Tenerife is also known for its small production wines, many of which don’t even make it off the island, and there are some wonderful bodegas to visit here too. Bodegas Ferrera in the Güímar Valley stands amid an ancient lava flow and produces organic wines, including the ubiquitous malvasia and the native black vijariego, which makes for dark meaty wines (tour and tasting £40, bodegasferrera.es), while Bodegas Monje makes an aromatic listán blanco and even ages some of its wines under the sea. Gimmick or genius? You decide (tastings from £7, bodegasmonje.com).
If you’re thinking this sounds a little too paper-tablecloth rustic, worry not. The Michelin guide to Spain has uncovered star-worthy restaurants on both Tenerife and Gran Canaria and an increasingly famous duo, the Tenerifian Padrón brothers, are largely responsible for the islands’ ascension upmarket.
On Tenerife, don’t miss their Rincón de Juan Carlos – on the rooftop at the Corales Beach hotel – where a tasting menu features the likes of Canarian black pudding, local cherne fish and sea lettuce (£116, elrincondejuancarlos.com). On Gran Canaria head to Las Palmas for Poemas by Hermanos Padrón, an elegant wood-panelled dining room at the Hotel Catalina which serves an equally inventive tasting menu of dishes such as red prawn dumpling and baby squid with pickled lemon and black garlic (£107, restaurantepoemas.com).
Nightlife
Let’s dismiss the hulking pachyderm in the room right away: yes, the Canary Islands remain a destination for those seeking hedonism of a decidedly unglamourous bent, but there are only two areas of significant Brit-bar build-up – Playa de las Américas on Tenerife and Playa del Inglés on Gran Canaria – and both are easily avoided.
