Iglesia de San Juan Bautista

Top choice in Gran Canaria

LoginSave

The extraordinary, neo-Gothic church stands sullen watch over the bright, white houses of Arucas in a striking display of disproportion and contrast. The church has a Sagrada Familia (Gaudí) look with elaborate pointed spires and was, fittingly, designed by a Catalan architect. Construction started in 1909 on the site of a former ermita (chapel) and was completed 70 years later. Treasures within include a nude, a reclining image of Christ carved by local sculptor Manolo Ramos and three magnificent rose windows.

Due to its huge size, the church is generally referred to as a catedral (cathedral).

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • The facade of the Casa de Colon (also known as Columbus House), a museum in Las Palmas and a fine example of Canarian architecture.

    Casa-Museo de Colón

    6.74 MILES

    This fascinating museum documents Columbus’ voyages and features exhibits on the Canary Islands’ historical role as a staging post for transatlantic…

  • Dunas de Maspalomas

    Dunas de Maspalomas

    26.28 MILES

    These fabulous dunes cover 400 hectares and were designated a nature reserve in the 1990s, ensuring that the rapidly multiplying hotels would never…

  • Playa de las Canteras

    Playa de las Canteras

    5.76 MILES

    The fine 3km stretch of yellow sand is magnificent, and is considered by many to be one of the world's best city beaches. There’s an attractive seaside…

  • Parque Municipal de Arucas de las Flores

    Parque Municipal de Arucas de las Flores

    0.18 MILES

    These terraced municipal gardens are laid out in French style with fountains, pavilions, sculptures and tropical trees, including the rare evergreen soap…

  • Basílica Nuestra Señora del Pino

    Basílica Nuestra Señora del Pino

    4.35 MILES

    Dominating the square is this neoclassical 18th-century church, home to Gran Canaria’s patron saint. According to legend, the Virgin was spied atop a pine…

View more attractions

Nearby Gran Canaria attractions

1. Municipal Museum

0.13 MILES

The municipal gardens house the town’s main museum, which has a permanent exhibition by Canarian painters and sculptors, including the masterful Guillermo…

3. Destilerías Arehucas

0.41 MILES

The 45-minute guided tour of this rum distillery, its ancient cellar (one of the oldest rum cellars in Europe) and the fermentation and distillation rooms…

4. Museo La Cantera

0.49 MILES

Based above a former quarry, this small, well-presented open-air and rather simple museum pays homage to the town's long-running stone masonry industry…

5. Jardín de la Marquesa

0.54 MILES

This lovely botanical garden, located northwest of town on the road to Bañaderos, is owned by the Marquesa de Arucas (along with the Hacienda del Buen…

6. Casa-Museo Tomás Morales

3.75 MILES

Once home to the namesake Canarian poet, who died in 1922 aged just 37, this museum includes a music room with a 170-year-old clavichord, a small hall…

7. Casa de los Patronos de la Virgen

4.31 MILES

One of the loveliest buildings in Teror houses this modest museum. Pleasantly musty, it’s devoted to preserving 18th-century life and is stuffed with…

8. Basílica Nuestra Señora del Pino

4.35 MILES

Dominating the square is this neoclassical 18th-century church, home to Gran Canaria’s patron saint. According to legend, the Virgin was spied atop a pine…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "canary-islands/gran-canaria/arucas/attractions/iglesia-de-san-juan-bautista/a/poi-sig/1462969/355139",
  "destination": "Gran-Canaria",
  "continent": "Europe",
  "country": "Spain",
  "region": "Gran-Canaria",
  "position": "superzone"
}