In this post we want to tell you what to see in Arucas, the third largest city in Gran Canaria and one of the most local municipalities on the island. Arucas is located in the north of Gran Canaria, approximately 15 minutes by car from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain). Its capital is surrounded by banana trees and has a beautiful old town. Next, we are going to tell you what to visit in Arucas and the main tourist attractions of the municipality. Don't miss the video at the end!
10 places to see in Arucas, Gran Canaria
In the following lines we are going to share with you 10 places to see Essentials in Arucas. But… How many days should you dedicate to your visit to Arucas? Not including the museums, we consider that one morning is enough. If you are going to visit its coast, Arehucas distilleries and the Banana Museum, reserve at least a full day during your visit to Gran Canaria. There we go!
1. Church of San Juan Bautista and Plaza de San Juan
One of the most characteristic icons of Gran Canaria is in Arucas. It is the Parish or Church of San Juan Bautista, although locals usually call it by mistake the Cathedral of Arucas. This neo-Gothic style church began to be built in 1909 and was officially completed in 1977. It was built by hand by the workers of the La Goleta neighborhood, without any type of technological or mechanical aid and is completely sculpted with the centuries-old stone of Arucas.
The parish leaves at your feet a large square with a pleasant terrace overlooking it. It is the Plaza de San Juan. From here you can capture the best photos of the Arucas Cathedral, although as you know, it is correct to call it a parish.
- ⏰ Church of San Juan Bautista Hours: every day from 9:30 to 17:30.
- Entry for sightseeing visits: €5 (from January 2024). If you buy the joint ticket to visit the Basilica of Teror The price is €7 for both.
2. Old town and León y Castillo street, one of the most beautiful to see in Arucas
A walk through the historic center will take you to its pedestrian streets full of terraces, shops and small businesses in general. Notice how the famous traditional gray stone from Arucas. The city of Arucas It has its charm despite the cloudy days that usually predominate in the north of Gran Canaria.
We recommend a walk through its pedestrian streets Gourié and León and Castillo to visit the Casa de La Cultura (18th century Canarian house), the Town Hall and the Plaza de la Constitución. This square is also quite nice, although much smaller than the one in San Juan. As you can see below, There are some instagrammable letters with the name of Arucas.
3. Arucas or Las Flores Park
Very close to the Town Hall is the Parque de Las Flores with gardens and swings for children. Here you can appreciate the native flora such as the dragons. Apparently The age of the dragon trees is marked by their branches. That is, this plant does not have growth rings like most trees. Below, you can see some photos of the park where the trees carved by Antonio Benítez Jiménez. You can also see the Arucas Mountain from here.
4. The Water Estate of Firgas and Arucas
On the other hand, a few steps from the Arucas park is the Firgas and Arucas Water Estate. The building itself, as we see it, is one of the most beautiful things to see in Arucas.
5. Municipal Museum of Arucas what to see during the week
El Municipal Museum of Arucas, located next to the Parque de las Flores is a reflection of local history and architecture. Visiting this museum is one of the main plans to do in Arucas, if you are interested in discovering the history and culture of Arucas. Originally it was the Casa del Mayorazgo from the 1859th century, acquired by Alfonso Gourié Álvarez in XNUMX, his descendants resided here until the seventies.
- Free entry
- ⏰ Schedule: Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 14:00 p.m.
6. Arehucas Rum Distillery, one of the essential things to see in Arucas
Another stuff what to see in Arucas es the Arehucas rum factory. It is the most famous rum in the Canary Islands and one of the most relevant in Spain. Here they will explain to you with a guided tour of the entire artisanal process of obtaining rum from sugar cane. The tour also includes a visit to barrels signed by famous people, a small museum, a bottling area and ends with a tasting final de 4 liqueurs or rums. At the factory they also have a small shop where you can buy all their types of rums: honey rum, white rum, aged rum, caramel rum, etc. Can Check other travelers' reviews about this activity and book it here.
- Arehucas Distilleries price: €7 per person, children under 18 free.
- ⏰ Arehucas Rum Factory Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 14:00 p.m. and Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 18:00 p.m. Closed Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
7. Banana Museum, things to do in Arucas
One of the new activities to do in Arucas is to visit your banana museum. We have not gone yet because we are more than familiar with this type of plantations. If you like visit authentic banana plantations, Can know all the details about this activity, as well as the opinions of other travelers, here.
