Garachico, Tenerife – A Short Guide to Tenerife’s Charming Volcano Town

The small town of Garachico is one of the most picturesque places you can visit along Tenerife’s north coast. Its historical centre is full of traditional Canarian houses with wooden balconies, historic buildings and landmarks. We didn’t have any trouble snapping loads of postcard perfect images. Garachico’s landscape was also shaped by one of the most destructive volcano eruptions on the island, which forever changed its coastline. Even today, we could see the evidence of this eruption from many of its viewpoints and, of course, from the now popular natural swimming pools.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to spend your time visiting Garachico, including the different ways to get there, where to stay and what else to do nearby if you decide to spend a few nights in one of the most beautiful towns in Tenerife.

If you’d like to see what we got up to in Garachico, make sure to watch our dedicated Tenerife video which we’ve shared on our YouTube channel Kitti and Jon.

About Garachico in Tenerife

Garachico is located in north-west Tenerife, about 27km west of Puerto de la Cruz and 60km west of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The town sits at the foot of Volcan Arenas Negras (or Trevejo Volcano), which played a huge part in Garachico’s history.

Founded after the conquest of Tenerife in 1496, it was an important port exporting wine and sugar until 1706. On 5th May 1706, Trevejo Volcano erupted and destroyed the majority of the town. There were seven lava flows that came down the hills around Garachico. Although there were no fatalities, it’s still one of the most devastating eruptions in Canary Island history.

How to Get to Garachico in Tenerife

Hire Car

The easiest way to visit Garachico is with a hire car. Having our own vehicle meant that we could set off early and stay in town for as long as we liked. We were staying in Puerto de la Cruz, which meant that the driving time was only about 30 minutes, following the TF-5 and TF-42. However, it’s a 50 minute drive from Santa Cruz de Tenerife or an hour from Costa Adeje.

There’s a sizeable free car park just outside the old town (location on Google Maps), although it can fill up quickly, especially in the high season. Further parking is also available around Playa de Garachico (location on Google Maps).

Organised Tour

Garachico is a popular place to visit along the north coast of Tenerife, so naturally there are a huge variety of organised tours available to book. Joining a tour won’t only get you to the town but the guides will also give you plenty of information about its history. Most tours also include other stops on the itinerary, such as Teide National Park, Icod de los Vinos or Masca.

🎫Below we’ve listed our top Garachico tour choices:

• West Tenerife’s Coastline Day Tour. This is a great small-group tour that takes you to the most beautiful small towns such as Icod de los Vinos, Garachico and Masca. You have the option to depart from either Puerto de la Cruz or Costa Adeje.
• Garachico, Teide, Icod and Masca Day Tour. We would book this day tour if we also wanted to visit the stunning Teide National Park, as well as other scenic small towns such as Icod and Masca. They offer several pick-up locations, both in the north and south of Tenerife.
• North Tenerife Day Tour. This is a good all-day tour option if you’re staying in Puerto de la Cruz. You’ll visit Teide National Park, Icod and Los Gigantes, in addition to Garachico.

Things to Do in Garachico, Tenerife

1. Relax Around Plaza de la Libertad

The beating heart of Garachico is Plaza de la Libertad. Over the decades, it has had multiple names and undergone many modifications. Today, it’s a lovely leafy green oasis where we could sit down and escape the heat for a while.

There are also many important landmarks surrounding the main sqaure.

Simón Bolívar Statue & Mexican Inspired Music Pavilion

Within Liberty Square, we didn’t expect to see two landmarks that immediately took us back to our travels through Mexico and South America.

One of them was a lovely music pavilion, which had a similar design to the ones we’d seen in cities and towns across Mexico. Our guess turned out to be correct as this pavilion, designed in 1912 by Don Ramón Arocha, was inspired by ones he’d seen in Mexico.

The other landmark was a statue of Simón Bolívar (The Liberator). If you didn’t know, he was a Venezuelan solider who led many South American countries (Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador and Peru) to independence from the Spanish Empire. Now, the reason why there’s a statue in his honour here in Tenerife is because Bolivar’s ancestors were from Garachico.

