Hotel San Roque

The best hotel in the Canaries? Film-star good looks seduce at this designer conversion of an 18th-century mansion in the sleepy fishing village of Garachico.

Garachico, old and pretty, is squeezed between ocean and mountain, but it’s San Roque which exhilarates; everything about this boutique hotel is special. Inside, you find luxury, chic style and peace.

The architectural elegance of this 18th-century mansion needs little embellishment. Wide cloistered walkways under heavy beamed ceilings lead to arched stone doorways. Wood, stone and steel mix easily with the terracotta-washed walls and the feel is uncluttered and airy, with a sense of timeless calm. Big wicker sofas are scattered about, the daily papers wait to be read. Lie by the pool and take the sun or walk down to the sea and bathe in volcanic rock pools. Potter back for a cup of Earl Grey on the roof terrace or grab a video from reception and head to your room. The 20 rooms are strikingly simple. You’ll find Rennie Macintosh and Mies van der Rohe chairs, Spanish modern art, super-comfortable beds and all the 21st-century gadgets you could want. Cocktails on the house are served at six; the bells of Glorieta de San Francisco will summon you down. The kindest staff add the final touch. Perfect.

Highs

• The exquisite traditional architecture combined with delicate modern decor.
• The Tower suite with its private roof terrace and views of mountain and sea.
• The swimming pool in a cloistered courtyard that's flood-lit at night.
• Great staff, who are kind, helpful and unobtrusive.
• Ideal for those looking to discover the real Tenerife, the north west is a world apart from the built-up resorts on the south of the island.

Lows

• A set menu at dinner offers no choice, but if there's something you can't eat, they'll find something you can.
• You'll need a hire car to get down here.
• The good beaches are on the other side of the island, and that puts them out of range.
• North Tenerife gets more cloud and rain than the south but this also makes it more lush, green and tropical.