Icod de los Vinos guide to get around

Icod de los Vinos or Icod of the Wine is a 95.9 square km big Tenerife municipality. It has many fertile rolling hills with vineyards, while bananas thrive well near the coast. It grows many other crops and even has edible wild asparagus. It's blessed with climbing clouds which provide the vital, prime rainfall.

The town dates back to the days of the island's conquest on behalf of the Spanish Kingdom of Castilla and Leon.

Icoden Daute Isora, as called by its former aboriginal  people the Guanche, has now at least 34 Catholic churches and chapels. This is proof of almost as many country estates, plantations, vineyards and a big rural community.

Picturesque old quarters

The museum at number 9 of Plaza de la Pila is closed now. It used to be a small replica of the real amazing Doll art Museum ARTlandya of Santa Barbara.

Museo Malvasia of number 5 one of extraordinary museums  represents Shakespeare's most praised Canary wine. There, discover its unique way of distilling the divine beverage. Wine tasting is possible inside as well as in a charming wine garden where even Tropical Surinam Pitangas grow.
   

Find the entrance to the park of Drago Milenario within a few meters after the Museo Malvasio on the same street side.

Of course, you can also admire the renown dragon tree from Park Parque Lorenzo Caceres. That's by the main church Iglesia Matriz de San Marcos of Icod de los Vinos.

This church from the 16th century has been subject to major restorations which are now finished  in 2019.  It's also said that it houses the biggest and heaviest of most beautiful silver filigree crucifixes of the world with a weight of 47 kg.

Another must see is the Ex-Monastery the Convento de San Francisco from 1641 with its outstanding architecture. It also has one of most important libraries of the Canary Islands.
   

Gospel Shine Voices is a spiritual La Laguna band
which is unique in the Canary Islands. The little known musical group performed with great success in the founder Gustavo Campo's home town Icod de Los Vinos on January 04 of 2020. 

More about town locations and streets to get around

Indeed, Calle San Sebastian connects Plaza Lorenzo Cáceres the one with the Kiosko and Plaza de la Pila with the town hall, post office and more on its way. In the middle  of this commercial street is a pedestrian alley called Paseo de Suceso. It's a shortcut option to walk to the Dragon tree parking grounds.

The beauty of all town attractions is that they all seem to be in the small hub of the old quarters. Even the museums Museo de Mariposas and Museo del Guanche with its life size figures are very close. Find the latter in the shopping mall C.C.La Magalona. A Mercadona Supermarket is in in Calle Hercules. Indeed, it makes it a joy of an easy task to explore this historic wine town district.

Icod de los Vinos of the 1888 Tenerife omnibus history

Indeed, the town of Icod was leading for the public bus services of the island, long time ago.

The important Titsa bus Station of Icod

In fact, today's town of the former Icoden is still an important cross roads for many vital bus lines. They don't only take you to the town's suburbs, some of which are on the mountain slopes with hamlets of traditional Fiestas. There is also one for the Icod hospital.

Turn left by the petrol pumps and reach the Titsa bus station about 40 meters on your right. It is the terminal for Titsa #354 the mountain route  that connects with Puerto de la Cruz and Titsa #363 that connects with Buenavista del Norte via Garachico but,  not at all hours.

This is very important and means that you can't get from Buenavista or Garachico back to Puerto de la Cruz at all times, as Icod is the terminal then which happens with some public night buses.

Otherwise, the Titsa #358 the Santa Barbara bus also takes you to the ArtLandya Museum. Titsa #362 leads to the Icod beach.

Other Titsa bus lines go as far as La Guancha, Erjos, Santiago del Teide, San Jose, Los Realejos, La Orotava, Santa Cruz, Santiago del Teide, Los Gigantes and Playa de Las Americas,  to name just a few.

Most important town fun and tourist attraction San Andres

The Fiesta of San Andres would make any stuntmen proud.

Then,  the town youth and those young at heart race down steep roads on noisy boards. Gigantic heaps of tires welcome them on the bottom but ambulances are also on standby in the vicinity.

The ancient tradition goes back to wine barrels. They were rolled down from the mountains to the harbor with a similar noise. Wine tastings which always go back to the 2nd last harvest are also part of the festivities.

Not to forget is the roasting of chestnuts in the town hub more of which see in Puerto de la Cruz  

Icod de los Vinos Cueva del Viento not being nearby

Icod also has Europe's longest Lava tube. This so called Cueva del Viento which has several entrances is one of the biggest on earth with a length of almost 10000 feet. It is of high geological, volcanic and even biological interest. It became one of the most extended mausoleums for skeletons of giant rats and lizards which are extinct. However, it can't be explored to its origin because of rising dangerous conditions. It may be followed in direction of the coast, though. Some dripping water petrified in the seemingly endless and irregular shaped tube. Nevertheless, it's not a typical Stalagtite cave. An online permit to enter it must be downloaded for your protection. Expect a taxi ride of about 8km from the bus station to a plantation from where a hiking path leads to the Cueva del  Viento volcanic Tube.

Important Ycoden holidays besides Easter and Christmas?

• April: San Marco Evangelista when all folk groups of surrounding villages join in eventually
• June 23, night of San Juan and Solstice with wood fires
• August, 02: El Amparo suburb Romeria del Poleo (hierba buena) gathering of mountain Mint  
  
• August: Santisimo Christo del Calvario
• November 03-30 Fiesta of new wine introduction and the dare- devil timber board street stunts
• By the 2nd Sunday of December: Fiesta Gaitaz with Venezuelan food and Gaita music from Venezuela
  

Click the photos above to enlarge them as may be done with all small pictures on this page...

Icod de los Vinos natural water supply

The Icod de los Vinos Drago Milenario grew so old (between 800 and 1000 years) in its protected gorge thanks to a seemingly endless supply of water and a subtropical climate. The water comes from the gentle, moist Alisian winds from the ocean that are captured by Pines from where they drip into the ground. This Tenerife area has more than ten water springs, many of which are wells while others are known as fountains.  Furthermore, about 40 underground tunnels channel the water that were brought by the Alisian clouds. It's likely that two or three of these so called water mines within dynamited rocks have been closed for being unsafe due to their poinsonous gas.
   

Fishing and beach Playa San Marcos

 

Ships are not built any more for the king of Spain but fishing boats may need attention.

Fishing helped the community of the province much during bad and good times. However, modern red tape seems to be a big hindrance to continue the ancient trade of direct seafood sales.
          
Playa Beach San Marcos which used to be the bay for both men and women of this guild is now rather an Icod de los Vinos leisure beach for tourists and locals alike.

Getting to forests with Teide views

A hiking path of about 1km gets you from Santa Barbara farm lands to serene pine groves of Tenerife with majestic views of Mount Teide. From then on the going is said to get easy.
    

Holiday homes by Icod de los Vinos

Picturesque accommodation by Amparo and Cuevas del Viento.

Some of it is in a 200 year old mansion that has been renovated in 1995 with patios and/or balconies and more. There are many options. Mind the location is high up 325m above the sea and 2,5km from beach San Marco. Some apartments were available for as little as €9,95.

From Icod de los Vinos back to Tenerife towns

More about Icod de los Vinos here

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