Garachico: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
For two centuries Garachico was the main port of Tenerife, sending wine and sugar to Europe and the Americas. On 5 May 1706 lava from an eruption in the hills above poured into the town and filled the harbour, and the trade moved east for good. What is left is a small, very handsome town built on top of that lava. This walk takes about an hour and a half on flat streets, and ends by the sea, so bring swimwear in summer.
A short history of Garachico
Garachico was founded in 1496 by the Genoese banker Cristóbal de Ponte, immediately after the conquest of Tenerife, and in the 16th century its harbour was the island's main port, shipping wine and sugar to Europe and the Americas. In 1706 the Trevejo volcano erupted, and rivers of lava filled the harbour and destroyed much of the town. Trade moved to other ports, and the town stayed small, with the 16th-century Castillo de San Miguel and natural pools formed in the lava rocks along the shore.
The ten best sights in Garachico
1Castillo de San MiguelThe little stone fort of 1575 that the lava went around; climb to the roof for the pools
2Church of Santa AnaThe parish church on the main square, rebuilt after the 1706 eruption
3Convento de San FranciscoA Franciscan convent with two quiet cloisters, now the town's cultural house
4Puerta de TierraThe old land gate of the port, now standing in a garden far from the water
5Iglesia de San Marcos, IcodThe church on the square above the dragon tree; see both on one stop
6Museo GuancheIn Icod, about the people who lived on Tenerife before the Castilian conquest
7El CaletónSwimming pools made by the 1706 lava; only swim when the sea is calm and the gates are open
8Roque de GarachicoThe rock island off the town, a protected nature monument; best seen from the seafront
9Drago MilenarioThe island's most famous dragon tree, 15 minutes east; the viewpoint is free, the garden is not
10Cueva del VientoA lava tube above Icod; visits only with a guide, book ahead
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Garachico →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Garachico:
Free walking tours in Garachico
The port the volcano buried
For two centuries Garachico was the main port of Tenerife, sending wine and sugar to Europe and the Americas. On 5 May 1706 lava from an eruption in the hills above poured into the town and filled the harbour, and the trade moved east for good. What is left is a small, very handsome town built on top of that lava. This walk takes about an hour and a half on flat streets, and ends by the sea, so bring swimwear in summer.
- Puerta de Tierra · This gate once opened straight onto the quay of the harbour. Since the lava pushed the shoreline out, it stands inside a small park, beside a statue of Cristóbal de Ponte, the Genoese merchant who founded the town after the conquest.
- Church of Santa Ana · The church burned in the 1706 eruption and was rebuilt in the years that followed on the same square. Its tower is the one landmark you can see from almost anywhere in the old town.
- Convento de San Francisco · The Franciscans settled here in the 16th century, facing the main square. The convent now holds the town's cultural centre, and its cloisters are a free, shaded stop in the middle of the walk.
- Motín del Vino · The sculpture recalls a night in 1666 when the people of Garachico broke open wine casks and let the wine run down the streets, in protest against an English company that had been given control of the Canary wine trade.
- Castillo de San Miguel · Built in 1575 to guard the harbour from pirates, the fort is one of the few buildings on the seafront that the lava of 1706 did not destroy. It was left standing on the edge of the new black coast.
- El Caletón · Where the lava ran into the sea it cooled into a maze of rock basins. The town added steps and paths, and the sea now refills these natural pools with every tide.
Teno: the wild west end
West of Garachico the island ends in the Teno massif, an old volcanic block cut by deep gorges, much older than Teide. The coast road runs through Los Silos and Buenavista to the lighthouse, then a mountain road climbs over to Masca and down to Los Gigantes. The Masca road is narrow, steep and full of hairpins, and buses use it too. Start early, and keep the afternoon for a boat under the cliffs.
- Charco de la Araña · A sheltered natural pool on the shore of Los Silos. Next to it stands the skeleton of a sei whale, mounted in 2008 as a sculpture facing the sea.
- El Bufadero · A blowhole in the lava shore: when a wave hits, the water is forced up through a hole in the rock and shoots into the air. It works only with some swell, so a calm day means a quiet hole.
- Punta de Teno · The north-western point of Tenerife, with a lighthouse and a view south along the cliffs to Los Gigantes. To protect the road and the reserve, private cars are often turned back on the last stretch, and a bus from Buenavista takes you instead.
- Masca · For centuries Masca could be reached only by mule tracks. Its houses sit on a narrow ridge above the gorge that runs down to the sea, and the gorge trail now needs a booking, so check before you plan to walk it.
- Mirador de Cherfe · From this bend on the road up from Santiago del Teide you look down the whole Masca gorge to the sea. On a clear day the island of La Gomera fills the horizon.
