Tenerife this summer…help me decide!

[bluefrog11]

Hi, looking for any Tenerife experts! We want a nice week in the sun during august (yes I know it will be hotter than hell!) Our other trips this year have been more active or city based so I’m looking to take the dc (age 12 and 7) for a sunny week in a luxurious hotel with good pool options. My eldest Dc loves waterparks and Siam Park looks tempting. My younger one likes sea creatures so the whale watching tours also are an option in Tenerife.

My DH is quite frankly a massive snob and won’t entertain anything less than 5* in a nice “non chavvy” resort. He also won’t spend his holiday driving around in a hire car as he does lots of driving for work (he will get cabs though or walk). We also hate it when the kids have to sleep on a sofa bed in the same tiny room - despite having paid a fortune!

Ive spotted some “good” deals at Anthelia is Costa Adeje and Villa Maria just further down in La Caleta. Anyone any experience of those?

Cant decide from the reviews whether Adeje is lovely or a slightly nicer extension of Las America’s (it has a Macccy D’s for example which will delight the kids and appall DH!)

Help!l!?!

have a look at the Hotel Botanico in Puerto del la Cruz. It wont be as bakingly hot at that side of the island, you are minutes from Loro Park Zoo and there are regular buses to Siam Water Park.

Canaries won't be that hot in middle of August.. they are all year round resorts and tiny islands in the middle of the Atlantic so the wind keeps them cooler .

Some lovely hotels in the Del Duque area which is walking distance to Costa Adeje but far enough if your husband wants to feel away from the busier parts. Gran Tacande is nice with great food but lots of good five star hotels around there. GF Victoria looks nice for kids but I haven't stayed there myself. Beach is also nice but less sheltered so gets big waves

And weather is August is definitely hot in Tenerife it's way warmer than Majorca for example

Iberostar Anthelia is in a very nice part of Costa Adeje. The McDonald’s is quite a way away and in an area with quite a different feel. I don’t know the other hotel but the Del Duque area ( where Iberostar is) is nicer than La Caleta in my opinion.

Great, thanks. The Anthelia gets great reviews. The kids prefer pool to beach (as do I!) so I don’t think they’ll be too bothered about the beach. Thanks @Flipovertwiddle i’ll take a look at Puerto de La Cruz.

Agree that Puerto de la Cruz snd the north in general is much nicer than anywhere down south. The kids will love Lago Martianez.

Or you could splash out on The Ritz Carlton Abama which is in a nice spot between Adeje and Los Gigantes.

Check out the Ritz Carlton Abama. It’s got lots of pools and restaurants, the food is great.

I used to live on Tenerife, in the north. The south is horrendously busy and I hate it, we never went there apart from the stock up on mince pies from Iceland 🤣

You will not find any decent food down there.

Siam park is amazing and the best water park I’ve ever been to. Definitely go!!

I would honestly go and stay at puerto, it’s very touristy but it’s much less trashy. It’s also half way up the island so you can access all of it easily for exploring. If it’s golden sand you want, there’s a beautiful beach north of Santa Cruz called Teresita - that’s our favourite.

Also see the rest of the island - the volcano is amazing as is La Laguna, a world heritage site and the old capital. Rock pools at Garachico, pyramids at Guimar. Tenerife is way more than sunburnt drunks. There is definitely a way to have a family holiday that ticks everybody’s boxes. HTH

I haven't stayed for many years, but the Anthelia was a lovely upmarket hotel, I doubt you would be disappointed with it. Costa Adeje is a classy area and you are close to the Del Duque beach which is great.
Turn left along the sea front and you'll come to the more lively areas, including beach with one of those inflatable assault courses that DCs enjoy.

Hotel Botanico in the North is indeed a lovely hotel with the warmest outdoor pool I have ever encountered, but when we went to visit some friends their whilst the DPs seemed to be having a good time, it didn't look like it was a welcoming place for their DS17. It also takes a good hour each way on the bus to get to Siam Park.

Hi @bluefrog11 what did you decide to book? We have the exactly the same criteria down to the snobbish DH! Tenerife and Majorca are on our list but hard to find a place that meets our needs.

Anthelia’s rooms are not high quality, the rest of the offering is good though.

La Caleta is not tacky like some of Adeje. Villa Maria or Royal Hideaway are great.

We’ve been to Tenerife many times. Costa Adeje is the resort to stay in. Anthelia is very nice. You’ll be able to get an interconnecting room which is great. The food was pretty good.
Siam park is excellent and the reason we go back to Tenerife, rather than any of the other Canary Islands.

We stayed at the Anthelia last summer and it's a really nice hotel. If your DH is a snob though, he may not like it. The hotel itself is lovely and the location is good - it's basically at the start of the non-tacky part of Costa Adeje. The clientele, however, were not what I would call classy. The big pool area was always noisy and busy with music playing and the small pool was full of large families all playing ball games, so god forbid you actually wanted to swim unless you went down first thing in the morning. We were there for the first 10 days of the summer holidays and the first 7 days were fine - I think a lot of people don't want to go away straight after school finishes - but from that second Saturday onwards I couldn't wait to leave.

Personally I prefer the south (Playa De Las Americas and Los Cristianos) they tend to be a little warmer and less windy. Here are 10 of my most favourite hotels in Tenerife https://minasjourney.co.uk/top-10-hotels-in-tenerife/

Have a look at Regency Country Club in Chayofa. Really lovely and not jam packed with heavy drinkers/ lager louts. Only 10mins can away from Los Cristianos if you fancy going out for dinner etc

GF Victoria in Costa Adeje is lovely. Rooms all have door between you and the kids, beds can be sofas but are proper beds and balcony accessed from both sides of that door. Kids club and teen club including simulators and surf pool. Food was lovely. Quick transfer from airport. Short walk to Playa Del Duque.

I’d say a lot of the area was a bit soulless. Lots of luxury malls. Shopping seems to be a big pastime. Everything very clean. A bit like Dubai. But some nice places along the beach. And whale watching trips lovely and easy access to Siam Park.

I have to go for work and Tenerife south is not for the snobbish. The lovely hotels are ruined by the majority of the clientele.
I'm sure there must be plenty of nicer places than Tenerife with amazing waterparks.

Hey, I know it's not Tenerife but it is the island over, Fuerteventura. It looks like a really good deal and I have used this site before... might help the issue of a nice hotel and also entertaining your children.
Hope this helps x
https://www.transfertravel.com/listings/10-day-holiday-in-beautiful-jandia-fuerteventura-on-24th-aug-2024-59813