After spending hundreds of nights visiting the Canary Islands, I think these 10 hotels are among the most captivating in the world
- On every Canary Island, choose from all-inclusive resorts, adults-only hotels, and historic estates.
- I visit the Canary Islands five to 10 times a year, and these are my favorite places to stay.
I've been traveling to the Canary Islands for about 15 years. I've come with friends, family, my partner, on my own, while pregnant, with a newborn, and, more recently, with a toddler in tow.
My stays can be as short as a weekend to as long as a couple of months. In doing so, I've stayed nearly everywhere and think many Canary Island hotels stand out as some of the most magnificent lodgings in the entire world.
Some of my favorite places to stay were discovered after heavy research, while others I stumbled upon by accident or booked last minute. Before having a child, I loved the adults-only boutique hotels; now, I prefer larger resorts like the Hotel Riu Palace Jan dia for its child-friendly amenities.
The best way to figure out where to stay on the Canary Islands is to visit frequently, but if you haven't had a chance to do that, it's OK — I have.
After hundreds of nights spent on all the Canary Islands, I put together a list of my favorite hotels for every budget and type of traveler. Keep reading for my list, plus my guide on how to decide where to stay in the Canary Islands.
The best Canary Island hotels
Ritz Abama, Tenerife
Whenever I want a relaxing weekend away or have a stash of Marriott Bonvoy points to burn, I head to the Ritz Carlton Abama in western Tenerife. In fact, I try to get here once a year to enjoy the magnificent sea views and sunsets.
The property stuns with its Moorish architecture and pristine grounds covered with vibrant flowers and swaying palm trees. I love lodging here when I want a luxurious vacation — even the lowest room category, the Deluxe rooms come with Asprey bath amenities, furnished terraces with sea views, and Nespresso machines.
Royal Garden Villas, Tenerife
On Tenerife's Costa Adeje, on the southwestern, sunny side of the island, the Royal Garden Villas has 28 luxury villas ranging from private, one-bedroom homes to family-friendly two- and three-bedroom houses.
Choose this spot over the Ritz if you're traveling with a group or want added privacy, as each villa comes with its own private pool. I adore the beautiful design details like boho-chic landscaping, Thai-inspired bamboo, and the wicker, wooden, and metal-rimmed lounge furniture scattered throughout the indoor and outdoor spaces. The floating pool breakfasts certainly don't hurt, either.
Lopesan Costa Meloneras, Gran Canaria
Near the famed Maspalomas sand dunes, the beachside Lopesan Costa Meloneras has one of the best spas I've been to, the Om Spa, which makes this a great choice for couples looking to relax. The spa is massive, with a four-hour circuit that includes Thalasso water-therapy rooms, a Himalayan salt room, an igloo, a floating salt pool, a Turkish bath, plus steam rooms, saunas, and indoor and outdoor pools.
Set amid a verdant garden landscape overlooking the ocean, you'll feel brand new after a stay and spa treatment. I always spend a little extra to upgrade to the second room category, the Deluxe View. It has beautiful ocean views instead of the standard garden views. They're sublime and worth it.
Salobre Hotel, Gran Canaria
Salobre Hotel is ideal for travelers who want a secluded but active stay that doesn't just revolve around the beach, as it's slightly farther inland.
Apt for both couples and families, this retreat has a gorgeous Be Aloe spa that's prime for relaxation but also includes several fitness options like yoga classes. There are also on-property running paths, a cycling center, and one golf course with a second course set to open in September 2022.
Though I'm not much of a cyclist, my husband always chooses this hotel for its on-site rentals, gear, and maintenance that make mountain-biking adventures quick and easy. While he bikes, I enjoy the hotel's desert setting and pool cabana views, which overlook the arid mountaintops of the island's interior.
La Isla y el Mar, Lanzarote
La Isla y el Mar is an adults-only, intimate boutique hotel I go to when I need a child-free getaway. The hotel feels trendy, with a bar that keeps tropical drinks flowing for guests lounging on sleek all-white pool furniture.
Though it's an idyllic oasis for couples, I enjoy visiting with a group of adults, as we can all stay together in one of the resort's three-bedroom, three-bathroom villas with a private pool and sea views.
