23 September 2026 · 3 min
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.
Magazine
The north, written from here
30 pieces on Icod, Garachico and north Tenerife, with the source open and the review date on show. No articles written to rank: only what we could verify.
2 min
Staying near the Cueva del Viento
4 min
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.
2 min
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.
North Tenerife
The part of the island where it rains more, you eat better and the roads climb.
- iTenerife without the crowds: where the queues are notThe island takes millions of visitors and still has places where nobody goes. Which ones, why they stay empty, and what time to arrive.
- iiA month of festivities, and one that happens only every five yearsGarachico'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.
- iiiThe two festivals that move every yearNeither has a fixed date: both depend on Easter. How they are worked out and what happens in Icod and Garachico.
Icod
Everything within ten minutes of the door.
- iCueva del Viento with children: what to expectMinimum age, how much walking, whether the dark frightens them and when not to bring them. What the official site leaves out.
- iiThe wine of Icod and its wineriesWhy 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.
- iiiCueva del Viento: how to visit and what to expectWhat the official site leaves out: how long it takes, what to wear, whether children can go, and what to do if you are claustrophobic.
Garachico
The north's evening town.
- iCharco del Viento: getting there and when to swimThe north's most photographed rock pool, minutes from Icod. Access changed in 2025, there are no facilities, and the swell decides whether you swim.
- iiA month of festivities, and one that happens only every five yearsGarachico'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.
- iiiThe two festivals that move every yearNeither has a fixed date: both depend on Easter. How they are worked out and what happens in Icod and Garachico.
Food and drink
No invented hours.
- iGuachinches and wine: eating in the northWhat 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.
- iiHealth, shopping and emergencies in IcodWhere the hospital is, how to find the on-duty pharmacy, where to shop and who to call. Only officially sourced details.
Nature
From the coast to 3,555 metres.
- iStargazing in Tenerife without paying for a tourTeide 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.
- iiGetting to Teide from IcodThe 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.
- iiiReaching the summit of Teide: the permitSince 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.
Culture and festivals
What is celebrated, and when for real.
- iA month of festivities, and one that happens only every five yearsGarachico'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.
- iiThe two festivals that move every yearNeither has a fixed date: both depend on Easter. How they are worked out and what happens in Icod and Garachico.
Routes
Only ten trails on the island need a permit.
- iCueva del Viento with children: what to expectMinimum age, how much walking, whether the dark frightens them and when not to bring them. What the official site leaves out.
- iiChinyero: walking on the last eruptionIn 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.
- iiiRambla de Castro: the north's best walk4.36 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.
Family
Short stops and something to look at.
- iCueva del Viento with children: what to expectMinimum age, how much walking, whether the dark frightens them and when not to bring them. What the official site leaves out.
- iiTenerife with children, from the northWhat actually works with children in northern Tenerife, what has an age limit, which beach is the safe one, and what to do on a grey morning.
- iiiCueva del Viento: how to visit and what to expectWhat the official site leaves out: how long it takes, what to wear, whether children can go, and what to do if you are claustrophobic.
Wine
Icod is called «de los Vinos» for a reason.
- iThe wine of Icod and its wineriesWhy 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.
- iiWhat to see in Icod de los VinosThe 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.
- iiiGetting to Icod de los VinosWhich airport to fly into, what the drive in on the TF-5 is like, and why we do not publish an exact journey time.
Coast
The state of the sea decides.
- iCharco del Viento: getting there and when to swimThe north's most photographed rock pool, minutes from Icod. Access changed in 2025, there are no facilities, and the swell decides whether you swim.
- iiTenerife with children, from the northWhat actually works with children in northern Tenerife, what has an age limit, which beach is the safe one, and what to do on a grey morning.
- iiiBeaches and rock pools near IcodBlack sand, natural pools and volcanic rock pools in northern Tenerife. Which are safe, which are not, and when to swim in each.
Practical advice
What people ask before booking.
- iWhen to visit northern TenerifeMonth-by-month weather from AEMET data, what the 'panza de burro' is, and why a grey dawn in Icod does not mean a bad day.
- iiTenerife with children, from the northWhat actually works with children in northern Tenerife, what has an age limit, which beach is the safe one, and what to do on a grey morning.
- iiiDo you need a car in Tenerife?In the north and in the midlands, yes. What the bus covers, what it does not, and what road access to a country house in Icod is really like.
What's on
What is on these days
Dates are worked out from rules and official sources. When only the month is known, we say so.
- September 2026Feast of the Holy Christ of CalvaryIcod de los Vinos · exact date unconfirmed
- October 2026Romería de La VegaIcod de los Vinos · exact date unconfirmed
All of this is written from a house ten minutes from almost everything.
Every piece carries its numbered sources and review date. If a fact expires, the site itself flags it before anyone reads it as true.