19th century. In town, you can discover both the history of the craft and a museum in a historic building.

Another architectural stop is the Jardín de la Marquesa, which includes a small Romantic-style palace built in 1880. The garden is also home to one of the most extensive collections of tropical and subtropical plants, including endemic species and plants introduced from abroad. The architecture and botanical collection offer different highlights within Arucas’s cultural attractions.

Rum, bananas and markets

The Arehucas factory was inaugurated on August 9, 1884. A tour of the distillery includes the aging cellar, rum-production areas and bottling plant, as well as a tasting. If you are more interested in agriculture than beverage production, Hacienda La Rekompensa offers a guided tour of a banana plantation. The tour covers the history and cultivation of Canarian bananas and their varieties, followed by a tasting of products made from Canarian bananas. Both experiences combine insights into production with a tasting, but focus on different products.

The markets also differ in their location and offerings. The Saturday market takes place every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Parque de La Paz, behind the church of San Juan Bautista. It offers fruit and vegetables, locally made cheese, honey, bread, flowers and other typical island products. The agricultural and livestock market is held at the Cabildo’s Granja Agrícola, near the turnoff to Arucas from the GC-2 on Gran Canaria’s north coast. It takes place every two weeks, with around 65 agricultural and livestock producers selling their products directly to consumers.

For Corpus Christi, hundreds of volunteers create more than 40 carpets along a route of over one kilometer through the Historic Centre. They use salt, sawdust, flowers and natural soils from the island. This tradition offers a different, community-focused perspective on the Historic Centre than its buildings and museums. Check specific market and event dates, as well as tour opening times, before making plans.

Practical information for your stay

Arucas’s tourist office is housed in a historic building that served as the city’s first school in 1835 and later as a police station for much of the 20th century. Former police cells remain in the building and are open to visitors. The office also offers the guided tour “Un paseo por el Centro Histórico de Arucas” for groups, including school groups and cultural associations.

For travelers interested in orienteering as well as architecture and crafts, the CPO Arucas is another aspect of the town: it is the first permanent orienteering course in the Canary Islands to be approved by the FEDO. The main road connection from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to Arucas is the GC-2 highway.

When choosing accommodation, consider which of these themes you want to shape your stay: historic architecture and stonemasonry, tours about rum or bananas, markets, or Corpus Christi. This can help you assess Arucas as a destination based on the experiences that interest you, without combining its different offerings into a single itinerary.

Discover more destinations: Trapiche, Trasmontaña, San Bartolomé De Tirajana, El Chorrillo, Temisas, Arinaga, La Caldera, Vega De San Mateo.

Return to the main travel overview: Gran Canaria.