Mariposario del Drago (Butterfly Park)

Right beside the Drago Milenario, this tropical garden hides a fluttering secret: more than 800 butterflies from all over the world flying free among exotic plants, leafy trees and flowers in a thousand colours.

The moment you step inside, the air changes. Warm, humid, alive. Butterflies feed on the flowers, rest on the leaves and, if you stand still, one might land on your hand or shoulder. There is a special area where you can watch, live, the instant a butterfly breaks out of its chrysalis and opens its wings for the first time, and if you look closely you will spot eggs and caterpillars tucked among the green. Around 150 different species pass through here over the year.

Did you know that none of these butterflies are taken from the wild? They travel to Icod as chrysalises from breeding farms in the Philippines, Malaysia, Costa Rica, Belize or Kenya, because it is the easiest and safest stage of their life cycle to transport.

Keep your camera ready but take your time: here the butterflies set the pace. It is a perfect stop to pair with the Drago, just steps away.