Icod de los Vinos

Attractive plazas rimmed by unspoiled colonial architecture and pine balconies form the heart of Tenerife's most historic wine district. A 1,000-year-old dragon tree, the natural symbol of Tenerife, towers 57 feet above the coastal highway, C820. It's arguably the oldest living specimen of this species on earth, and special measures (like installing an electrical fan inside its trunk to prevent mold) have been undertaken to preserve it. The Guanches worshiped these trees as symbols of fertility and knowledge; the sap, which turns red upon contact with air, was used in healing rituals.