Family friendly luxury in Tenerife

Europe expert, Jenny, shares her experience at the sophisticated, yet child friendly Ritz-Carlton Abama.

We were greeted by a display of beautiful flowers upon our arrival at the Ritz-Carlton Abama, a peaceful welcome and far cry from busy Tenerife South airport. As we were staying in the Club Level rooms we were whisked to the dedicated check-in desk, located in the Club Lounge on the tenth floor. Bypassing the main reception desk made the whole check in experience swift and relaxing. The Club Lounge also offers complimentary food and drinks throughout the day, certainly something worth considering when choosing your rooms at Abama. Guests can also have their breakfast here as well as a pre-dinner aperitif. Club Level rooms also offer from the best views in the resort, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Flowers upon arrival

The Ritz Carlton Abama

After settling into our rooms we had a long leisurely lunch on the terrace at the poolside restaurant, Los Chozos, located next the golf course. We tucked into a delicious meal of fresh fish and tapas. This was probably my favorite restaurant during the stay.

Later in the day we visited the spa, an extensive wellness area with a huge thalassotherapy pool, sauna, steam, ice room and relaxation room. Benefiting from our Club Level complimentary pass, we enjoyed an afternoon of unwinding before getting ready for dinner.

Los Chozos restaurant

Ritz- Carlton spa

Family accommodation is located in the main citadel-style building, conveniently located to access the main facilities including the resort’s Ritz Kids Club. For those looking for more space, the one bedroom suites which connect to deluxe rooms are excellent options, you can also opt to be located in the villa buildings. The resort and garden view rooms in the villas are great because they sit on the ground floor, opening onto a terrace and garden, a good choice for families with young children but worth noting they are further from the main facilities if on foot!

Kids swimming pool

Garden view deluxe room

For dinner we ate in the hotel’s Italian restaurant, Verona, located in the main hub of the hotel. The restaurant was fairly busy but service was highly attentive and the food was excellent. There was a live jazz singer on the terrace providing a great atmosphere for an after dinner drink.

Dinner at Verona

Views from the terrace

The surrounding local area doesn’t have so much wow factor and is quite developed, so if you are looking to explore Tenerife in more depth, perhaps consider visiting Mount Teide (the tallest volcano in Europe) for a day trip.  You can access the summit by cable car and a round trip takes a couple of hours. Taking a boat trip for the day to spot dolphins is highly recommended, seeing them is almost guaranteed off the south coast making for a great day out and confirming Tenerife as a fantastic destination for the whole family to enjoy.

Tenerife's coastline

Go dolphin spotting aboard the Big Smile