Hotel El Patio
Garachico, Tenerife
This simple manor house - the ancestral home of the first family of Tenerife - is wrapped in a banana plantation that flanks a rugged coast
The de Ponte’s carry some weight in Garachico –
they’ve been here since 1507. They built their own church in
1565, then ruled the island from 1608. This is their land down by
the sea, and the dragon tree that stands in the courtyard is 400
years old.
These days they run a banana plantation. It’s all around you,
with signed footpaths to guide you through it. You plunge off the
main road, pass the small church, then roll down towards the ocean.
The hotel is a curious mix of styles. 100-year-old palms soar in an
ancient courtyard, a sparkling pool lazes out back with sublime
views up the mountain. Inside, the 26 rooms are simple,
homely, airy, spotless. Don’t expect designer chic; do expect
cast-iron beds, floral bedcovers, colourful walls and
terracotta-tiled floors. Rooms are split between the manor house,
the winery and the stables. Some are half a mile up the lane in a
pretty annex, offering total peace and quiet. Don’t miss the
old garden, the lemon trees, the hanging ferns, the purple
bougainvillea, the tennis court, the croquet pitch. Baltasar rules
with a rod of pure sponge. Wonderful.

Reviewed by Tom Bell
Last updated
03 September 2010
Highs
- The pool: it's flanked by banana trees with views up the mountain
- The people: Elena and Baltasar run their home with great charm
- The peace: you're in the middle of a banana plantation. You might not be lost to the outside world, but you can't hear it
- The price: you'll be hard pressed to find better value for money
Lows
- Recent reports of mediocre food at dinner (breakfasts are better, except for the coffee) and you have to drive if you want to eat elsewhere in the evening
- Some rooms are half a mile down the lane. We thought this was rather romantic; you might not
- The weather in this region can be cloudier and rainier than the southwest part of the island
This 16th-century manor house is in the middle of a 60-acre banana plantation, overlooking the Atlantic in the unspoilt northwest of the island...
The GuardianHotel El Patio: Read more press reviews



























