We have brought up our own children on this stretch of coast, and we still get asked the same question by guests every season: where should we take the kids? Costa Adeje and Las Américas were built with holidaymakers in mind, and that includes families with several children in tow, grandparents, and everyone in between. Here is what we tell our guests, based on years of actually doing this ourselves.
Beaches that work for families
The beaches along this stretch are mostly man-made and sheltered, which makes them a good starting point with young children. The sand tends to be imported and pale, the water is calm behind breakwaters, and there are lifeguards on the main beaches during the busier months. Playa del Duque, at the more polished end of Costa Adeje, has particularly gentle water and a wide promenade if you are pushing a buggy. Playa de Fañabé and Playa de Torviscas sit closer to the centre of the action and are easy to reach on foot from most of the villas in this area, with beach bars nearby for when the children need a break and you need a coffee.
If your children are a little older and keen to try surfing, the beaches further along towards Las Américas have small, manageable waves that are well suited to lessons. There are surf schools operating along this coast that take children from around six or seven upwards, and a morning lesson is often enough to tire out even the most energetic member of the family.
Siam Park and other water fun
Siam Park is the obvious highlight for families staying in this part of Tenerife, and it genuinely lives up to its reputation. There are areas designed specifically for smaller children with gentler slides and shallow pools, as well as the bigger rides for teenagers and adults who want more of a thrill. We would suggest arriving as close to opening time as you can manage, since the park fills up as the day goes on, and the queues for the most popular rides can grow long by midday. Bring your own sun cream and reapply it more often than you think you need to, as the Tenerife sun is stronger than it looks, even with a breeze.
Beyond Siam Park, there are boat trips from nearby harbours that often include the chance to see dolphins or whales in the channel between Tenerife and La Gomera. These trips are usually well suited to families, with life jackets provided for children, and they make a nice contrast to a day spent on sand or slides.
Where to eat with a big family
Feeding a large group of hungry children and adults without a fuss is one of the more practical challenges of a family holiday, and Costa Adeje is well set up for it. Many restaurants along the seafront and around the main shopping areas expect families and are used to high chairs, shared plates and children who want plain pasta rather than anything adventurous. We tend to look for places with outdoor seating and a view, so the adults can relax with a glass of wine while the children finish their food at their own pace.
For a more self-contained evening, we often suggest that families staying with us do at least one or two big meals at the villa itself. Cooking together, or having a barbecue on the terrace, takes the pressure off trying to find a table for a dozen or more people on a Saturday night. It also means the smaller children can be put to bed at a sensible hour while the rest of the group carries on enjoying the evening outside.
Practical tips for visiting with children
A few small things make a difference here. The pavements in the older parts of Las Américas can be uneven, so a sturdy buggy or a good baby carrier is worth having. Air conditioning is standard in most accommodation, including ours, which matters more than people expect when travelling with young children in the height of summer. Supermarkets nearby stock most of what you would need for nappies, formula and familiar snacks, so there is rarely any need to bring more than the basics with you.
We would also say that this part of Tenerife is genuinely relaxed about children being out and about a little later than they might be at home. Restaurants and promenades stay lively well into the evening, and nobody will look twice if your children are still up and playing at half past nine.
We live locally and design our villas with exactly this kind of holiday in mind, from The Surf Villa 2 close to Siam Park to the larger Surf Villa and Surf Villa 3, which give bigger families the space to spread out and still eat together at the end of the day. If you would like to see what is available for your dates, our live calendar at thesurfvillatenerife.com is the best place to check.