Sites & Bites: Northern Tenerife's villages and flavours

The pine forests and coastal cliffs of northern Tenerife give it a natural and rugged look, but it's the volcanic, fertile soil that provides the area with its star attractions. From vineyards and orchards to banana farms and ancient trees, you'll see and taste Tenerife's home-grown highlights on this half-day tour.First up is Icod de los Vinos, a 16th-century town with a great view of Mount Teide. But even Spain's highest peak can't steal the attention away from the Drago Milenario, a thousand-year-old dragon tree that takes pride of place in the town's botanical gardens. This incredible specimen stands at over 20 metres tall with a canopy that's spread to over 300 main branches. Your guide will explain more about why this native tree is a cultural symbol of the Canaries during your visit. While in Icod de los Vinos, you'll see lines of the town's other treasure growing up and down the hillsides – bananas. Find out all about the island's history of banana farming and taste the freshly harvested fruit, as well as a sweet banana liqueur. Next, you'll head east to La Orotava, one of the oldest wine regions in the Canaries and right on the edge of Teide National Park. You'll see the traditional town centre with its cobbled streets, wooden balconies and buildings in every shade of yellow and visit the Molino de Gofio, a 17th-century gofio mill that's now a museum. It showcases how toasted flour is produced and used in everything from breakfasts to soups and stews, and you'll get to taste the nutty flavoured Canarian delicacy, too.