23 September 2026 · 2 min
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.
Magazine
Coast
Black sand in a cove, lava pools with a northerly swell and what to check before swimming. Beaches and natural pools near Icod.
- 6pieces
- 2Tenerife 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.
- 3Beaches 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.
- 4What 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.
- 5Garachico, the town a volcano buriedMinutes from Icod: Tenerife's richest port until 1706, natural pools carved by the lava, and a listed historic quarter.
- 6Anaga in a day from the northLaurel 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.
The state of the sea decides.