Guia de Isora Holidays

Guia de Isora, on Tenerife’s west coast, is an up-and-coming resort with an old-school Canary Islands feel. The main town is a quiet affair up in the mountains, with sweeping views of the Atlantic. Down by the sea is Playa San Juan, home to a small harbour and a chic prom. And next door is Alcala, a fishing village with a pretty main square.

Playa San Juan has 2 beaches to its name – a long strip of dark volcanic sand and pebble, and a sweet cove next door that’s really popular with families. The beach is attached to a harbour, so you’ve got little boats bobbing in the water. And next door in Alcala is a quiet patch of beach that windsurfers opt for, plus a couple of paved bathing platforms.

Away from the sand, there are plenty of places to relax in Guia de Isora. The palm-lined promenades are crammed with restaurants and laid-back bars where locals sit and watch the sun sink over the island of La Gomera. Up in the main town, where the roads are barely wide enough for a car, you’ve got little family-fun shops and a weekend market.

Guia de Isora has tonnes of dramatic volcanic scenery on its doorstep. On the slopes of Mount Teide are quaint villages like Chio and Chirche, full of cobbled streets and white cottages – they’re just a 10-minute drive from the main town. Up here, you get panoramic views of the entire coastline, too.