Hotel El Patio

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.

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