Church of San Juan Bautista (Arucas)

It looks medieval. It was finished in 1977. Work on the dark basalt walls began on 19 March 1909, the church opened for worship in 1917 while building went on around it, and the result is a neo-Gothic church on a cathedral's scale standing in a country town. Everyone calls it the Arucas Cathedral.

Inside, colour does the work. Stained glass and rose windows throw light across the naves, chandeliers hang overhead, and statues of saints line every nave around a carved cedar altar and an organ. Climb to the upper level for more statues and a close view of the stained glass.

• No toilets inside. The nearest toilets are about 100 m away.
• Go upstairs. An upper level holds more statues and brings you close to the stained glass.
• Hard to see whole. Buildings hem the church in on every side, so its full height is difficult to take in from the street.

The church stands in the old town of Arucas, and its spires show above the rooftops as you come in. The nearest free car park is about 120 m away in a straight line. By bus, the Acequia Alta stop is about 190 m away and Club Pensionista about 235 m; from either, the rest is a walk through the old-town streets. Buildings close in on every side, so the front appears only once you are almost on it.

Best: a bright morning, Monday to Saturday except Thursday.

Avoid: Sundays, Thursday mornings and the midday break, when the church is closed.

Sun through the stained glass and rose windows fills the naves with colour, and the morning opening is the longer of the two; the visit is all indoors, so a wet day costs little here.