Where would you recommend in the Canaries for mid October?

[BranchingOut]

Hello, we would like to try our first trip to the canaries in mid October. I have searched quite a few threads, but keep getting confused by abbreviations for the different places, let alone the characteristics of the different islands. Then I go on Tripadvisor and every review seems to say that the hotel is lovely but goes on to complain about towels on sun-loungers at dawn...So I am hoping that MN might help me through this! The party would be me, DH and DS (5 at the time of the trip). Maybe under £3k? But more for somewhere ideal.

We are looking for:

Hotel or high end self-catering complex.

V close to a soft golden sand beach

Quiet and not too over-developed

Not too windy!

How about Puerto Mogan in Gran Canaria. The Cordial Mogan Valle is a lovely self catering complex with 3 pools and their splash park should be finished by October.

It's 40 mins from the airport now the new motorway has opened.

towels on loungers is fairly universal, just chuck them off.

the Canaries are volcanic so all golden beaches are artificial. Black sand isn't dirty although it is warmer.

avoid Fuerteventura for obvious reasons. Lanzarote is very different with lots to see so if you don't worry about the sand colour, you might enjoy that.

We love Tenerife - this will be our 5th year there in October. The Iberostar Anthelia is a lovely hotel, close to the Del Duque beach in a lovely upmarket part of the island.

Probably cheaper to book flights and hotel separately - do pay the extra for breakfast, the buffet is the best I have ever seen ( or eaten ).

If its the schools half term week you're looking to go in, you won't get it for under £3k, but if it's not then you might be lucky.

Thanks for all your responses, that Anthelia sounds great.

Would Fueterventura (sp?) be avoided due to the wind?

The towels thing is more that it made it very tricky to see what was what on tripadvisor due to all the towel talk!

It would be week of 16th Oct.

Id strongly recommend Costa Teguise in Lanzarote. It's a smaller resort, and has a lot of quite high end self catering places. THe "town" itself is quite small, but is NOT the 18-30 mindset. A lot more smaller children and families

I will declare a small bias as the PIL's have a villa there (playa bastian), but we have been going for 5 years (since kids!) and find it ideal for us (couple in late 30/40s and 2 DS's 3&6)

You will also find it is probably doable a lot under your budget for self catering, but eating out is SOOOO cheap there (thinks €30 per dinner for 4 inc soft drinks), that to my mind, hotels simply don't make commercial sense.

You will prob get a 2 bed apartment for £3-400 a week, but flight costs might bite if that is half term..

I love Playa Blanca in Lanzarote, there is a nice hotel next to the marina called Hotel Volcan which is nice.

Have a look at Melonares in Gran canaria. Lopesan hotels are all good but not super close to beach. And Riu palace at melonares (not to be confused with the riu at maspalomas) has recently been refurbished (not sure when it reopens). Love melonares.

Fuerte = strong
ventura = wind

great windsurfing spot, apparently. :-)

I also liked the Del Duque area in Costa Adeje. Black sand though, as I said it really isn't an issue.

Hi specialsubject - I wonder if we are thinking about the same Del Duque beach - it has beautiful golden sand, or certainly did when we were there last year (didn't know it was imported though)

Northern Tenerife is lovely and not nearly as touristy as the south. Most of the canaries have black sand though because its volcanic. If its a golden sand place, it will be imported sand for a touristy area

I loved tenerife we went to costa adeje altho wouldnt recommend my hotel. Del duque was a nice beach but the waves were pretty strong...we only went once so maybe it was a bad day

The canaries are in the atlantic and in the winter, the waves can be massive, but this shouldnt be an issue in october

looks like Del Duque has been upgraded since my last visit...

yes, imported sand. There's a handy desert not too far away across the sea.

Princessa Yaiza in Lanzarote is nice if you can face the large hotel thing. It's '5*' and all the rooms are suites so you can sleep in a separate room from your child. Always a bonus for me . They do have a giant Donald Duck like thing wandering around every so often. Put me off my breakfast a bit but the children loved it!

I love Lanzorote! Puerto del Carmen anything from the Fariones Group is good lovely accommodation they have 3 apartments 1 and 2 beds (more 1 beds) they are v good value. Also stayed at Fariones Hotel 4 lovely and then they do an Aparthotel Fariones. All these are central to everything.
The sand is golden, the have an old town. The fillet mignons(fillet steak) are to die for.

Don't go to gran caneria playa del ingles, I went years ago and I found it a bit rough and I was only 29 then.

Tenerife nth is nice , more green the sth, the sand is volcanic so grey coloured. They have a lido, where there are lots of swimming pools and beds but you have to pay to go in it. But very nice.

I've just been on Booking.com and you could easily do it for 2k 4*
For those dates in really nice hotel

another vote for the Yaiza I playa blanca. rooms are almost apartment size (with microwave and separate kitchen sink) and for younger kids there is a soft play area as well as a playground.

lots of pools and a golden sand beach. restaurants in hotel are varied but expensive- but there are restaurants and a marina close by with other choices.

have also been to a hotel on the del duque beach - we did like it but personally I don't think the beach is as nice - the sea was definitely rougher and there were fewer eating out options as most hotels were half board/all inclusive.

Hol village is meant to be good as is sensatori but not they would cost in for half term?

I will second the Cordiel Mogan Valle in Puerto De Mogan. Fabulous place and beautiful resort.

I do love Fuerteventura though and the Barcelo Thalasso in Caleta De Fuste is gorgeous - on a sandy beach but a give minute walk to man made lagoons that are beautiful for swimming.

Update:

Thanks for all the options, after a lot of procrastination we have booked to go to the Sheraton Calejta near Del Duque.

Will let you know how it turns out!