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Voykit pocket guide · Spain
Icod de los Vinos
Base here 1 night if you want the drago tree and the lava cave; otherwise come as a half-day stop between Puerto de la Cruz and Garachico.
Icod de los Vinos is a small wine town on Tenerife's north-west coast, built around one tree: the Drago Milenario, an 18 m dragon tree in a walled garden. The old centre is walkable in an hour, the coast beach at San Marcos is 2 km downhill, and the Cueva del Viento lava tube needs a booked tour. Most travellers see it in half a day; one night suits anyone wanting the cave, the beach and a quiet evening.
- Country
- Spain
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowds on the coast road), Dec–Feb rain spells
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including tapas bars and taxis in the cities.
- Daily spend
- Budget €55–80 excl. bed · Mid €90–140 excl. bed · High €160+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EU and EEA plans roam at home prices; UK and other plans may charge — check before you land.
- Emergency
- All emergency services 112 · National police 091 · Guardia Civil 062
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Bar or café: Leave small change or nothing.; Restaurant: Round up or 5–10% for good service; service is not usually added.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter: €1–2 a bag.; Guide on a free walking tour: €10–15 a person is the expected payment.
- Water
- Tap water is safe across the mainland; it tastes of chlorine in some coastal areas. Ask for 'agua del grifo' in restaurants — by law since 2025 they must offer it free (check local application).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars and cafés (buy a coffee). Stations and shopping centres have free or cheap toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €1.20–2 |
| Menu del día (weekday lunch) | €12–16 |
| Canarian dinner with wine | €20–30 |
| Drago park entry, adult | €5 |
| Cueva del Viento tour, adult | €20 |
| Local bus ride | €1.45–3.50 |
| Taxi within town | €5–8 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- TFN · Tenerife North (Los Rodeos)
- Closest airport, about 45 min by car via the TF-5; bus connections via Puerto de la Cruz or La Laguna
- TFS · Tenerife South (Reina Sofía)
- About 1 h 15 min by car via the TF-1 and the curvy TF-82; bus 460 runs to Icod roughly every 2 h
Typical fares
- Bus 363 Icod → Puerto de la Cruz
- about €3.50, 45 min (check)
- Bus 363 Icod → Garachico
- €1.45, 11 min
- Taxi Icod centre → Playa de San Marcos
- €5–8 (check)
Get around
The centre is on foot: drago tree, church, wine museum and butterfly park sit within 5 minutes of each other. Playa de San Marcos is 2 km downhill (Camino de las Barandas is the safer walking route); the Cueva del Viento is 3 km south in Santa Bárbara and needs a car, taxi or a long walk. Titsa buses 363 and 354 link the town with Puerto de la Cruz and Garachico.The centre is on foot: drago tree, church, wine museum and butterfly park sit within 5 minutes of each other. Playa de San Marcos is 1.2 mi downhill (Camino de las Barandas is the safer walking route); the Cueva del Viento is 1.9 mi south in Santa Bárbara and needs a car, taxi or a long walk. Titsa buses 363 and 354 link the town with Puerto de la Cruz and Garachico.
See and do
Known for
- Drago Milenario (dragon tree)
- Cueva del Viento lava tube
- North Tenerife wines (listán blanco, tintilla)
- Playa de San Marcos black-sand beach
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Garachico | Titsa bus 363 along the TF-42, or 15 min by car | About 30 min |
| Puerto de la Cruz | Titsa bus 363 or 354 via the TF-5, or 30 min by car | About 45 min |
| La Orotava | Car or bus to Puerto de la Cruz, then a local bus or taxi uphill | About 1 h |
| San Cristóbal de La Laguna | Car via the TF-5, about 40 min | About 45 min |
| Santa Cruz de Tenerife | Car via the TF-5, about 50 min | About 1 h |
| Güímar | Car via the TF-5 and TF-1, about 1 h 15 min | 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Old centre (Plaza de San Marcos and around)
- Walk to the drago tree, church and wine museum; a handful of small hotels, quiet at night.
- San Marcos (coast, 2 km downhill)
- Beach access and sea views; you need a car or a taxi back up the hill.
- Santa Bárbara and the TF-5 edge
- Cheaper rooms and free parking near the shopping centre; 15–20 min walk to the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | HolaOH-lah |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-syahs |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorlah KWEN-tah por fah-VOR |
| A glass of local white wine, please | Un vaso de vino blanco local, por favoroon BAH-soh deh BEE-noh BLAN-koh lo-KAL por fah-VOR |
| Where is the bus station? | ¿Dónde está la estación de guaguas?DON-deh es-TAH lah es-tah-SYON deh GWAH-gwas |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Two kisses on the cheek (right then left) between friends and when introduced socially; handshake in business; avoid: Being stiff — Spaniards stand close and touch arms
- Meal times: Late lunch and dinner; long sobremesa (chat after eating); avoid: Rushing to leave or asking for the bill with the last bite
- Noise: Join in the lively conversation; avoid: Reading loud voices as anger
- Siesta hours: Keep noise down in residential buildings 15:00–17:00 and after 23:00; avoid: Phone calls to people at lunch time
- Dress: Smart casual in cities; locals rarely wear shorts in Madrid in town; avoid: Swimwear or bare torsos away from the beach
- Regional pride: Ask about local dishes and festivals; avoid: Assuming Catalan or Basque are dialects of Spanish
Scams and watch-outs
- Cueva del Viento tours are booked online in advance only, with ID shown at the door; long trousers and closed boots are required.
- The TF-82 from the south over the Teno mountains is slow and very winding; add time and take motion-sickness precautions.
- Parking in the old centre is tight and one-way; use the signed underground car park or the free lot at Centro Comercial La Magalona.
- The San Marcos beachfront restaurants have had a patchy history since storm damage; check what is open before walking down hungry.
A quiet, low-crime town; the real risks are the steep walk down to San Marcos beach, sun exposure on the coast, and the winding TF-82 if you drive from the south.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Icod de los Vinos yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Drago Milenario (dragon tree)
- Cueva del Viento lava tube
- North Tenerife wines (listán blanco, tintilla)
- Playa de San Marcos black-sand beach
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Cueva del Viento official site: www.cuevadelviento.net/?lang=en
- Titsa (Tenerife buses): www.titsa.com/index.php/en/
- Wikivoyage: Icod de los Vinos, revision 5239525 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5239525
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Icod de los Vinos
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Icod; the US has a consular agency in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and most countries keep embassies in Madrid (check).
Bus 363 and 354 timetables change by season; check Titsa before you rely on a late connection.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/icod-de-los-vinos). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.