Convent of San Francisco & Church of Our Lady of the Angels

Occupying one corner of Plaza de la Libertad is the former Convent of San Francisco and the Church of Our Lady of the Angels.

The convent dates back to 1524, built on land that the founder of Garachico, Don Cristóbal Ponte, donated. He also owned the church next door, which is where his and his wife’s final resting places are. Unfortunately, the church only opens for religious services, so we couldn’t check out its interior.

The convent has witnessed many major historical events, such as the 1706 volcano eruption and a huge fire in 1709. Despite the damage, it survived and is now the only monastery that still stands in town.

The architecture is Renaissance-style with Gothic and Baroque elements. We found the convent’s white façade, with the twin doors and palm trees in front, really picturesque.

Casa del Marqués de la Quinta Roja

Opposite the convent and church is the Manor House of the Marquises of La Quinta Roja. Construction of this manor house began in the 16th century before it was rebuilt in the 17th century by the first Marquis of Quinta Roja. It’s one of the best examples of Canarian Baroque architecture.

Parish Church of Santa Ana (Parroquia de Santa Ana)

On the other side of the square, we couldn’t miss the lovely whitewashed Parish Church of Santa Ana. Although the 1706 volcano eruption destroyed much of the building, they rebuilt it following the original plans.

The façade is worth admiring but you can also check out its interior and a Sacred Museum section. We didn’t realise that for a small fee you can even go up to the tower. We definitely would’ve enjoyed an overview of Garachico from here. Regardless, it was still one of the most beautifully decorated churches we saw in Tenerife.

2. Enjoy the Views of Garachico

Mirador del Emigrante

Just a short walk outside the old town is the Mirador del Emigrante, a must-see viewpoint. The slight uphill walk was totally worth it because from there we could see the whole of Garachico and the hills behind it. We could identify many important landmarks, such as the white tower of the Church of Santa Ana, the San Miguel Castle Fortress, the natural pools created by the eruption and the small island of Roque de Garachico.

This vantage point is also a great one for seeing where the lava fields would’ve flowed down from after the eruption. There’s also a monument (Monumento al Emigrante Canario) dedicated to the people who emigrated to countries like Venezuela.

Mirador San Pedro

For even better views, head to Mirador San Pedro. From Mirador del Emigrante, just follow TF-42 slightly further until you see a bus stop and a small road heading straight up above you. Take this small road, which turns into a staircase, until you reach a small white church called Parroquia de San Pedro de Daute. The church is worth checking out, but the viewpoint will be just around the corner from it.

We really loved this vantage point, because we were right next to where some of the lava had flowed down towards the water. From here, we could also see the curvy roads below and another fantastic angle of Garachico.

Mirador de Peralza

Another fantastic viewpoint is Mirador de Peralza. It’s located just above the old town, along Calle Alcalde de Peralza. From here, you can see much of the historic centre of Garachico, with the tower of the Church of Santa Ana dominating the skyline. We suggest following the road for a while, which will get you some great photo angles with the tower and the Roque de Garachico in the distance.

Further along the road there’s also an obelisk, commemorating the 1706 volcano eruption.

3. Check Out the Swimming Spots in Garachico

Piscinas Naturales El Caletón

One of the best things to do in Garachico is to go for a dip in the El Caletón rock pools. These natural swimming pools are the result of the 1706 volcano eruption. Just imagine how powerful the lava flow must’ve been to carve out these deep pools and jagged rock formations!

Unfortunately, the pools were closed due to rough sea conditions when we visited in April. Luckily, we could still see them as we walked along the waterfront. They have well-maintained walkways, staircases and flat platforms around the pools for a more comfortable experience. It reminded us of the natural pools in Porto Moniz in Madeira. There’s also a restaurant on site where you can enjoy the views.

Playa de Garachico

Garachico Beach (Playa de Garachico) is a small dark sand and rocky beach right around the corner from the old pier (Punta del Muelle). Whilst it’s probably not the No.1 beach in Tenerife, it’s a good spot to go for a quick swim, as the water can be calmer here. Plus, the rugged landscape the volcano eruption created is worth appreciating for a bit.

