Garachico is the small north-coast town that Tenerife's volcanoes remade. It was once the island's richest harbour, shipping wine and sugar across the Atlantic, until the Trevejo eruption of 1706 sent lava through the port and ended its commercial life almost overnight.
That disaster is now the reason to come. The old town sits between dark lava, whitewashed houses, churches, wooden balconies, and the black rock pools of El Caleton. It is quieter than Puerto de la Cruz and far more atmospheric than the southern resorts.
Garachico works best as a slow half-day on a north Tenerife circuit with Icod de los Vinos, the Teno mountains, or Masca. Come for a swim, a wander through Plaza de la Libertad, and the odd feeling of walking on a town's buried past.