A steel bug ten metres tall was not high on the list of things I expected to see in a 17th-century Canarian mansion. But there it was. From the inner courtyard, a spindly antenna extends past the gallery of wooden balconies of the Hotel San Roque into the electric-blue sky. A fusion of nature and design, and evidence of the major style revolution that Tenerife, particularly in the north, is undergoing.
Battered by tidal waves of bad publicity in past years, Tenerife is starting to replace its beer-and-burger tag with a designer label as the upmarket sector has started to bare all. “Tenerife has always had the weather — now it has class,” boasts Dominique Carayon, owner of the San Roque hotel.
“The resorts in the south became a mess. More effort needed to be put into attracting the upper end of the market,” she says as we tour the hotel’s constantly changing collection of sculptures and paintings.
Tenerife’s new crowd is discerning, so spa and sports resorts such as the Aqua Club in Costa Adeje are providing salubrious alternatives to the island’s southern resorts.
Rural accommodation in isolated farmhouses is also proving popular, as solitude-seekers discover they don’t have to share Tenerife’s sun with the madding crowd on inflatable-infested beaches. Below is a selection of hotels where the quality is high and the number of rooms low, followed by some excellent restaurants.
Hotel San Roque, Garachico
Dominique and Laly Carayon,the French owners of this 20-room hotel, have restored the home of Garachicos’ founder, blending traditional Canarian architecture with a twist of Bauhaus and Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Mediterranean and Canarian food is served around the splendid courtyard swimming pool. The Tower Suite is the room to have, airy and chic with wonderful views over the rooftops below.
Details: 00 34 922 133435, www.hotelsanroque.com. Doubles from £119.
Hotel Tigaiga, Puerto de la Cruz
The former harbour town of Puerto de la Cruz is the elder statesmen of Tenerife tourism — in the 1890s it was a spa destination. Apart from a rapidly decreasing patch for the pint and pie party, it remains the epitome of graceful tourism.
Situated within the Parque Taoro on the select upper slopes of Puerto de La Cruz, the gardens of the 83-room Hotel Tigaiga are a joy. Seated with a good book and an even better Martini you could be forgiven for forgetting that you’re only four hours from Blighty. It serves organic food in the restaurant, uses solar power and recycles its well water.
Details: 922 383500, www.tigaiga.com. Doubles from £44.
Hotel Victoria, Orotava
The town of Orotava is the prettiest urban area on the island. Layers of varying architectural styles from the past 500 years unfold through the narrow whitewashed streets. Below, the green baize of the Orotava valley rolls down to the northern coast; above, is the towering Pico del Teide.
The 14-room Hotel Victoria has been awarded two palm trees, the highest category in rural tourism. Although not luxurious, it’s the touch of Canarian days-gone-by that please at this 16th-century mansion, such as minstrels’ galleries and wicker armchairs. It sits in the historic quarter and is a popular base for walkers.
Details: 922 331683, www.victoria.teneriffa.com; doubles from £43 a night.
Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide
There are probably few places in the world where you will breathe in healthier air than in the crater that is Las Cañadas in Teide National Park. The lounge of the 37-room, state-owned Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide, with its log fire, provides an admirable armchair view of this scene and a convenient base for walking any of the 13 mountain trails.
It also has its own observatory. But it’s not the choice for winter sunseekers. Much of the park is frosted with snow a few months either side of Christmas, but warmer climes are a 40-minute drive down to the coast.
Details: 922 386415, www.parador.es; double rooms from £63 a night).
ISLAND EATING
All prices are for two courses with wine, per person
El Jable in San Isidro (Bentejui 9, 922 390698) has won several awards for dishes such as baked smoked goat’s cheese with coriander mojo sauce. About £16-£20.
El Faisán de Lucas in La Matanza (Camino de Acentejo 68, 922 578249) has amazing views of Pico del Teide and the northern coastline — the food isn’t too shabby either, particularly the partridge in Malvasia wine sauce. £16-£20.
El Drago in Tegueste (Urbanizacíon San Gonzalo, 922 543001) offers creative Canarian cuisine. It does a fantastic fish hot pot and a beguiling selection of wines. £22.
