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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.

MadridA CoruñaA FonsagradaAdraAgostAinsaAlaróAlbaceteAlbarracínAlburquerqueAlcalá de HenaresAlcalá de los GazulesAlcalá la RealAlcobendasIcod de los Vinos500 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
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

ItemPrice
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)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card

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 (1.2 mi) downhill (Camino de las Barandas is the safer walking route); the Cueva del Viento is 3 km (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

WhereHowTime
GarachicoTitsa bus 363 along the TF-42, or 15 min by carAbout 30 min
Puerto de la CruzTitsa bus 363 or 354 via the TF-5, or 30 min by carAbout 45 min
La OrotavaCar or bus to Puerto de la Cruz, then a local bus or taxi uphillAbout 1 h
San Cristóbal de La LagunaCar via the TF-5, about 40 minAbout 45 min
Santa Cruz de TenerifeCar via the TF-5, about 50 minAbout 1 h
GüímarCar via the TF-5 and TF-1, about 1 h 15 min1.5 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

EnglishSay or show
HelloHolaOH-lah
Thank youGraciasGRAH-syahs
The bill, pleaseLa cuenta, por favorlah KWEN-tah por fah-VOR
A glass of local white wine, pleaseUn 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.

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)

  • All emergency services112
  • National police091
  • Guardia Civil062

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.