Flicking through mountains of cheap holiday brochures, you may be forgiven for thinking that Tenerife is only for lager louts in the club 18-30 category; how wrong you are. Many top end travel firms such as elegant resorts, and seasons in style now offer holidays in Tenerife. It appears that it is slowly coming out of its stereotype.
Like in many place, a strong north-south divide exists. The south has very few quality establishments and is exclusively the preserve of tourists; the scenery is uninspiring; many people just go there for twenty four hour clubbing and drinking. The south has one hotel that stands out from the rest of low grade establishments - the Gran Meliá Bahia Del Duque. This hotel is a very pleasant resort comprising many buildings in traditional Canarian style; the services, accomodations, and cuisine is of an equally high standard. The only trouble is that this property is only really suited for people who stay within the grounds, and never venture outside. The area around the property is unattractive, and a terrible shock when you wander outside the stunning grounds.
For a more authentic Canarian experience, one must stay in the North. Puerto de la Cruz is a tourist resort, but not in the same way as those in the south. Puerto has many shops selling good quality reasonably priced items. The weather is not as hot as the south, but still extremely pleasant (high 70s-low 80s in the summer), there are several delightful black sand beaches; the Puerto tourists are not as loutish as those in the south and don't just go on holiday to spend most of it intoxicated. The most notable hotel in Puerto is Hotel Botanico; an oasis in an idyllic, peaceful location - please read my review on this property for a fuller description (http://www.uk.ciao.com/reviews/5059977/Pid/1,3,5017393,5027815,14245,5028490.html).
Why not try an alternative city break in Tenerife? Santa Cruz has wonderful weather and is rapdily modernising; big modern buildings by the sea; an 8 floor department store of gigantic proportions. The atmosphere is more Latin American than Spanish. People sit in the many "plazas" enjoying their siesta. The Hotel Mencey is a luxurious property situated in a suburb fifteen minutes walk from the centre of Santa Cruz.
If you fancy a smallish seaside town, try Garachico - the old capital of Tenerife. This has many restaurants by the sea, and several beaches. It had many residential areas, and two contempory style properties, the San Roque, and Quinta Roja, both leading the way, along with the other hotels mentioned in quality tourism.
Many excursions are offered: Why not take a trip to sea the thousand year old (although more likely three to four hundred years old) dragon tree? Trips to very small villages such as Masca and Taganana (I even spotted Norman Wisdom in the latter) are also available. The most popular trip is one to Teide, which also encompasses the town of La Oratava with its traditional Canarian bulidings. Teide itself rise above the clouds surrounded by Lunar landscapes. Whatever trip you take (as long as it's not to south) you won't be disappointed. A must in one of the places above is to sample the most famous Canarian dish of small potatos cooked in their skins in salted water - papas arrugadas, these are served with a spicy red sauce or a cooler green sauce: salsa rojo y salsa verde.
Remember, Tenerife is not just about getting drunk in the south, it also offers culture, stunning scenery and fabulous hotels.
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