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A guide to the best boutique hotels in Tenerife that are just perfect

Thank you for visiting my guide on the best boutique hotels in Tenerife! You will not be disappointed if you decide to visit this stunning island. 

Travel Tenerife is a place of diverse landscapes and rich culture, drawing travelers seeking both relaxation and adventure. 

In this post, I’ll introduce you to the unique charm of boutique hotels, offering a personalized touch to your Tenerife experience. 

Let’s explore the world of these lovely resorts within Tenerife’s breathtaking landscape.

You, dear reader, support this blog. When you purchase through a link, I may earn a small commission. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Psssst…!!?? You can’t get enough of Tenerife? Have a look at my other posts:

• Where to Stay in Tenerife South
• Puerto De La Cruz Accommodation
• Family Hotels in Tenerife

Best Boutique Hotels in Tenerife 1. H Big Sur –  (Los Cristianos)

• Stunning sea views
• Private balconies

My first choice is one of the best adult-only hotels in Tenerife and once you lay your eyes on it you’ll understand why. 

The H10 Big Sur is a boutique-style hotel with quirky features, perfect for couples and friends seeking a relaxing getaway. 

Located on the seafront, it offers stunning sea and harbor views from the terrace. H Big Sur offers an exclusive atmosphere with nearby shops, restaurants, and bars, and is conveniently close to the lively Playa de las Americas resort.

It has tropical gardens, an outdoor pool, a sun terrace, a poolside bar, and a buffet restaurant. 

Rooms are bright, airy, and equipped with amenities like fans, private bathrooms, satellite TV, mini-bars, safes, and balconies.

2. Vanilla Garden Boutique Hotel – (Playa de Las Americas)

• Adults-only services
• Tasty late breakfast

My next choice of the best boutique hotels in Tenerife is the Vanilla Garden, a cozy adults-only hotel in Playa de Las Americas.

The hotel features a landscaped central courtyard, pool bar, restaurant, chill-out zone, and a new gym with Jacuzzi. 

The rooms are modern and equipped with LED lighting, USB and HDMI jacks, and free WiFi, and are designed with traditional Canary Island architecture and wooden balconies. 

It’s also quite close to the Golf course of Las Americas, one of the best water parks in Tenerife, the Siam Park Water Park, and within walking distance from the seafront and beach of Troya. 

Vanilla Garden Boutique Hotel offers late breakfast until noon, free WiFi in common areas, and optional wireless and cable connections. 

The hotel’s lush and diverse vegetation, including palms, yuccas, cactus, dragons, and tropical and endemic species, contributes to the sustainability of the Canary Islands.

3. Royal Garden Villas & Spa Luxury Hotel – (Adeje)

• Authentic decorations
• Private heated pools

I’m always on the lookout for quiet places to stay in Tenerife and hotels in Costa Adeje and I would love to share this resort what you. 

The Royal Garden Villas is a 5-star resort with Balinese-style villas, private heated pools, a gym, spa, and ocean views. 

The Golden Pond Spa features an indoor pool, Turkish baths, hot tub, ice fountain, beauty treatments, and a squash court.

Each villa is decorated with chic décor and wooden furnishings. The resort offers à la carte cuisine, a restaurant and a pub. 

The resort also arranges yacht hire, green fees for local golf courses, and excursions to Puerto de la Cruz and La Gomera.

4. Dreams Jardin Tropical Resort & Spa – (Adeje)

• Incredible views
• Luxurious amenities

There are some spa hotels in Tenerife that you won’t believe they actually exist. 

Dreams Jardín Tropical Resort & Spa is a luxury hotel in Costa Adeje, Tenerife, designed for couples and families with children. 

The hotel offers a divine setting, luxury services, and an ethnic and local design atmosphere. 

Located on the seafront, guests can enjoy sports, water sports, romantic dinners, and international dishes. 

The Explorers’ Club and Core Zone provide children with endless entertainment opportunities.

Dreams Jardin Tropical Resort & Spa, situated on Adeje’s coast, offers luxurious accommodations with stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean and La Gomera. 

