Just in the door from my first trip to Tenerife, and all I can say is that it was an incredible holiday. We were looking for Easter sun, and we got it; we were looking for relaxation, and we got it; we were looking for some sporting activities, and we certainly got it; and we were looking for great food, and we got it in abundance. The Travel Suite hit the nail on the head when they booked our first European Sun Holiday outside of the summer months.
We flew with Aer Lingus to Tenerife, which was just over a 4 hour flight, and no time difference. Dublin airport was surprisingly quiet for Easter Saturday, however apparently it was chaotic the day before. It actually was an easy process with Bag Drop being the only way to travel these days. Because we had never been to Tenerife before we organised a transfer on arrival to our hotel, which was only 15 minutes away. Next time we will jump in a taxi as although the experience was wonderful, the cost of a taxi is only about €35, a quarter of what we paid! For all new comers to Tenerife the Island is really split in two; the North which has cooler weather and is where the capital, Santa Cruz, is and the South which we flew into and is mainly where the holiday makers go.
The hotel The Travel Suite chose for us was out of this world, Bahia del Duque, www.thetaishotels.com. Apparently it was the first 5 star hotel built in Tenerife and 30 years on has certainly thought of everything. It is like a mini village of its own with a Michelin star restaurant (Nub), Italian restaurant (La Trattoria), Mexican restaurant (La Hacienda), French cuisine (La Brasserie), Basque restaurant (Sua) to name but a few. We were spoilt for choice and ended up eating in most of the restaurants during our week long stay. I loved the Beach Club restaurant for lunch looking over the sea, and the Basque restaurant was excellent.
Our family loves a bit of activity so after an hour long walk along the coast in the morning followed by a lazy breakfast we played pitch and putt on the hotel’s 9 hole course. We did spot a beautiful 18 hole course up the road which we will definitely try out next time (Golf Costa Adeje). After some lounging by the pool and a bit of lunch we took to the paddle courts or the tennis courts to run off some of the glorious food. We passed by the Wellness centre every day which looked out of this world. We didn’t give ourselves enough time to book a treatment but that is on the list for next time too.
I have never seen so many pools on a property before which lends itself to seeming smaller than it is, if that is possible. Apparently there are over 40 villas, and 600 hotel bedrooms on the property, but you would never know it as the gardens, and design, and structure make it feel much smaller. The villa we stayed in was huge, and had its own private pool, a bathroom bigger than anything I have ever seen, a gorgeous sitting room, and a beautiful terrace. The villas have their own private restaurant which you can use for breakfast (included in villa package)/lunch/dinner, however we moved around a bit for lunch/dinner. The reception organise everything for you from booking courts to booking dinner to booking taxis and buggies to get around the property.
The beach in front of Bahia del Duque is a white sand beach which is unusual on the island as the others are mainly black sand. The water was crystal clear and is beautiful to swim in. There are water sports galore from jet skis, to speed boat parachuting, to sailing to everything. Along the coast are beautiful little fishing villages with super restaurants, and walks. The one which we liked closest to the hotel was called La Caleta, and only a 20 minute walk away. Mount Teide which is the volcano mountain that Tenerife is most famous for is about an hour’s drive away and you can get a cable car up to see it. The last time it erupted was in 1909, and has been dormant since. It actually is the highest peak in all of Spain, 3715 meters high. Santa Cruz, the capital is also worth a visit as you can see the real side to Tenerife, and not just the holiday one. Cars are easily rented there, as are scooters but the Travel Suite will organise everything for you if you wish.
A big Thank You to Sandra in the Travel Suite for all her hotel, restaurant and destination recommendations. We are back home with some sun on our bones and memories galore.
Fun Facts
- Tenerife is one of the Canary Islands and is part of Spain, where Liz Taylor once lived
1 million people live in Tenerife, and about 5 million visit a year - The sun shines in Tenerife 12 months of the year with temperatures ranging from
18-28 degrees celcius - The flight from Dublin to Tenerife is only 4 hours 30 minutes, with no time difference
More about Bahia del Duqu
Written by Stephanie Frame , Thank you.