- Los Gigantes Cliffs · The cliffs drop hundreds of metres straight into the sea, and from the road you see only their top. Boats from the marina go out under them, and pilot whales live in the strait all year.
From the dragon tree to Teide
Garachico lives at the foot of Spain's highest mountain, and this day climbs it. It starts in Icod de los Vinos with the dragon tree and a walk inside a lava tube, then the road rises through pine forest and past the young volcano of Chinyero to the crater floor under the peak. The park road reaches over 2,000 m, so it can be cold and windy even in summer. Book the cable car and the lava tube in advance.
- Drago Milenario · The name says "thousand-year-old", but botanists who have studied the tree put its age in the hundreds of years, not a thousand. Dragon trees have no growth rings, which is why nobody can say for sure.
- Iglesia de San Marcos, Icod · The church faces the plaza that looks down on the dragon tree, and its square is lined with old balconied houses. The town's full name, "of the wines", comes from the vineyards that once covered these slopes.
- Cueva del Viento · This lava tube, formed by flows from the Pico Viejo volcano next to Teide, is one of the longest in the world, with more than 17 km of mapped passages. Visitors see only a short section, with a guide and a helmet.
- Chinyero · Chinyero erupted in November 1909, the last eruption on Tenerife. Its black lava field is still almost bare, and a marked trail of about 6 km loops around the cone through the pines.
- Roques de García · These eroded rock towers stand in the middle of the great crater floor, with Teide rising behind them. Teide National Park, created in 1954, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.
- Teide Cable Car · The cable car lifts you to about 3,555 m in a few minutes. Teide itself is 3,718 m, the highest point in Spain, and the last path to the summit needs a free permit from the park, booked well ahead.
Getting to Garachico and getting around
- Tenerife North Airport · The closer of the island's two airports, about 45 minutes away; mostly flights from mainland Spain
- Icod Bus Station · Garachico has only stops; the TITSA buses to Puerto de la Cruz and Santa Cruz start here
- Buenavista Bus Station · Buses into the Teno massif, to Masca and to Punta de Teno, leave from here
Cheap eats in Garachico
Northern Tenerife eats simply: papas arrugadas, small potatoes boiled in salty water until their skins wrinkle, served with red and green mojo sauces, plus grilled local fish and goat cheese. In Garachico the cafés cluster around the main square and the pools. Coffee is cheap here, and a cortado still costs well under two euros in most bars.
- Lauka · Café and cake shop by the pools; coffee and a pastry about €3-5
- Café Santa Ana · On the main square; a barraquito about €2-3
- Kiosko Plaza La Libertad · Kiosk café under the trees of the square; a drink and a sandwich about €3-6
- Heladería Frágola · Ice cream next to El Caletón, about €2.5-4
- La Alsaciana · Bakery and ice cream on the seafront; something sweet about €2-4
- Le Pâtissier · Pastries near the castle, about €2-5
Museums in Garachico
- Castillo de San Miguel · A small fort; the battlements are the best part
- Convento de San Francisco · Cloisters and exhibitions on the main square
- Museo Guanche · In Icod; an hour on the island before the conquest
- Iglesia de San Marcos, Icod · The church above the dragon tree
Nature and day trips near Garachico
- Roque de Garachico · Protected rock island; look, do not land
- Chinyero · Loop trail of about 6 km round Tenerife's youngest volcano
- Cueva del Viento · Guided lava-tube visit; book ahead, wear closed shoes
- Mirador de Cherfe · The view down the Masca gorge, on the road from Santiago del Teide
- Roques de García · Short loop walk round the rocks under Teide
Things to do in Garachico with kids
- El Caletón · Natural rock pools in the town; swim only when the sea is calm
- Mariposario del Drago · Butterfly house next to the dragon tree
- Playa de San Marcos · A sheltered black-sand cove below Icod
- Charco de la Araña · Natural pool at Los Silos, with the whale skeleton beside it
Where to eat in Garachico
- La Almena de San Miguel · Fish and grill next to the castle
- Restaurante Miramar · Fish and Canarian dishes on the seafront
- Galeón · Fish and seafood by the old quay
- La Perla · Fish and local dishes in the old town
- Bodegón Plaza Casa Juan · Local food just off the main square
- Ardeola Arrocería · Rice dishes near El Caletón
Frequently asked questions about Garachico
What is there to see in Garachico?
The top sights in Garachico are Castillo de San Miguel, Church of Santa Ana and Convento de San Francisco. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Garachico?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Garachico without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Garachico?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Garachico, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The port the volcano buried.
How do you get to Garachico and get around?
The main ways are Tenerife North Airport, Icod Bus Station and Buenavista Bus Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Garachico, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Garachico that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Garachico for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.