24 articles

Area guide

Everything we have verified about Icod de los Vinos and northern Tenerife, with its source and review date.

Cueva del Viento

Cueva del Viento: how to visit and what to expect

What the official site leaves out: how long it takes, what to wear, whether children can go, and what to do if you are claustrophobic.

Reviewed on 2026-09-22

Cueva del Viento with children: what to expect

Minimum age, how much walking, whether the dark frightens them and when not to bring them. What the official site leaves out.

Reviewed on 2026-09-23

Icod de los Vinos

What to see in Icod de los Vinos

The Millennial Dragon Tree, the listed old town, Plaza de la Pila and San Marcos beach. A guide to a town you can walk in a morning.

Reviewed on 2026-09-22

Guachinches and wine: eating in the north

What a guachinche actually is, what the law says, how to find one open, and why Icod is called 'de los Vinos'. With the Ycoden-Daute-Isora denomination.

Reviewed on 2026-09-22

The Millennial Dragon Tree: what is free and what you pay for

You can see it from the square for nothing, or see all of it from the Parque del Drago for €5. What changes between the two, plus checked hours and prices.

Reviewed on 2026-09-22

The wine of Icod and its wineries

Why Icod is surnamed 'de los Vinos', what grows in the Ycoden-Daute-Isora denomination, and which wineries you can visit. Plus a 2025 fact no guide has.

Reviewed on 2026-09-23

Riding a plank down a cobbled street

On 29 and 30 November Icod hurtles downhill on greased boards. What it is, why it coincides with the new wine, and where to stand.

Reviewed on 2026-09-23

Beaches

Beaches and rock pools near Icod

Black sand, natural pools and volcanic rock pools in northern Tenerife. Which are safe, which are not, and when to swim in each.

Reviewed on 2026-09-22

Charco del Viento: getting there and when to swim

The north's most photographed rock pool, minutes from Icod. Access changed in 2025, there are no facilities, and the swell decides whether you swim.

Reviewed on 2026-09-23

Hiking

Walks near Icod

Five real walks within an hour of the house, with official distance, climb and grade. Which need a permit and which do not.

Reviewed on 2026-09-22

Chinyero: walking on the last eruption

In 1909 Tenerife erupted for the last time. A century on, the lava field is still black. Which PR-TF 43 variant to pick for the distance you want.

Reviewed on 2026-09-23

Rambla de Castro: the north's best walk

4.36 flat kilometres between palm grove and cliff, with a 17th-century manor and Tenerife's first steam engine. The most rewarding walk in the north.

Reviewed on 2026-09-23

The Tenerife trails that need a permit

Ten trails on the island need a permit; the rest are free until 31 December 2026. Which ones, what they cost and when each quota opens.

Reviewed on 2026-09-23

Teide

Getting to Teide from Icod

The two possible routes from the north-west, which one to take and when, what happens with ice in winter, and why we do not quote an exact drive time.

Reviewed on 2026-09-22

Reaching the summit of Teide: the permit

Since January 2026 the Teide summit permit is no longer free for non-residents. How to book, when the quota opens, and which guides are still out of date.

Reviewed on 2026-09-22

North Tenerife

Garachico, the town a volcano buried

Minutes from Icod: Tenerife's richest port until 1706, natural pools carved by the lava, and a listed historic quarter.

Reviewed on 2026-09-22

Punta de Teno and Masca: how access works now

Private cars are banned at Punta de Teno every day, and the Masca ravine needs a booking and a boat back. The current rules, from official sources.

Reviewed on 2026-09-22

A week in northern Tenerife

Seven days from Icod, with what must be booked weeks ahead and what you decide in the morning depending on the weather. A real itinerary, not a wish list.

Reviewed on 2026-09-23

Tenerife without the crowds: where the queues are not

The island takes millions of visitors and still has places where nobody goes. Which ones, why they stay empty, and what time to arrive.

Reviewed on 2026-09-23

A month of festivities, and one that happens only every five years

Garachico's festive calendar: Santa Ana on 26 July, the San Roque pilgrimage on 16 August and the Lustral Feast, held only once every five years.

Reviewed on 2026-09-23

The two festivals that move every year

Neither has a fixed date: both depend on Easter. How they are worked out and what happens in Icod and Garachico.

Reviewed on 2026-09-23

Nature

Anaga in a day from the north

Laurel forest, isolated hamlets and black beaches at the far end of the island. What you can realistically do in a day from Icod, and what needs a permit.

Reviewed on 2026-09-22

Stargazing in Tenerife without paying for a tour

Teide and the summits renewed their Starlight certification in February 2026. How to go up on your own, when, and what to bring so you do not freeze.

Reviewed on 2026-09-23

Country house

Staying near the Cueva del Viento

The cave is in Icod de los Vinos, and so is Finca Julia. What staying in the same municipality changes, and what else is that close.

Reviewed on 2026-09-23

All of this reads better from the terrace at Finca Julia.

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