Arona is a gorgeous rural town in the south of Tenerife away from the coast. It sits 600 metres above sea level at the foot of a mountain known as Meseta de La Escalona. It is the capital of the Arona municipality and is the centre of political and administrative power in this municipality.

Arona’s old town is small but well worth a visit, with a traditional atmosphere, cobbled streets, and architecture with great ethnographic value. There are great examples of traditional rural architecture, both public and stately. The highlights of the old town include the Church of San Antonio Abad, the council house and the El Calvario building, among others.

A bit of history

Europeans disembarked in the south of Tenerife around 1496, when what is now Arona existed as a small community of indigenous residents. But the story of modern Arona did not start until 1625, when Antón Domínguez “El Viejo” (The Old) and his son, the Castillian owners of these lands, built their residence where you can now find the Casas de Altavista, and also began the construction of the San Antonio Abad chapel. This chapel, which is now a Church, was the point around which the town centre of Arona was built. Until then, Arona had been under the jurisdiction of Vilaflor.

Places of Interest in Arona:

• Church of San Antonio Abad. Dates from the 18th Century and is built on the site of an old chapel which stood there for hundred years before it. The old town of Arona surrounds this religious centre.
• El Calvario. A Catholic architectural site which is used for the recreation of the evangelical texts of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. Of great artistic and historical value.
• Council House. The location of the town’s council. Built in a neocanarian style.
• Los Lavaderos. Originate in the late 19th Century and are located in an area called “Caré”. This infrastructure was essential due to the lack and unhealthiness of the water in those times.
• Water tank. This tank was an essential element of life in the town due to the shortage of water in the south of the island. It is built from stone and was in use until 1955.
• Casa de los Baute. One of the best examples of traditional Canarian architecture in Arona. Dates from the 18th Century, however it has been renovated since.
• Casa La Bodega. Historical building used for agriculture. Inside, it had a winepress and cellars. It still has its original façade, but the building has been refurbished inside and is now used for other purposes.