What to see in Tacoronte, between the Cristo, the vines and the sea

Tacoronte gives you three things to see: the old town, with the Sanctuary of the Cristo de los Dolores and the church of Santa Catalina; the Mesa del Mar coast, with a black-sand beach and seawater pools; and the vineyards, because the town gives its name to the Tacoronte-Acentejo DO. Next to the sanctuary, the Hamilton Gardens are open all year and are free. If you come at the weekend, add the farmers' market, open on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

The Sanctuary of the Cristo de los Dolores

It stands in the heart of the old town, at Calle San Agustín 3. The church was part of the Augustinian convent, built where a chapel of San Sebastián once stood. After the disentailment of 1837 the convent became the town hall. The image of Christ, a Man of Sorrows, came from Madrid in 1661 and went on show for worship in 1662, once the Inquisition had reviewed its iconography. The town hall attributes it to Manuel Pereira and ranks it among the most venerated in the Canary Islands, second only to the Cristo de La Laguna.

Inside, look for the classicist Christ altarpiece, which its inscription says Gumersindo Robayna designed and painted in 1888, and the two kneeling statues: Captain Tomás de Castro y Ayala and his brother, Fray Juan Carrasco de Ayala. According to the town hall, you can visit every day, 8:00–13:00 and 16:00–19:00.

The church of Santa Catalina

This is the parish church, at Calle Teobaldo Power 2, and it is listed as a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC). It began as a chapel in the first half of the sixteenth century; the town hall dates its founding to 1545. It has three naves and a prominent bell tower: its fourth section, which holds the bells, was added in 1699. Inside are an image of the saint commissioned from José Luján Pérez in 1795, a volcanic-stone holy water font from 1558 and an English organ from 1856, by Bevington & Sons. The town hall gives visiting hours as Thursdays and Saturdays, 10:00–12:00.

La Alhóndiga, El Calvario and La Casona

• La Alhóndiga (Calle El Calvario 67). A public granary from 1685, where locals stored their wheat. Since the 1970s it has championed the town's wine, and the Semanas Vitivinícolas wine weeks have been held there since 1978. Today it hosts cultural and farming events.
• El Calvario, directly opposite. A seventeenth-century building that served as a stop on the Holy Week processions.
• La Casona, from the eighteenth century. It is one of the oldest surviving houses in Tacoronte: a white front rich in woodwork and a balcony running along the three upper-floor windows. It now belongs to the Cabildo.

The town hall runs guided tours of the old town: ask at the tourist office.

The Hamilton Gardens

They sit next to the sanctuary, on Calle José Izquierdo. They opened in 2003 on the slope of a ravine and bring together laurel forest and tree-heath plants, with boards to help you name them. One section is given over to Canary Island grape varieties and how they are grown. They are open all year, 10:00–19:00, and entry is free.

The coast: Mesa del Mar and El Pris

You drive down to the coast on a very winding, steep mountain road; Turismo de Tenerife asks you to take care. At Mesa del Mar is La Arena beach: black sand, 350 m long and 30 m wide, with toilets, showers and parking. The last stretch goes through a small tunnel. Beside it are two seawater pools: one is filled only in summer and the other is in use all year. It is a good spot for the sunset, and in summer it fills up with locals.

El Pris is a fishing district with rock pools cut into the volcanic stone. The cliffs along this coast hold Aboriginal dwelling and burial caves, and are protected as an archaeological site.

Tacoronte-Acentejo wine

Turismo de Tenerife presents the Tacoronte-Acentejo DO, founded in 1992, as the pioneer of the island's five traditional denominations. Its area covers Tegueste, Tacoronte, El Sauzal, La Matanza, La Victoria and Santa Úrsula, plus Tejina, Valle de Guerra and Guamasa in La Laguna. Its regulations (BOE, 1992) name listán negro and negramoll as the preferred red varieties. The hillsides are mainly farmland, above all vineyards, and guachinches are part of the local food scene. For an easy tasting, the Casa del Vino de Tenerife is in El Sauzal, the next town along.

The farmers' market

It is on the Tacoronte–Tejina road, km 3.5, in the San Juan district. It opens on Saturdays, 8:00–14:30, and Sundays, 8:00–14:00. It has more than 100 stalls selling zero-kilometre produce: fruit, vegetables, honey, wine, gofio, chestnuts, watercress, pastries and flowers. There is a bus stop at the market itself.

The Cristo festivities

The big festival is that of the Cristo de los Dolores, in September, on Plaza del Cristo and the old-town streets: religious services, processions, open-air dances and concerts. On 25 November come the Santa Catalina festivities.

Getting there

By car, take the northern motorway (TF-5) and leave at the Tacoronte exit. By bus, several TITSA routes link Tacoronte with Santa Cruz, La Laguna and the northern towns. We give no route numbers because we could not check them in an open source: use the TITSA journey planner.

Cristo sanctuary

Calle San Agustín 3 · daily 8:00–13:00 and 16:00–19:00

Church of Santa Catalina

Calle Teobaldo Power 2 · Thu and Sat 10:00–12:00 · BIC

Hamilton Gardens

Calle José Izquierdo · all year 10:00–19:00 · free

La Arena beach

Mesa del Mar · black sand, 350 × 30 m · toilets, showers, parking

Farmers' market

Tacoronte–Tejina road, km 3.5 · Sat 8:00–14:30, Sun 8:00–14:00

By car

TF-5, Tacoronte exit

From Finca Julia

Tacoronte lies in the north of the island, between La Laguna and El Sauzal. From Icod it is on your way if you are heading to La Laguna. A simple plan: the old town and the Hamilton Gardens in the morning, then the afternoon at Mesa del Mar for the sunset. At the weekend, start with the market. And if you want a tasting, the Casa del Vino is next door, in El Sauzal.

La Laguna from Icod

Casa del Vino de Tenerife, in El Sauzal

Icod wine and its wineries

What to see in La Orotava

Towns near Icod

Frequently asked questions

When is the Tacoronte farmers' market open?

On Saturdays from 8:00 to 14:30 and Sundays from 8:00 to 14:00, on the Tacoronte–Tejina road at km 3.5.

Where can you swim in Tacoronte?

At Mesa del Mar: La Arena beach and two seawater pools, one in use all year. At El Pris there are rock pools. Check the sea conditions first.

When is the Cristo de Tacoronte festival?

In September. The town hall publishes the programme with the exact dates each year.