Hotel Riu Palace Jandia, Fuerteventura
Many hotels on the Canary Islands are family-friendly, beachfront, all-inclusive properties that I never appreciated until I had a kid. Hotel Riu Palace Jandia is one of them, perched on the edge of one of my favorite white-sand beaches in the very south of the island, Morro Jable.
Rooms were recently renovated and feel contemporary and luminous. Though the hotel's cuisine is buffet-style, I think the food is more varied (yes to all those tropical fruits!) and tastier than at many other all-inclusive hotels on the Canaries.
Parador de La Gomera, La Gomera
Paradores are hotels in Spain owned by the state and deemed special thanks to their cultural, artistic, or historical value. Often located in castles or other emblematic, historic buildings, Paradores typically offer a charming, one-of-a-kind lodging experience.
Parador de La Gomera has a classic Canarian design style with a simple, white hacienda created from a particular type of masonry that includes placing random different-size stones within exterior walls. The quaint hotel has plenty of outdoor spaces with sea views, including the pool, one of my favorite spots to watch the sunset.
Hacienda de Abajo, La Palma
I always find historical hotels charming, and Hacienda de Abajo is noteworthy because it's a restored former sugar estate from the 17th century.
Designated as the first emblematic hotel in the Canary Islands, the building sits within a lush estate with leafy gardens and a banana farm. I love wandering around the hotel to admire the curated art collection of more than 1,300 pieces, including Flemish tapestries, Chinese porcelain, and European carvings.
Rooms offer my favorite brand of bath amenities, L'Occitane, and come with regal chandeliers, gilded headboards, and works from the hotel's impressive art collection.
Parador de El Hierro, El Hierro
I'll never turn down a chance to stay at a Parador, and El Hierro's outpost is especially gorgeous, located on a black-sand beach at the foot of a volcano. An intimate retreat surrounded by towering natural elements, Parador de El Hierro has a remote magnificence to it.
Rooms are modern with spacious bathrooms and balconies, and rates can sometimes be found for as low as 100 euros a night. With not much besides beach, mountains, and waves nearby, you'll need a car to get around, unless you want to hole up and enjoy the seclusion of this hotel, which is truthfully pretty perfect, too.
Hotel Puntagrande, El Hierro
One of the most interesting Canary Island stays I've ever had was at the family-owned and adults-only Hotel Puntagrande hotel.
One of the smallest hotels in the world (it made the Guinness Book of World Records back in 1984 for its tiny size), the building has just four rooms and a suite and is located on a rocky lava outcrop surrounded by the crashing waves of the Atlantic. Unlike other hotels on this list, rooms have no TVs, and there is no pool, offering hotel guests an immersive escape into the elements.
How to decide where to stay on the Canary Islands
Generally, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and Gran Canaria have the most accommodation options, from large name-brand resorts to boutique hotels, intimate B&Bs, and vacation and villa rentals. The smaller islands of La Palma, El Hierro, and La Gomera don't have quite as many choices but offer great places to stay if you know where to look.
Locals tend to congregate, work, and live north of Tenerife and Gran Canaria, near Santa Cruz and Las Palmas, as these capitals are the most populous, busiest, developed areas. The southern regions of these islands feature white-sand beaches and tourist-friendly resorts, as well as many expat communities and retirees who've fled rain and snow for a sunny island lifestyle.
The weather is often sunnier and warmer in the south of these two islands, which is often how I decide where to stay. If I want a beach vacation (usually in winter), I'll stay south. For wine tasting, hiking, and local vibes, I'll go to the north. And, I always rent a car to access all areas.
Fuerteventura and Lanzarote have local villages next to the more typical tourist resorts. La Gomera, El Hierro, and La Palma are less touristy, and English isn't as widely spoken.
The Canary Islands are typically very affordable. The average traveler could manage a stay at the Ritz Abama in Tenerife (rates start at 290 euros a night) while a budget traveler can find excellent smaller hotels starting about 100 euros a night, like the Parador de El Hierro.
View Insider's comprehensive guide to visiting the Canary Islands.