Since the beach is small, it can get quite busy in the high season!

4. Other Must-See Landmarks in Garachico

Castillo de San Miguel

Standing right on the waterfront between the El Caletón natural pools and the Old Pier is the San Miguel Castle Fortress. It dates back to the 16th century and was built to defend the port of Garachico from pirate attacks. Unlike many other buildings in Garachico, the fort survived many historical events, including the 1706 eruption. It’s also been a Site of Cultural Interest since 1999. Today, it houses a Heritage Information Centre.

From the outside, it looked very similar to the fort in Puerto de la Cruz, although we think the Garachico one was more picturesque with the natural pools and the small garden space in front of it.

The Old Pier (Punta del Muelle)

Close to Castillo de San Miguel, it’s worth walking out onto the Old Pier. This area used to be the thriving port of Garachico until the 1706 eruption.

Lava destroyed the original pier so it had to be rebuilt, although they used some of the original paving stones. From the end, we got some fantastic views of the coastline and Garachico.

There is also some interesting artwork at the end of the pier called the Tensei Tenmoku, or “doorless door”, by the Japanese artist Kan Yasuda. It’s made of two Carrara marble structures and arranged in a way that makes it look like a door that doesn’t lead anywhere.

Parque de la Puerta de Tierra

In the small square of Juan Gonzales de la Torre is a little green oasis. If you didn’t know it was there, you could easily miss it. Puerta de Tierra Park isn’t just a lovely leafy spot to escape the heat in; it’s also home to the old gateway that marked the entrance to the port.

This former city gate is one of the landmarks that miraculously survived the volcano eruption. In addition, there’s also an old wine-press commemorating the once successful wine trade in Garachico.

How Long Do You Need in Garachico

We would allocate at least a few hours to see the best of Garachico. This will allow you to walk around the historic centre, check out the viewpoints and squeeze in a little downtime at the natural pools.

However, if you’re not in a rush you could easily extend your time and spend an entire day in Garachico trying out its best restaurants, cafes and ice cream parlours. And, if you wish, why not book a few nights’ stay in this picture-perfect volcano town? Below are our top hotel picks for Garachico.

Other Places to Visit Near Garachico, Tenerife

There are many charming small towns, bigger cities and natural areas to visit along the north coast of Tenerife. Most of them are no more than an hour’s drive from Garachico.

• Icod de los Vinos. This small village is only a 15-minute drive from Garachico. Here, you can see an ancient Drago tree and visit a cool banana museum.
• Teide National Park. Home to the mighty Teide Volcano, a visit to Teide National Park is a must if you’re in Tenerife. From cable car rides to scenic hikes and viewpoints, Teide offers a fantastic day out.
• Puerto de la Cruz. With quaint cobbled streets, historic buildings, street art, lush botanical gardens and black sandy beaches, a day trip to the city is definitely worth the 40-minute drive.
• La Orotava. If you made it to Puerto de la Cruz, then you can’t skip a visit to the small mountain town of La Orotava. It may be small, but it’s packed with interesting museums and picturesque historical buildings.
• Masca. This small village nestled in the mountains is often referred to as the Machu Picchu of the Canary Islands. The drive to Masca is an adventure on its own, with hairpin turns, steep drops and incredible scenery.

Read Next: Where to stay in Tenerife? – Best Areas and Hotels

Final Thoughts on Visiting Garachico in Tenerife

Our time in Garachico may have been short, but we thoroughly enjoyed it. It quickly became one of our favourite places we visited along the north coast of Tenerife. We really loved the area around the main square, with all the beautiful historical buildings. It was also nice to spot a few landmarks that took us down memory lane to our travels across Latin America. We only wish that we could’ve stayed a bit longer, or even booked a night or two here.

We hope this guide has given you a good overview on what to do in Garachico, Tenerife. If you found this blog post useful and want to show your support, you can buy us a coffee here.