- Banana Museum price: €12,50/adult (from 6 years old), children from 3 to 5 years €6,25/child.
- ⏰ Banana Museum schedule: Monday to Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 17:00 p.m.
8. Jardines de la Marquesa, another of the places to see in Arucas and surroundings
Another of the Plans to do in Arucas are to visit the Marquesa Gardens from Arucas. It is mainly a place for events, but its surroundings of 5.000 m2 of nature from the five continents can be visited. Its tropical gardens They began to be built in 1880 when the Marquis began to collect plant species, some endemic and others brought from different parts of the world. The visit and tour of the gardens will take you approximately one hour. To get here you must drive about 5 minutes (1 km) from the city of Arucas, since it is not possible on foot (road without pedestrian walk).
- Gardens of the Marquesa entrance price: €6 adults and €3 children (from 5 to 13 years old). Children under 5 free.
- ⏰ Schedule: Monday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 18:00 p.m., closed on Sundays and holidays.
9. Beaches to see in Arucas: Los Charcones and El Puertillo
Another of the places to see in Arucas It is its coast. Here they stand out Los Charcones and El Puertillo, two of the beaches in Gran Canaria that have Blue flag. Well, actually Los Charcones are natural pools and El Puertillo is a small cove. This area of the coast of Gran Canaria is also known by many local surfers for the good conditions to practice this sport.
10. Arucas Mountain Viewpoint (reopened December 2023)
Another of the places to see in Arucas is the Arucas Mountain Viewpoint. From here you will have views panoramic views of the center of Arucas, highlighting the Parish of San Juan. You can also see El Teide, the ocean, the banana plantations and even the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. To get to its viewpoint, we recommend you do it by car, unless you feel like doing a good long walk. climb of about 40 minutes from the center. Next to the viewpoint you will find a large stone cross of Arucas. This space had been closed since 2020 due to vandalism. After the conditioning works, andIn December 2023, it was inaugurated and can now be visited.
- Free
- ⏰ Schedule: Monday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 20:00 p.m.
Where to eat in Arucas
If you're looking for where to eat during your visit, take a look at our article on restaurants in Arucas. Our favorites are Emblematic Rooftop, Ciudad de Arucas Restaurant and Casa Brito. The latter, one of the best meat restaurants in Gran Canaria.
Nota: the restaurant appears in the final video The Baptist in the Plaza de San Juan, but This restaurant has already closed. In its place there is now another establishment called La Catedral Bistro, where the food is also very good.
Where to stay in Arucas
As we mentioned in our article on where to stay in Gran Canaria, Arucas is one of the places we recommend. However, perhaps the capital is more convenient for you to get from here to any point. Take a look at our post with our recommendations for best hotels in Las Palmas. In any case, both in the city of Arucas and in its natural spaces there is a wide range of rural houses and holiday homes. We highlight the Emblematic Hotel Arucas and the pretty Hacienda del Buen Suceso which we show you below. Anyway, you can check out all the accommodation options for yourself below. From its beaches, to its mountains and city.
How to get to Arucas
To get to Arucas if you come from the south, it is approximately 45 minutes by car from Maspalomas. There is no direct public transport from the south, nor from the airport. If you are not going to rent a car, you can always hire a private transfer. If you come from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria there are several bus lines that take you to Arucas station. The bus direct is 234. You can see the schedules here. To visit Gran Canaria we always recommend rent a car, Can compare the prices of all rent a car, including local businesses, here.
What to see and do in Arucas in video
Below we leave you a video of which for us are the obligatory stops in Arucas and our visit to the El Bautista restaurant (currently closed). Remember that you have more videos about plans to do in Gran Canaria in our YouTube channel.
What to see near Arucas
We recommend you combine your visit to Arucas with other towns in the interior of Gran Canaria , the Teror, Firgas or Valleseco. Even if you are going to stay in this area of the island, the capital is only 15 minutes away by car as we mentioned.
- Places to see in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
- What to see in Teror
- What to see in Firgas
- What to see in Valleseco
Gran Canaria Guides
If you don't want to be reading blogs and articles looking for what to do and where to eat, You can save time thanks to our digital guides to Gran Canaria. Here you will find everything already organized with authentic places what to visit with planned routes, places to eat that we frequent the places and tips. Our guides are available in Spanish and English and you can see them all by clicking on the image below.
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