Mostly rural, the municipality stretches for 30 square kilometers from the volcanic peaks that rise in the center of the island to the Atlantic shore.

The municipality seat, also called Tacoronte, lies about 16 km west of the capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Tacoronte is a toponym of Guanche origin, believed to be derived from Tagoror, meaning "place where the Council of Elders meets".

Its territory constituted an ancient menceyato, as the Guanche kingdoms were known, ruled by the mencey Acaymo.

After the Spanish conquest of Tenerife, the area was settled by the Portuguese Sebastián Machado, who founded the town of Tacoronte around the hermitage of Santa Catalina that he had built.