Places guide · The oldest tree on the island
A tree hundreds of years old that has watched an entire town grow up around it. Icod de los Vinos combines a well-preserved old town, a winemaking tradition and the most recognisable botanical symbol of the Canary Islands.
Why it is worth the visit
Icod de los Vinos owes its name to the winemaking tradition that shaped its economy since colonisation, especially the malvasía wine that was exported to half of Europe. But its real symbol has been planted in the centre of the town for centuries: the Drago Milenario, a specimen of Dracaena draco whose exact age nobody knows for certain, because this species does not produce growth rings like other trees.
Around that tree, an old town of cobbled streets, colonial mansions and a parish church has been preserved, having survived the passing of time almost intact, making Icod one of the must-stops in the north of Tenerife.
What to see
Icod's old town is covered on foot in a couple of hours, with the Drago Milenario as the starting point.
The most famous tree in the Canary Islands, with a trunk almost 20 metres in circumference. It stands inside a small botanical park next to the main square, and is visible even from outside the enclosure.
Complete guide to the Drago Milenario: tickets, opening hours and how to get there →
A 16th-century parish church, with a bell tower that dominates the town's skyline and an interior that preserves valuable pieces of silverwork.
Cobbled streets with mansions of wooden balconies and volcanic stonework, a witness to the time when malvasía wine made Icod one of the most prosperous towns on the island.
How to organise it
From a quick stop at the Drago to a full visit of the old town.
Before you drive
The centre is compact, but the streets closest to the tree fill up quickly in high season.
There are several public car parks a short distance from Plaza de la Iglesia and the Drago Milenario park. In high season, especially mid-morning when the tour groups arrive, it is best to arrive early or leave the car a little further away and walk.
Practical information
In the north of the island, halfway between Garachico and La Orotava.
Between 50 and 65 minutes from Santa Cruz along the northern motorway, or 15 minutes from Garachico.
Public car parks a few minutes' walk from the Drago Milenario and the Church of San Marcos.
Avoid the bulk of the tour groups, which tend to concentrate in mid-morning.
The area around Plaza de la Pila has bars and Canarian restaurants, a good place to try the local malvasía wine.
Enough for the dragon tree and the old town at an easy pace; less if you only want to see the tree.
Several wineries in the municipality, with the Ycoden-Daute-Isora Denomination of Origin, offer visits and tastings — another way to discover the tradition that gives the town its name.
The most natural combination for a half-day route through the north of the island.
Half an hour away, to extend the route to a full day in the north.
Before you set off
Frequently asked questions
Its exact age is unknown because dragon trees do not produce growth rings like other trees. The most-cited estimates range from a little over three centuries to more than eight; Icod's town council gives about 700 years, give or take 100 to 150. There is no firm scientific consensus on an exact figure.
Yes, the park surrounding the tree has a paid entrance at a modest price. It can be partly seen from outside, but to appreciate it up close you have to enter the enclosure.
Two to three hours are enough to see the dragon tree and stroll around the old town at an easy pace.
Garachico is 15 minutes away, and La Orotava and Puerto de la Cruz half an hour: all of them fit well into a one-day route through the north of the island.
The area around Plaza de la Pila and the Church of San Marcos has bars and Canarian restaurants, a good place to try the local malvasía wine.
Yes. Several wineries in the municipality, within the Ycoden-Daute-Isora Denomination of Origin, offer visits and tastings of the winemaking tradition that gives the town its name.
Next stop
Icod de los Vinos shows that sometimes a place's best symbol is not a building, but something that has been there far longer than any old town.
Photo of the Drago Milenario: FrDr, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · Photo of the Church of San Marcos: Redeemer, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo of the old town: Panarria, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
