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Original poster

Is tenerife really awful?

98 replies

TravellingSpoon · 08/08/2019 08:30

Seen in mentioned on so many worst holiday threads.

Am taking the DC's on October. Hotel has good reviews but now I am nervous it's going to be awful.

OP posts:
derekthe1adyhamster · 08/08/2019 08:35

We went to Los cristianos last year and had a lovely time. Lots of dolphin watching! Nice food. Yes it was touristy, but we just avoided bars with tribute bands! We self catered.

JoJoSM2 · 08/08/2019 08:41

We had a lovely time. And the dolphin watching was wow!

What do people complain about on those threads?

Notverygrownup · 08/08/2019 08:42

There are noisy tourists eating chips in Tenerife but we find it very easy to avoid them. I'm fussy on holidays and I love Tenerife (and Mallorca too) - the guaranteed sun, enough places to go to entertain kids, but plenty of space to explore spots where the tourists don't go. Have had far worse holidays on Greek Islands (shudders at the memory of Rhodes) and on the Costas in Spain.

Research what you like/what you enjoy doing and go for it. If your reviews are good, that's v. promising as well.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Holidays
SconNotScone · 08/08/2019 08:43

We had a family holiday to Tenerife last year, and had a great time. It was our first time doing a package holiday with our daughter (age 5), and we were a bit apprehensive (more about the all inclusive aspect, rather than the location itself), but it was a lovely holiday! We stayed in Playa de las Americas, which is a bit stereotypically “brits abroad” in parts, but the beach was lovely, and there was plenty to see and do. Plus if you have a car and can get around the island to explore, you will see a lot more!

Notverygrownup · 08/08/2019 08:43

And yy to the dolphin/pilot whale boat trips.

Hullabalooo · 08/08/2019 08:43

Just got back.. had a lovely and very non touristy time. Was really easy to avoid all of that by just not staying in a resort.

funmummy48 · 08/08/2019 08:45

We went to Costa Adeje last year. It was beautiful and there are a variety of excursions you can take to see more of the island. We did a trip to Mount Twice which was stunning.

Ellabella989 · 08/08/2019 08:45

Been to Costa Adeje twice and the beach is gorgeous and it’s a bit more “upmarket” than Playa De Las Americas. I did get horrendous food poisoning in a restaurant though and was sick for 4 days but other than that we loved it. Lots to see and do on the island and the Siam Waterpark is so much fun too

Fragalino · 08/08/2019 08:46

It's whether it's authentic or not. I went to the island next door and it was rather depressing because there was no character or old town etc.

I am not fond if it did say trip to ten..not somewhere I'll return. But fine for cheap sun?

CornishMaid1 · 08/08/2019 08:46

Depends where you go - the south used to be more touristy, the north used to be a lot quieter, but that may not be as true now (I haven't been for a few years).

In the more touristy areas it can feel a bit like you are still in the UK but with better weather and it has lost some of that Spanish charm in those areas it used to have.

It really does depend on what sort of holiday you are after, but it is still a lovely island.

cheeseismyspiritanimal · 08/08/2019 08:47

I've been to Los Cristianos about 5 times and it's been fabulous each time. Saying that, we've only self catered in a small resort with our own apartment so I'm not sure what it would be like at a bigger resort.

Lots of lovely little places to go and enjoy.

Mrsjayy · 08/08/2019 08:48

We went to Las Americas a few years ago we had a great time we went for a family birthday, I guess some pubs will be packed but it never seemed to be a bother,0.

Gooseygoosey12345 · 08/08/2019 08:51

It really depends what you're looking for. It's not for me but I wouldn't say it's awful. It's very touristy which can be a good thing to keep the kids entertained. My issue is the black sand beaches but apparently there's man made white sand too? I went years ago so it may have all changed now anyway

Tartan333 · 08/08/2019 08:54

I stayed in costa adeje and thought it was awful, los cristianos and playas were even worse, tacky, loud, grey. I will never go back to Tenerife. Some people love it though.

Ellabella989 · 08/08/2019 08:57

Costa adeje has a white sand beach and it’s huge. Think a lot of the rest of the island is black sand though

Hairydilemma · 08/08/2019 09:04

I’m biased as DSis lives there so for me it means family get togethers, which obviously clouds my judgment for the better.

But as a result we must have been around 20 times and really enjoy it. As everyone else has said, you can do 100% Benidorm-style €1 lager in a Brit pub all day if that’s your thing, but there’s plenty of other activity, beaches are lovely (lots of white sand these days in the southern resorts), plenty to do.

I can see why it’s criticised - a lot of the things to do are ‘man made’ -water parks, crazy golf etc etc - but there are also lots of lovely more authentic places to explore.

And conversely, this is one of the things I like about it - it’s a v undemanding place to visit in the sense that there’s no guilt about not going to this museum or that ancient site - you can just relax and go with it, which is sometimes all I want from a holiday!

Hope you enjoy it Smile.

CalamityJune · 08/08/2019 09:05

Holidays are very subjective. Someone upthread mentioned Rhodes as being awful, whereas I had one of the most tranquil, beautiful holidays of my life there. You can't write off whole places.

I have been to Tenerife when I was younger and enjoyed it. I expect it would be good for children. It doesn't have a party destination in the same way as Faliraki or Magaluf.

FiveLittlePigs · 08/08/2019 09:09

We've been to Tenerife umpteen times. Prefer Costa Adeje, but Los Cristianos is ok.

Dowser · 08/08/2019 09:17

I go three times a year for my winter sun.
March, October and December.
It’s lovely
Never even wentuntil 8 years ago. Always went to Florida as I had a villa there.
I think we must be up to 20 visits now.
Got married there 4 years ago
It’s lovely and we stay in las America’s
Often meet friends from uk out there.

Dowser · 08/08/2019 09:20

Just avoid the veronicas strip
We love the carnival in March

Mrsjayy · 08/08/2019 09:31

We didn't go near the strip it wasn't the kind of holday we were on although we did like the tributes along the front we saw the same Elvis twice in one night 😂 but we were mostly in the hotel in the evenings.

Grownupkidsstillaworry · 08/08/2019 09:38

I last went about 20 years ago. Stayed in playa de las americas, about a 10 minute walk from the strip. I only have vague recollections of it but one of the overriding memories was the amount of cockroaches - they were EVERYWHERE. We stayed in a nice hotel, I think it was the Esmeralda? Huge marble steps up to the entrance and at night when we would return there would be hundreds of cockroaches skittering all over the pavements and steps.
Ive never wanted to return.

Original poster
TravellingSpoon · 08/08/2019 11:03

Thank you.

I know people have different ideas of what a holiday is, for me it's about getting away and letting the kids have some fun after a tough year. I don't mind brits abroad as much as I mind drunk people, so if we can avoid that I am a happy bunny. We have booked to go on an underwater submarine and snorkelling/kayaking. The kids want to do parascending again and we get access to the water park with our hotel so I think we will have a fab time. We are all inclusive because DS cannot cope with anything else.

OP posts:
Ellabella989 · 08/08/2019 11:06

I did the submarine trip and it was fun. Didn’t see anything other than lots of big stingray but it was still a great experience

Mrsjayy · 08/08/2019 11:08

Your holiday sounds great and it is October might not be as busy as Summer we went in April and i can imagine summer is mobbed!

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