Hotel El Patio

Rooms

Rooms are nicely simple. They are split between the manor house, the bodega (winery), the stables and the annex up the lane. Beds are dressed in colourful linen, floors are tiled with terracotta. Bathrooms tend to be small - showers only, no tubs - but they’re pretty. There are no phones or TVs - a deliberate ploy to let you shake the city from your shoulders.

The manor house rooms are comfortable and authentic, with a touch of style. You get sofas, heavy beams, perhaps an old armoire. All of them have lovely views - some of the banana plantation and the sea, others of the mountain - plus a small terrace or balcony.

Rooms in the bodega have small balconies overlooking the lush courtyard. They come in warm yellows and pinks and are well-sized, but it’s worth noting that they’re above the bar - don’t expect a party though. Stable rooms are to the side of the house. A sheltered terrace stretches along the front, and windows at the back look onto the courtyard.

Rooms in the annex are cheaper as they’re half a mile down a lane that leads deep into the plantation. They’re very peaceful, and if you don’t mind the inconvenience of having to walk (5 minutes) or drive (1 minute) to the hotel, you’ll love them. They share a long terrace, with each room getting a table and chairs outside its door, plus a communal sitting room.

Features include:

• Hairdryer
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

Breakfast is offered daily in the dining room, whose full length windows offer wonderful views over the plantation and out to sea. It's a rather institutional buffet, but there's plenty to choose from: plates of chorizo and salami, fruit from local markets, pastries, croissants and cooked breakfasts.

Dinner is provided most nights (Fri-Tues) in the high season (October-April) at the onsite restaurant La Cantina. Situated on the main patio, it serves tasty homemade Spanish fare under a blanket of stars. When the restaurant is not open, be prepared to drive out in the evenings.

If you’re heading out for the day and want to take lunch with you, small picnics can be prepared by arrangement. You get a couple of sandwiches, fruit, a carton of juice, maybe a hard-boiled egg. When you return, help yourself to a tea or coffee (free throughout the day), then retire to a sofa or table hidden in the rampantly flowering gardens.

It's no hardship to eat out. In Icod, a few minutes east, La Parada offers excellent Canarian food at very reasonable prices. Next door, Tasca Parada excels in creating sumptuous tapas dishes, as does nearby El Mortero (pre-booking advised). In Garachico, a couple of miles the other way, we've heard great things about Pizzeria Rugantino and Restaurante Silogia; or you can splash out on upscale fusion fare at Hotel San Roque.

Features include:

• Bar
• Breakfast
• Dinner by arrangement
• Lunch by arrangement

Activities

• The banana plantation encircles you completely and runs down to impressive sea cliffs and a tiny, enclosed, black-pebbled cove. Paths are marked in different colours, each of which corresponds to the length of a particular walk
  
• There's a tennis court at the hotel, as well as a basketball hoop and ping-pong table (not in the best state of repair)
  
• Golfers will be in heaven down at Ballasteros-designed Buenavista; seven of the holes run along the ocean
  
• Head east to Icod de los Vinos to visit its unexpectedly pretty colonial heart, its fabled dragon tree, and the butterfly centre
  
• Continue to La Orotava for stately mansions and leafy gardens, or to the historic bathing resort of Puerto de la Cruz for a swim in the Manrique-designed aqua park (not just for children!)
  
• There's a decent black-sand beach at Playa San Marcos (La Mancha), a 2km walk (or 4km drive) to the east of the hotel
  
• The other way lies lovely Garachico: don’t miss the town square of Glorieta de San Francisco, the tiny but wonderful gardens in Plaza de Juan Gonzales de La Torre, or the seafront rock pools
  
• A trip through the island’s hinterland takes you into some spectacular scenery. Climb up to El Tanque and you can stretch your legs in one of 3 nature reserves: the Teno Rural Park, the Forest Crown Nature Park and the Chinyero Special Nature Reserve
  
• Do a tour around the volcano. There’s a lookout halfway along, where you can gaze all the way down to the coast. There’s also a good restaurant where you can get a bite of lunch
  
• Head to the western tip at Punta de Teno for an 1883 lighthouse, volcanic coves, dreamy colours and spectacular views down the coast to the cliffs of Los Gigantes. There’s great hiking here, too

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Croquet
• Golf
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Shopping / markets
• Swimming
• Table tennis
• Tennis

Kids

With so many activities on offer in the area, children will love this hotel. There's a vast amount of space for playing, plus a large swimming pool, tennis and basketball courts, and a TV room. No rooms interconnect, but families can be accommodated in rooms next to each other.

Best for:

All ages

Family friendly accommodation:

One of the Standard rooms has a double sofabed so can sleep 4. Extra beds and baby cots are available in most rooms.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Hotel El Patio is situated on the northwest coast of Tenerife, near the town of Garachico.

By Air:
Tenerife North, which is used mostly for domestic flights, is 50km away. Tenerife's main international airport Tenerife South, is 75km away via the slow western road, or 112km by the eastern motorway (which is probably faster).

From the Airport
You can get a taxi to the hotel but we'd suggest hiring a car so that you can explore the island at your leisure (see below). Public transport links aren't very good.

By Car:
For car hire please see our car rental recommendations.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.