Hotels and villas in Canary Islands resorts: where to stay

On Tenerife, the south is the classic holiday base. Playa de las Américas is 14 minutes from Tenerife South airport and close to Siam Park, while Adeje, 15 minutes away, puts the walk into Barranco del Infierno on your doorstep. Los Gigantes, around 30 minutes from the airport, is a smaller, quieter coastal town. Head north to Puerto de la Cruz, 37 minutes by road, for Loro Parque, Lago Martiánez and Castillo de San Felipe, or stay in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the island's city of over 200,000 people, for its castles, the Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre and Playa de Las Teresitas.

Lanzarote is the easiest island for short transfers: Arrecife is 5 minutes from the airport, Puerto del Carmen 6 and Costa Teguise 10. On Gran Canaria, Maspalomas sits 24 minutes from the airport, near Palmitos Park and Maspalomas Lighthouse, with Telde only 7 minutes away. On Fuerteventura, Corralejo (27 minutes) looks across to Lobos Island and has a ferry port, while Costa Calma (42 minutes) is the base for reaching Cofete beach in the south.

The purpose-built resorts, such as Playa de las Américas, Costa Teguise, Costa Calma and Puerto del Carmen, are small towns that exist largely for holidaymakers, so this is where resort hotels and holiday apartments make sense, particularly for families who want Siam Park or the beach close by. If you are after the best family hotels the Canary Islands can offer, the south of Tenerife and Maspalomas are the natural places to start, given the water park and Palmitos Park nearby.

Couples wanting something quieter, including an adults only hotel, may prefer the smaller coast at Los Gigantes or a base in the older towns. Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Arrecife and Puerto de la Cruz are working towns with history, which suits a city-style or boutique hotel close to museums and castles rather than a sun-lounger complex.

Villa holidays in the Canary Islands work best where you plan to drive: a car makes it simple to explore Fuerteventura's beaches from Corralejo to Cofete, or Tenerife's north and south. Use the filters on this page to compare villas to rent, luxury villas and luxury hotel options alongside standard rooms.

Pick the airport first. Tenerife South serves Playa de las Américas, Adeje and Los Gigantes; Puerto de la Cruz is a longer drive from there. Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura each have a single airport, all with direct flights from the UK. Many British travellers book a package, which bundles the flight, hotel and transfer, and you can compare deals from Jet2holidays, TUI, loveholidays and On the Beach here, as well as hotel-only prices and car hire.

The islands are a year-round choice: Adeje averages 21°C in January and 28°C in August, with February the coolest month at around 20°C. School holidays push up demand for family rooms and villas, so book those dates early. Outside them, there is usually more choice across hotels in the Canary Islands, and the live prices on this page let you check the difference between weeks before you commit.