Our viewpoint offers a views over the whole Historical Town Centre of Arucas, which extends from the edge of the imposing Temple of Saint John the Baptist (1909-1977), built in a neogothic style out of local quarry stone, all the way to the century-old Arehucas Rum Factory (1884), with its distinctive chimney. Other buildings that stand out are the Casa Consistorial (1875, the town hall building) and the Old Market (1882), located to the left of the Municipal Park, where the former Casa del Mayorazgo or Casa Gourié (1808) is located, currently the Municipal Museum, plus the Heredad de Aguas de Arucas y Firgas building (1909-1912), the area’s official water board run by the owners of the local watering network.
![Views fron the "La Marquesa de Arucas" Viewpoint](http://www.grancanaria.com/turismo/fileadmin/user_upload/_imported/marquesa_arucas1.jpg "Views fron the "La Marquesa de Arucas" Viewpoint")
!["La Marquesa de Arucas" Viewpoint](http://www.grancanaria.com/turismo/fileadmin/user_upload/_imported/marquesa_arucas2.jpg ""La Marquesa de Arucas" Viewpoint")
The modern city standing before us today sprang up around the Historical Town Centre during the second half of the 19th and the start of the 20th centuries, with most of its buildings a fine testament to this period. This new look architecture would become a clear reflection of the economical and social power of the bourgeoisie of the time, together with the prevailing aesthetic trends. These magnificent constructions and the priceless work put in by the local stone masons were rewarded by the town being declared an Artistic Historical Site in 1976.
Turning a little towards the coast, we can make out the Jardín de la Marquesa, with its romantically-styled Mansion (1880), built by the first Marquess of Arucas, D. Ramón Madan y Uriondo. The former Hacienda del Buen Suceso from the 16th century (which has been converted into a country hotel), immediately catches our eye, set in a swathe of banana plantations.
