Villa de Arico

Villa de Arico is the historic administrative centre of the municipality of Arico, in the south of Tenerife. The old town is built around the Plaza de los Condes de Santa María de Abona, and since 2005 its entire urban layout has been protected as a Cultural Heritage Site under the category of Historic Ensemble (Conjunto Histórico).

Where does the name come from?

The settlement was originally known as Lomo de Arico. It was only in 1916 that King Alfonso XIII granted it the title of "villa," which has been reflected in its name ever since. In pre-Hispanic times, the area that is now Arico formed the northernmost part of the Menceyato of Abona, one of the Guanche administrative territories on the island. The earliest inhabitants lived in small cave settlements along the main ravines, wherever water access and ecological conditions were most favourable.

How did the town grow?

After the conquest of the island, Castilian and Portuguese families, along with settlers from Gran Canaria, established themselves here, mixing with the surviving Guanche population and continuing the pastoral way of life that had defined the pre-Hispanic period. The town's real development began between 1590 and 1610, with the construction of the chapel dedicated to St John the Baptist. The community initially fell under the administrative and parish jurisdiction of San Pedro de Vilaflor, but in 1639 — following pressure from local residents and after the hermitage of San Juan Bautista was built on the Lomo de Arico hill in 1602 — it gained its own parish. In 1722, the settlement of Fasnia and the areas of La Zarza, Sombrera, Sabina Alta and Valencia were incorporated into Arico's jurisdiction, having previously belonged to Güímar both administratively and religiously.

What can visitors see in the historic quarter?

At the heart of the old town stands the Plaza de los Condes de Santa María de Abona, home to the Church of San Juan Bautista, the town's most important architectural landmark, declared a historic-artistic monument in 2005. The current church building dates from the 18th century: construction began in 1747 under Juan de Armas and was completed in 1755. The church follows a Latin cross floor plan with a central nave and two side aisles, its interior featuring artisanal woodwork. It houses a small Gothic image of Our Lady of Abona, patroness of southern Tenerife and the perpetual, honorary patroness of the municipality of Arico.

Streets radiating from the plaza, such as Calle Benítez de Lugo and Calle del Calvario, preserve fine examples of traditional Canarian rural architecture: typically one- or two-storey buildings with interior courtyards, wooden balconies, Arabic-tile roofs and stone mouldings around windows and doors.

Frequently asked questions

What is Villa de Arico? It is the historic administrative centre of the municipality of Arico in southern Tenerife, whose old urban layout has been protected as a heritage site since 2005.

Where does the town's name come from? The settlement was formerly called Lomo de Arico. King Alfonso XIII granted it the title of "villa" in 1916.

What is the main landmark of Villa de Arico? The Church of San Juan Bautista, built in the 18th century (1747–1755) on a Latin cross plan, which houses a venerated Gothic image of Our Lady of Abona.

What is the settlement history of this region? The area originally belonged to the Menceyato of Abona, inhabited by the Guanches in cave settlements, and was later settled by Castilians, Portuguese and colonists from Gran Canaria after the island's conquest.