In the northern Tenerife town of Icod de los Vinos stands the Drago Milenario — the "thousand-year dragon tree", a colossal, otherworldly plant that is one of the island's best-loved symbols. Thought to be the oldest and largest dragon tree in the world, its swollen trunk and umbrella of spiky crowns rise above a pretty old town famous for its wine. Seeing it in the flesh is a genuine "wow" moment, and it makes a lovely, easy stop on any tour of northern Tenerife.
The thousand-year tree
The dragon tree (Dracaena draco) is not really a tree at all in the ordinary sense but a giant relative of the lilies, and the Drago de Icod is the grandest specimen anywhere. It stands around 16–18 metres tall, with a massive, elephant-grey trunk that splits into a dense canopy of sword-like leaves. Its exact age is much debated — popular legend says a thousand years, though botanists tend to suggest several hundred — but there is no doubting its presence. Dragon trees are slow-growing and strange, and this ancient patriarch has become a proud emblem of the whole island.
Why "dragon" tree? When cut, the tree bleeds a deep red sap once known as "dragon's blood", prized since antiquity for medicine, varnish and dye. The ancient Canarians held the tree sacred, and that aura of myth still clings to it today.
Seeing the drago
You can admire the tree perfectly well from the town itself. The Plaza de la Constitución and the nearby church square give free open views of the giant rising above the rooftops, and there is a well-known viewpoint, the Mirador de la Plaza de la Iglesia, that frames it beautifully. To get closer, you can pay a small fee to enter the Parque del Drago, a landscaped botanical garden at the tree's foot with native plants, a reconstructed aboriginal cave and paths that bring you right up beneath the canopy.
You can't touch or climb the tree. To protect the ancient drago it is fenced and carefully monitored, and the garden path keeps you a respectful distance away. As of 2026 entry to the park costs only a few euros, but hours and prices can change — and if you simply want the view, the town squares offer it for nothing.
The town of Icod de los Vinos
The drago alone justifies the trip, but Icod de los Vinos is a charming town in its own right. Its name — "Icod of the wines" — points to a long tradition of winemaking on the slopes around it, and its historic centre is full of handsome old houses, carved balconies, cobbled streets and churches. There are good spots to try a glass of local Canary wine and sample northern Tenerife's country cooking, plus quirky attractions like a butterfly house near the tree. It rewards a wander of an hour or two beyond the famous plant.
Getting there
Icod de los Vinos lies on the green northern coast of Tenerife, easily reached by hire car along the north-coast roads — roughly half an hour west of Puerto de la Cruz. There is parking around the centre, though the narrow old streets are best explored on foot. Buses also serve the town from Puerto de la Cruz and other northern centres, so it is doable without a car.
Make a day of the north coast
The Drago de Icod sits in the middle of one of Tenerife's most appealing touring areas, so string it together with nearby highlights. Just along the coast lies the historic harbour town of Garachico, rebuilt after a famous 18th-century eruption and dotted with natural lava rock pools. Inland and slightly to the east, the remarkable Cueva del Viento — one of the world's longest volcanic lava tubes — offers guided trips underground, a fascinating counterpoint to the ancient tree above.
Together they make a rich day out in the greener, more traditional north, a world away from the southern beach resorts. The dragon tree is the star, but the setting more than earns its place on any itinerary.
A living giant that may have watched over Icod for a thousand years — the Drago Milenario is Tenerife's most extraordinary tree and one of its enduring symbols.
Snap the free view from the square, then decide whether to step into the garden for a closer look. For more ideas across the island, browse our full list of things to do.