Lovely Break in Tenerife

I have just returned last week from a lovely break in Tenerife. My husband and I always go around this time of year as iit’s always nice to get a bit of winter sunshine. We did travel slightly earlier this year as we would normally travel the last week in November but have other commitments. I have to say we did have lovely weather, a bit cloudy in the mornings, but the sun did appear in the afternoons. We always stay at the Tropical Park Apartments in Callao Savaje as we have friends that live there in the south of the Island about 13 km from Playa de las Americas.

Originally a small fishing village, the resort has undergone a dramatic transformation as part of the tourist boom experienced across Tenerife. Yet despite the proliferation of high-rise hotels and touristy bars, Callao Salvaje has managed to remain peaceful and relaxed. In a nutshell, Callao Salvaje is ideal for those who want to be near the action, but not in the middle of it

One of our favourite things to do while we away, apart from relaxing by the pool, is to eat out at the many restaurants they have in Tenerife. Thai Botanico is one of my favorites and is situated in the Safari Centre in Playa de las Amercas. The stunning botanical dining terrace is filled with a rich mixture of beautiful plants and decorated with authentic imported artefacts from the Eastern regions giving you the feeling of being in a restaurant perched on a hillside in Thailand.

Another of our favorires is Kiki Riki’s which is on the edge of Playa de las Americas and Los Cristianos. This a family run Spanish Restaurant and always worth a visit on a Sunday for a late afternoon dinner as there is 40% off the food. The speciality here is chicken, but there is an amazing choice right across the menu, from six types of savoury breads, through soups and crispy salads, meat, fish, shellfish, specialities which include gratinated spinach cream, puff pastry with spinach and blue cheese, onion cake with smoked salmon, and more, plus 23 different pizzas choose from, and to round off your meal, some fabulous home-made desserts.  Not listed on the menu, but nevertheless also specialities at Kikiriki are suckling pig and succulent roast lamb. The Roast Chicken with Kiki Riki Sauce is my favorite!

One of the most simplistic restaurants is El Cine in Los Cristianos. In the looks department, El Cine is hardly Hollywood glamorous. The décor is understated to the point of being non-existent; tables and chairs crammed underneath a lemon coloured canopy in a narrow alley – and maybe that’s part of its charm. When so much of Tenerife is being developed and given a ‘nip and tuck’ so that the term ‘upmarket” can be added, El Cine feels like a link to the town’s simple fishing village roots. The main attraction is the El Cine Menu ,like the décor the menu is minimalist and features one salad, chips, papas arrugadas (wrinkled Canarian potatoes) and around ten main courses; all fish and seafood except jamoncitos de pollo(fried chicken wings). This place is ideal to go to late afternoon after being on the beach and you can rock up in your beach wear and no one takes a second look.

Although we were only there for 8 days we did manage to visit all of the restaurants above and even mnaged El Cine twice. 8 days wasnt long enough when you are visiting friends but you have to come home sometime to get some money to go back again! On the plus side I do have 2 short cruises to look forward to before the end of the year!

Have you ever visited any of the above restaurants? Whats are your thoughts?