The resort features 12,000 m2 of gardens, elegant rooms with balconies, private bathrooms, and free WiFi. Nearby attractions include Siam Park and Tenerife Sur Airport.

5. Bahia del Duque – (Adeje)

• Huge tropical gardens
• Great dining options

Bahia del Duque is another resort that looks like a postcard and I’m positive you’re going to love it. 

Bahía del Duque, a member of Leading Hotels of the World, is a 19th-century Canarian hotel located on the Atlantic Ocean’s Atlantic Ocean shores. 

One of the best boutique hotels in Tenerife has 5 outdoor pools, a fitness center, and stylish accommodations with private balconies.

Surrounded by 63,000 sqm tropical gardens, it offers 346 rooms and 40 villas, with interiors designed for comfort and relaxation. 

The hotel also features 9 theme restaurants and 13 bars, making it easy to choose the perfect place for each occasion.

Enjoy leisure activities like aerobics, whale watching, tennis, and botanical walking at the wonderful Bahia del Duque.

6. Las Terrazas de Abama Suites – (Guia de Isora)

• Equipped apartments
• Great location

Las Terrazas de Abama Suites is a luxurious property in Abama Golf Course, offering stunning sea and golf course views. 

The suites are air-conditioned, feature a terrace, and include a dining area, living space, kitchen, refrigerator, and kettle. Guests can enjoy free transfers to the property and beach. 

The Melvin Restaurant, designed by Berasategui, offers a unique culinary experience with a menu featuring local products. 

The gourmet shop at Abama Terraces offers a variety of local artisan products and wines.

7. La Laguna Gran Hotel – (Santa Cruz De Tenerife)

• Cozy rooms
• Furnished balconies

These boutique hotels in Tenerife keep getting better and better and I’m completely in awe of the luxurious surroundings of this resort. 

La Laguna Gran Hotel, located in La Laguna near the famous Leal Theater, offers nonsmoking rooms, a seasonal outdoor swimming pool, free WiFi, and a magnificent garden. 

It features a restaurant, fitness center, bar, 24-hour front desk, and room service. The rooms have a modern and cozy decor with a lovely balcony, wardrobes and desks.

Continental and buffet breakfasts are available daily. The hotel has a terrace and a section for bike-friendly enthusiasts. 

8.

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Whether you’re a fan of the board game or the actual castle, many travellers in the South of France find themselves drawn to the medieval city of Carcassonne.

Carcassonne is like stepping back in time. I felt like I was wandering around a castle, ramparts and towers straight from the fairytales and movies.

And one of the best ways to visit is on a day trip from Toulouse to Carcassonne. As the largest major city near Carcassonne, many visitors make the pilgrimage from Toulouse by train, car or tour to walk the famous medieval walls.

Of course, there’s more to Carcassonne than just a medieval city.

In fact, the medieval city (or La Cité de Carcassonne) is actually completely separate from the modern part of Carcassonne where everyday residents go about their lives, no jousting or cannon-firing required.

If you’re considering a Toulouse to Carcassonne day trip, you’re going to want to check out my guide below. My husband, Colin, and I did this very trip in February 2024 and everything went super smoothly.

Keep scrolling for all my tips to plan your day in Carcassonne including how to get there from Toulouse, where to store your bags, what to see and do, and whether or not the whole day trip is even worth it!

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning if you click through and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

How to get from Toulouse to Carcassonne

One of the easiest, most comfortable and most affordable ways to get from Toulouse to Carcassonne is by train.

Direct Intercités or TGV trains leaving Toulouse Matabiau station arrive at Carcassonne station in just 45 minutes. Note that direct TER trains also serve this route, but take a little bit longer (apx 65 mins).

We took this route in Feb 2024 and paid €9.60 ($10 USD) per person one-way on the faster 45 minute train.

We booked our train tickets in advance, which is important for TGV/Intercités trains that can sell out and go up in price the closer you get to the date of travel.

However, if you prefer to keep your schedule flexibile or don’t mind the slightly slower TER trains, you can just book them on the day (TER trains don’t require reservations and the fares are fixed).

