To think the canary isles are tacky?

I am the first to hate "brits abroad" holiday spots but we did got to Lanzarote a few years ago when invited to join my brother and his family on a holiday.
The hotel wasn't to our taste but we hired a car and got out and about and had a lovely time, there are some beautiful spots if you look.
As for Cape Verde we had a great time there, we avoided the large hotels and picked a smaller one and did a couple of days trip, snorkelled etc.

We have been to Tenerife twice during the winter with our kids in November and Jan. Weather is fantastic for them. They are 1 and 4.

Yes it is as you describe in places. However we hire a car and have seen a lot of the island.

We stay in Costa Adeje which I think is the nicest southern resort. We love a day trip to los gigantes, it's beautiful. Also just look for quiet beaches on a map and head off like Playa Abama x

Northern Tenerife is lovely, much nicer than Lanzarote.

I fell in love with Lanzarote. It's such an amazing island with incredible landscape and, when you find it, some very cool wildlife.

Unfortunately, it's rammed with the "full English for breakfast and steak and chips for dinner" types.

Interested to know where you live that you found Lanzarote expensive? We were half board as it was easier with the baby but went out for dinner one night and a really delicious tapas dinner for 3 adults with wine and dessert came to €70 total.

We'd be looking at not far off that each for similar where we live.

I've been to Fuerteventura twice, Jandia as a couple and Caleta de Fuste with my sister and her 18 month old daughter. It was 12+ years ago in February and November respectively and it was lovely and relaxing.

Had a lovely family holiday on a canary island this year. Parts are lovely and beautiful, parts are a little chavvy. Personally we found the all inclusive really good for DD who can be a bit fussy. She ended up eating lots of salad!
If we could afford it I'd go back again next year

Depends what you want, Mount Teide is definitely worth a visit as is the north of the island, personally think Gran Canaria and Furteventura are the worst , but many resorts aren’t really very interesting if you don’t want sun, cheap alcohol and cheap food, for somewhere that actually has things to do and scenic etc, would personally go to Italy or Croatia and some parts of Greece and there’s a place called Britain that actually has some really fantastic destinations but not generally the weather

I'm with you OP. Traveled the world pre-motherhood. But I have a little one now and I want a holiday which is as relaxing as it can be with a child under 4, I want a kids club so I get an hour or two to myself, reliable weather and no cooking/washing up. I also want the big expense of the holiday out of the way before we set off, so all inclusive/half board sounds good to me.

Yes there is absolutely more to Spain (and other countries), so much rich culture/great food etc. and we've been to those places pre-kids, probably will do again at some point with kids when they are older and can appreciate it. But I reckon one of the canneries will be our pick for a first holiday abroad with the DS because you know what your getting. There is a time and a place the package holiday experience. Its a popular industry for a reason and at its best it does what to does well.

I don’t mind Tenerife or Gran Canaria, but I didn’t like Lanzarote. There was something soulless and characterless about it.

I went to Fuerteventura, stayed away from the tourist areas and absolutely loved it.

I have Spanish family in the Canaries, they live in a gorgeous village, nestled in the mountains. They eat fresh mango and avocado from their finca, and we hike in the mountains and eat tapas in the community run restaurant in the village. When we go to the beach, they know places that most tourists will never see. Definitely not tacky, you just need to do your research and perhaps not book a package holiday if it's not your thing.

We somehow ended up in a Irish karaoke pub in Rome when we were there for a wedding 🤷🏻‍♀️

By the OP's standards should we write the whole place off as tacky?

I used to think the same as you, OP. I decided to visit the Canaries and I was pleasantly surprised. The old town in Gran Canaria is beautiful. I went to some lovely parts of Tenerife. You should visit! Avoid the tacky areas (yes, they do exist) and go and explore.

We stayed in one of the big inclusive hotels but went on a lot of day trips to really interesting places. Markets, historic sites, smaller towns etc. So interesting and unlike anything in Europe.

It was stressful and unnerving at points venturing out of the hotel to be honest.

And in my family we had a fluent French speaker, and another group I know who went had a family member who spoke some arabic, and that all made a big difference in being able to communicate.

I live on a flight path and the plane that just went over was Tenerife bound. My partner said 'lucky buggers'...I said 'really?. To which we both agreed the Canaries are not for us, however I think that's because we found Gran Canaria 2 years ago awful whereas we had had a nice enough holiday to Lanzarote in the past.
If I wanted a winter sun holiday I wouldn't choose the Canaries again.

That’s like writing off the whole of the greek islands because teenagers get drunk in Kavos.

Every place advertised as a holiday destination that I've been to has the "English / Irish" pubs and party scene, the cultural parts, the adventure activities, the relaxing Hotels.... most recently we were in Albuferia and found the most beautiful historic streets with local cuisine

With no disrespect did you just stay in Puerto Del Carmen because Lanzarote is beautiful but you need to go off track to get the real feel for it?

Yes, you're being judgey and showing your ignorance. I've been Lanzarote many times and think it's beautiful. The north of the island is gorgeous and fantastic for sea sports such as windsurfing and surfing, it's also world class for cycling training. The vineyards are fascinating and produce excellent wine that isn't hugely exported off the island. Cesar Manrique's actual house as well as the gallery house are really interesting and wonderfully maintained.
You are grossly generalising and YABU.

👏 love this response

Yeah you are missing out. Like anywhere it’s what you make it. If you go to the resorts and just stay there then that’s the experience you will have. Or you could get hold of a map hop on the local bus and get out and see the island eat locally and just potter about. No need at all to have the standard ‘brits abroad’ experience if you don’t want it.

Just to add now I re-read your OP and see you have a baby on the way, Lanzarote was our first holiday with our baby and it was ideal. Lovely and warm but not blisteringly hot (we went in November) and he was welcomed everywhere with open arms. The Spanish love babies!

I've only ever done a budget, last minute trip to Gran Canaria in my 20s for winter sun with a friend. The resort was very tacky (big shopping centres etc.) but we did find some hidden gems in terms of restaurants.

I'm sure this is not all the Canaries has to offer, but it does bring to mind middle-aged egg and chips scoffing, sunburnt Brits with flab hanging out and a British Bulldog tattoo, just as Dubai brings to mind overly botoxed 20 somethings with trout pouts, fake boobs, big, fake teeth and synthetic hair.