Best Tenerife Hotel in Tenerife: Where to Stay by Area

Costa Adeje is the most searched resort on the island by a wide margin, and for British travellers it is usually the first shortlist. Adeje is about 15 minutes from Tenerife South, with the Barranco del Infierno protected area inland. Next door, Playa de las Américas is 14 minutes from the airport and close to Siam Park, which makes it the obvious pick for families. Los Cristianos, just alongside, has its own ferry port, handy if you fancy a hop to another island. Further up the west coast, Los Gigantes is a smaller resort around 30 minutes from Tenerife South, while Golf del Sur and El Médano sit on the quieter south-east side.

The north feels like a different holiday. Puerto de la Cruz is the classic northern resort, home to Loro Parque, the Lago Martiánez pools, the Castillo de San Felipe, the lighthouse and the Jardín de Aclimatación de la Orotava. La Orotava and Los Realejos lie just behind it. Note that Tenerife North airport has no direct UK flights, so most people fly into the south and transfer across.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital, suits a city stay: the Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre, Castillo de San Juan Bautista and San Andrés Castle are all here, with Playa de Las Teresitas and the Roques de Anaga within reach. On the east coast, Candelaria, with its basilica, and Güimar, with the Pyramids of Güímar, make a calmer base.

The southern resorts, Costa Adeje, Playa de las Américas and Los Cristianos, were built for holidaymakers, so this is where most of the large resort hotels, aparthotels and the bulk of the Tenerife hotels 5 star listings tend to cluster. If you are after the best hotels Tenerife has for pools, sea views and short airport transfers, start your search here.

Puerto de la Cruz and Santa Cruz de Tenerife are established towns rather than purpose-built strips, so expect more town-centre hotels and city stays alongside resort properties. For more space or a group trip, Tenerife villa holidays are popular, and villas to rent in Tenerife are worth comparing if you plan to drive; quieter spots such as Guía de Isora, Santiago del Teide and Los Gigantes suit that style of stay. Villa hire Tenerife-style generally means pairing the property with a hire car, which you can compare on this page.

Most British travellers book a package: flight, hotel and transfers together, flying into Tenerife South. Transfers are short to the main southern resorts, around 14 minutes to Playa de las Américas, 15 to Adeje, 24 to Guía de Isora and 30 to Los Gigantes. Staying in the north means a longer transfer, as Tenerife North has no direct UK flights. You can compare packages from Jet2holidays, TUI, loveholidays and On the Beach on this page, alongside live hotel prices if you prefer to book separately.

Think about board basis early: all-inclusive suits families in the south who will spend days at the pool or Siam Park, while half board or room only makes sense in Puerto de la Cruz or Santa Cruz, where eating out is part of the fun. School holidays push demand up, so book those dates further ahead. Good hotels in Tenerife are in demand most of the year, since nearly every month counts as a good month to go, with February the only shoulder month.