LA PINTA WARMER
Sun-drenched Tenerife hotel is ideal for all-year-round family holidays
By Richard Jones
Sunshine has been called “the most precious gold to be found on Earth”, and there’s no denying the positive effect that a few warm rays can have on your wellbeing. It’s late January, and while millions of Brits were pulling on extra layers to stay warm and dry in the UK, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky in Tenerife as I sipped on a sweet sangria, looking out over the calm Atlantic Ocean from behind my sunglasses.
Tenerife has long been one of Britain’s favourite holiday destinations, but it’s not just the guaranteed warm weather that makes the largest of the Spanish-overseen Canary Islands so popular – particularly over the winter months. With its golden and black sandy beaches, a world-class waterpark, golf courses, hiking and biking trails, varied and affordable food and drink, and a wide selection of hotels, Tenerife has everything families could want for a holiday.
Following a quick four-hour flight from the UK with Jet2, we arrived at our digs, HOVIMA La Pinta Beachfront Family Hotel in Costa Adeje on the south-west coast of the island.
As soon as my wife Rachel and our two teenage daughters Isla and Evelyn stepped inside the all-inclusive complex’s foyer we felt at home. After Eva on the front desk explained how everything worked, she gave us a short tour and walked us down the corridors, past the hotel’s giant marine mural to our Excellence Family Room.
The half-amphitheatre design of the hotel means that most of the rooms and suites have ocean views, and the La Pinta beach vista from our wrap-around corner balcony was nothing short of gob smacking. Inside, the room itself was huge, meaning we could relax without out having to tidy up after the kids, and it had all the mod cons you’d expect from a four or five-star hotel, with a kitchenette containing a coffee maker and pods, kettle and a fridge replenished daily with water and all-inclusive sodas and Tropical beers.
Two separate bedrooms meant we all had our own space, while the two sizeable bathrooms, each with a rain shower, avoided any tetchy queues in the morning or evening. As well as the beach, our room also looked down on HOVIMA La Pinta’s chic swimming pool. Although our girls are now both Insta-obsessed teenagers, they still like to lark around in the pool, while Rachel and I were just spoilt for choice when picking which south-facing lounger to park ourselves on. And in between splashing around in the water and relaxing on a sun bed, we made the most of our all-inclusive package by chilling out with a cheeky cocktail, cold beer, mocktail or ice cream.
There is a lovely family atmosphere at HOVIMA La Pinta, with younger children clearly having a ball with the friendly staff and mascot Globi in the kids’ club and playground, or paddling and pottering in the shallow pool. For the older kids (and adults) there are table tennis and pool tables, giant Connect 4 and chess sets and a multi-sports court with football goals and basketball hoops.
Despite being an all-inclusive resort, there is plenty of choice food-wise in the large buffet restaurant. However, you can also book a slot in the poolside à la carte themed restaurant on an evening and we spent a couple of nights there, enjoying set menus of tasty fish and seafood dishes and delicious Italian pasta and pizza.
As my eldest daughter Isla has coeliac disease, we were a bit apprehensive about heading to an all-inclusive Spanish hotel. But we needn’t have been. The chef Ana took Isla on a personal tour of the buffet, explaining what she could safely eat and what gluten-free alternatives could be quickly prepared in the kitchen. It put us all at ease straightaway. Other than its first-class service, the best thing about the HOVIMA La Pinta complex is the location. Looking out straight onto the beach, you are just feet away from the oceanfront and dozens of bars, restaurants and shops catering for the sunbathers and surfers.
And although HOVIMA La Pinta is a haven, you’re missing out if you don’t get out and about and see more of Tenerife, whether it’s strolling down past the harbour to Playa de Las Américas and Los Cristianos, or going beyond the southern strip on trips up Spain’s highest mountain Tiede, or to Loro Parque zoo on the outskirts of lively northern city Puerto de la Cruz. While Rachel took Isla for some lane swimming at sports complex T3 Caleta, Evelyn and I explored Playa de Torviscas and Playa de Fañabé, calling into Waxy O’Shea’s on the seafront for some lunch.
For part of the week, we met up with my dad Allan and brother Nicki, who were on the island, but staying at a different hotel in Las Américas.
On our penultimate day, they accompanied us to Siam Park – Tenerife’s world-famous water park – riding Saifa, its new high-speed watercoaster powered by RocketBLAST technology, as well as Kinnaree, Mekong Rapids, Dragon and the terrifying Tower of Power freefall slide. Understandably, the adults weren’t up for joining the adrenaline-junkie kids on every ride, but there were plenty of places to relax between the thrills.
With the enormous white sandy Siam Beach and its epic pool, Palace of Waves, being renovated ahead of the spring/summer season, we claimed a pod on the loungers beside the tranquil Coco beach and its mini wave pool. The best part of multi-generational holidays is everyone coming together for quality time and a meal at the end of the day.
Our destination on the final evening was Hard Rock Cafe in the heart of Las Américas’ famous Golden Mile. After the six of us munched on burgers and washed them down with cocktails and mocktails, we strolled down to Leonardo’s and The Travellers Rest, just down from the infamous Veronica’s strip.
The next morning, it was time to get ready for our flight home, but Isla and I still had a couple of hours to get our feet nibbled by tiny carp fish and pick up some Canary Islands aloe vera after-sun specialites from the beachfront shops. Although both the tickly pedicure and soothing lotions did us good for a short period of time, it was the precious golden shot of vitamin D provided by the sunshine and the hospitality at our lovely Tenerife hotel that were the real La Pinta warmers.
Richard Jones March 2024
FACTBOX
Jet2holidays (jet2holidays.com and jet2.com) offers seven nights all-inclusive at the four-star HOVIMA La Pinta Beachfront Family Hotel (hovimalapinta.com) in Costa Adeje, Tenerife, from £1189 per person. Price is based on a family of four (two adults and two children) sharing a one-bedroom apartment, and includes return flights departing from Manchester on 30 January 2025, a 22kg baggage allowance and return transfers.
Get more for your money on this holiday with one of Jet2’s free child places. Please see: jet2holidays.com/free-child-place-finder
For more information on things to do in Tenerife and on the other Canary Islands, please visit: hellocanaryislands.com