Words by Elisabeth Rushton
Lying just off the northeast coast of Africa, Tenerife is the largest island in the Canarian archipelago. Its most striking feature is the volcanic, snow-draped Pico del Teide, which, at 12,198 feet, is Spain’s tallest mountain, and home to some of the most fabulous hiking and biking trails in the whole country. The slopes leading up to Teide’s summit are blanketed with barren lava fields in the south and pines in the north.
Tenerife’s capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, is a sprawling urban centre, with the attendant crowds and Brit-infused revelry. Beyond the more obvious tourist spots, however, the island is extraordinarily beautiful and diverse, with banana plantations and vineyards scattered amongst remote, mountain-ridge villages, charming old villages and cultured port towns.
Hotel
The hotel is a visually arresting, sprawling pink palace, visible for miles around in the south of Tenerife thanks to its distinctive Moorish design and adjacency to a huge, spectacular Championship golf course. It is situated in the south of Tenerife, which has a more arid landscape and a higher concentration of tourists, but The Ritz-Carlton, Abama feels like a peaceful oasis, far from the bustle of crowds.
The physical footprint of the resort, at 160 hectares, is huge, and it is set in vast swathes of lush garden, so there’s plenty of tropical foliage around to admire, from cacti and colourful flowers to palms and a plantain plantation. The airy marble lobby, with a bar to the side, features a glass roof and leads on to an attractive roof terrace – a top sundowner spot – affording a view through an arch at the centre of the main hotel (known as the Citadel) across a large carp pond and out to sea.
The resort comprises 459 luxurious rooms and suites, which are spread out across three main enclaves. The sheer size of the resort may initially seem somewhat daunting, but there are various modes of regular and punctual transport to ensure that guests can get around with ease. There is a train that runs between the hotel lobby and the beach twice an hour throughout the day, a funicular, and golf buggies. There is also a pedestrian footpath alongside the road.
The big bonus of the resort’s expansiveness is that it never seems crowded. When I visited with my family in July, I’d never have guessed the hotel was at 98 per cent occupancy.
Room
There are three types of room (all either resort or ocean facing) which are distributed across the main Citadel building and the villas on separate levels on the hill down to the beach: deluxe, followed by junior and one-bedroom suites. Our junior suite was remarkably spacious, at 80 sq m it felt comfortably roomy, with a balcony accessible from both the bedroom and the living room.
Rooms are decorated in neutral tones, with contemporary furniture and Nespresso machines as standard, an exceptionally comfortable bed, and stylish Moroccan lights. There is ample storage, a big marble bathroom with a separate loo, twin sinks, shower, and a large tub. The Asprey toiletries smell gorgeous, and are replenished frequently and generously; we ended up with a sizeable surplus by the end of our stay.
Food
There are many and varied dining options here, from casual dining at The Beach Club to Michelin-starred (Japanese restaurant Kabuki holds one star; Basque restaurant M.B. two; the only restaurant in the Canary Islands to hold this accolade). Martin Berasategui, M.B.’s titular chef, has a second restaurant in the resort – Txoko – where you’ll find interesting small plates such as glossy, rich Cantabrian anchovies and Canarian tomato ‘tiradito’, all manner of raw and cured fish, plus Spanish staples such as patatas bravas and Iberian ham.
Verona serves a comforting blend of classic Italian dishes and fabulous pizzas combined with some more outré creations, such a lobster with parmesan cream caviar, Sorrento lemon jam and acidic ginger. The staff here – above all Diana and Ivan – deserve a special mention for their brilliance and attention to detail.
El Mirador offers the most spectacular views of any restaurant in the resort, so arrive in time for a sundowner and bag a table outside to feast on sharing paellas replete with king prawns, langoustine, artichokes and asparagus. There’s also The Beach Club – a good spot for a lunchtime platter of seafood and cold beer – and 20/20 Steakhouse.
Breakfast is served at La Veranda, a standard international buffet of generally high quality – the egg station, pastries, and smoothie bar are particular highlights. Villa guests also have the option to have breakfast at El Mirador.
Spa
There’s plenty to enjoy at the spa, which offers a range of restorative and transformative treatments inspired by the natural world and local traditions. Amenities include a herbal steam bath, Turkish hammam, cold plunge pool, cold cabin (like a walk-in freezer) and heated beds, plus a spacious relaxation lounge with balcony, serene spa garden with yoga pavilion and refurbed gym with a wide array of state-of-the-art cardiovascular exercise machines.
To do
The resort is so vast and the on-site facilities so extensive that it would be perfectly possible to spend a couple of weeks here without setting foot outside the hotel grounds. There is a par 72, 18-hole Championship golf course and academy, and seven-court flexi-pave tennis academy (both with stellar views down over the resort and out to sea, and both chargeable). Four golf and two tennis coaches can help improve your game. There are seven attractively landscaped pools dotted around the resort. The beach is set in a small rocky cove (covered with imported sand).
For guests keen to explore further afield, there is much on offer in the vicinity of the hotel, including whale watching expeditions, Siam Park (which has established a reputation as one of the best water parks in the world), and Loro Parque – an exotic zoo.
The resort is around 30 minutes’ drive from the airport, and 10 minutes from the nearby fishing village of Playa San Juan for restaurants and shops.
Family fun
The hotel is perennially popular with families, with many returning year after year. Little wonder, as younger guests are well catered for. The hotel boasts the largest Ritz Kids club in Europe, and it offers a well-structured and well-run programme of activities between 9am and 5pm for children aged four to 12. The club is spacious and colourful, and features a slide, ball pool, cinema zone, Planetarium room and a large outdoor area with a small climbing frame and see-saw.
I usually find it quite tricky to entice my children (aged four and six) into a hotel kids’ club, but they were happy to spend a few afternoons in this one during our stay. The activities on the schedule range from bracelet making and face painting to yoga and water games, and there is a good balance of active and more leisurely pursuits. There are morning and afternoon sessions available (each session costs 25 Euros per child), as well as a whole day offer which includes lunch (provided at additional cost), for 40 Euros per child.
The Teens Club, for 13- to 17-year-olds, offers an array of activities designed to appeal to even the most discerning teen, such as archery, mindfulness, street dance, graffiti, and DJing.
All restaurants offer children’s menus, and kids under four eat free from a special menu. Family suites are available; four in the villas and eight in the Citadel, with all manner of baby equipment available to borrow, from prams to parasols.
In a nutshell
The resort is an iconic bastion of luxury on Tenerife – a true microcosm of escapism in a topographically unique landscape. Staff (of which there are some 800) are unfailingly cheerful and eager to please. The broad range of world-class amenities – from Michelin-starred dining, spa, golf and tennis facilities, and kids’ club in a year-round ambient climate makes this an ideal destination for families, gourmands and sports enthusiasts alike.
Factbox
Rooms can be booked from 375 euros per night.
Address: Calle María Zambrano 2, Carretera General, TF-47, Km 9 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 38687 Spain
Phone: +34 922 126 000
Email: rc.tfsrz.leads@ritzcarlton.com
Website: ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/spain/abama
Photography courtesy of Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Resorts
