The so-called ‘Arucas Cathedral’ reflects the agricultural, commercial and cultural importance of this town and is the pride of the local people. More than a century after its construction, in the midst of the technological era, the many attractions that this region offers to visitors can be found on its new official site www.turismoarucas.com. But beware: if you visit Arucas you risk falling in love with this area of Gran Canaria, whose volcanic coast bathes in the bubbling sea foam of the Atlantic while its mountains breathe the trade winds.

Time moves in circles in Arucas. Its church has become an architectural icon that immediately catches the eye of anyone who decides to leave the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria behind to visit the northernmost part of the island. The municipality has redefined its strategic positioning with its new campaign: ‘Arucas, a Gateway to the North’ (‘Arucas Puerta Norte’), a series with a total of twelve episodes over two seasons, starring shopkeepers and neighbours who carry Arucas in their hearts (Arucas en el corazón) and want to share their passion for this city with visitors.

There were many who tried to get the idea out of Sary Falcón’s head. “It’s too expensive, too much investment, it’s better not to, Sary,” they told her. But Sary, one of the main participants in this campaign, followed her dreams and today she can claim every day: "My God! I breathe the sea, I breathe water". This is what happens when you run a restaurant overlooking the Atlantic in El Puertillo beach, and your business acts as an ambassador for Arucas and for the sea itself.

Everybody is fond of José Díaz, although nobody calls him that, because in Arucas, he has always been known as Pepe ‘El Árabe’ (‘The Arab”), because the space where he opened his store 46 years ago was first owned by Juanito, 'El Árabe'. Pepe was unable to study, so he has devoted himself to “work, work and work”, getting up early and selling everything from trousers and hats to postcards and souvenirs of the ubiquitous Church.

The reasons why one cannot resist the call of this Gateway to the North of Gran Canaria are explained in its new site, which includes up-to-date information on restaurants and accommodation in the area, as well as a practical guide on how to organise a trip to Arucas. Stories, landscapes, local people, waves, paths and trails, shopping plans and unique scents unfold in every click and in every section, while the echo of footsteps seems to resonate through the streets of the old quarter.

The new site reminds us that Arucas was built with stone and the hearts of its people, and that its roots are intertwined with sugar cane, its mills and the rum factory, whose tall stone chimney is one of the best examples of industrial architecture in Gran Canaria.

Arucas seeks shade under the banana trees and some of the lush vegetation of the Selva de Doramas, -the Doramas forest-, an ancient laurel forest in Gran Canaria. This municipality digs dip into the flavours of its fertile agricultural soil and its coastline to offer local food which transports visitors to another time.

The municipality of Arucas is bounded by a coastline of blunt personality, constantly challenging the sea where waves that attract surfers from the four corners of the world are born. And when those waves calm down, they give way to black sand beaches and natural pools, like mirrors that reflect glints of silver and gold, centuries of history and the silhouettes of those who come to see with their own eyes the mystery behind this bewitching and always-open door to the north of the island.

Further information about Arucas: www.turismoarucas.com