The train was very convenient, smooth and simple. But if you’d rather not go by train, you can also take these routes from Toulouse to Carcassonne:

• Rental car (60-90 mins)
• Bus (apx 75 mins)
• Day tour (half or full day)

Driving gives you the flexibility to leave on your own schedule and go directly to the medieval city, but requires renting a car and paying for parking. Buses are usually cheaper than trains, but less comfortable and slower.

A day tour is a great option if you don’t want to deal with the hassle of booking transportation yourself. The tour will also bring you directly to the old city, which is about 30 minutes from where the train/bus would drop you off.

Check out this highly rated day tour from Toulouse to Carcassonne!

If Carcassonne is the first stop on your France itinerary, you can actually fly into Carcassonne Airport (CCF) directly from a few cities in Europe. You could also fly into nearby airports in Perpignan (PGF), Toulouse (TLS) or Montpellier (MPL) and bus/train/drive from there.

How to get from the new city of Carcassonne to the medieval city (aka La Cité de Carcassonne)

Once you get from Toulouse to Carcassonne, you still have to get to the medieval city, also known as La Cité de Carcassonne or just La Cité.

La Cité is the part of Carcassonne that most people are familiar with; it’s the medieval city on the hill with ramparts, stone walls, towers and a castle.

The new part of Carcassonne, while lovely, isn’t exactly why this city is so popular.

The train and bus stations are both located in the new part of Carcassonne, a 30 minute walk from the medieval city. So one good reason to drive or take a tour is they will bring you right to the castle walls!

But if you’ve opted for the train or bus, you can still get to the medieval city by:

• Foot (apx 30 minutes)
• Taxi or Uber (apx 10 minutes)
• Bus (maybe…)

According to this map, local RTCA bus lines #3 and #4 should both go from the new city to the old city. However, these routes don’t show up on Google Maps (as of Apr 2024). But you can check out the schedule on the RTCA website and let me know if the buses do exist!

When Colin and I visited in February 2024, we just walked. It was a nice day and an easy walk over. Plus, it was quite cool to see the castle rising in the distance as we got closer.

The only part of the walk that was a bit challenging was right at the end, as you have to go up a fairly steep hill to enter the city.

We took an odd route (that funny enough, was on Google Maps) through a field, scrambling up some muddy rocks. But there’s a much simpler paved sidewalk you can also take (we figured that out on the way down!).

Luggage storage in Carcassonne You can add a game of Carcassonne to your luggage, complete with a “purchased in Carcassonne” sticker!

One last thing before we enjoy Carcassonne, you may be wondering what to do with your bags!

Of course, if you’re only visiting Carcassonne on a day trip from Toulouse and returning in the evening, you can just leave your bags in Toulouse.

But if you’re doing what we did, which was leave from Toulouse, spend the day in Carcassonne, and then carry onto our next destination, you’ll need to think about luggage storage.

Unfortunately, the Carcassonne train station does not have luggage lockers or storage services. But luckily, there are a few independent services in the area that you can utilize.

These luggage services work by partnering with local retailers who will store your bags for you for a small fee (apx €5 ($5 USD) per bag). It’s usually restaurants or shops who have a back room for your items.

We ended up storing our bags at a convenience store that was just across the street from the train station. This was “convenient” (get it?) since we were taking the train to/from Carcassonne.

Most of these services require you to reserve your luggage storage in advance, as these local shops don’t have unlimited space. You can reserve luggage storage in Carcassonne here.

You’ll also want to carefully check where the luggage partner is located and their hours of operation. I’ve read reviews of people turning up to grab their bags only to find the shop closed and they miss their train!

What to do in Carcassonne

Now that you’ve made it from Toulouse to Carcassonne and stored your bags, how will you spend your day? Check out some of the fun things to do in Carcassonne below!

Tour the Castle Carcassonne & ramparts

The most popular thing to do in Carcassonne is tour the castle and ramparts in the old medieval city. So natural, this was our first stop on our visit!

Carcassonne was founded in 6 BC so has a long and storied history. To learn more about it, you can go on a tour, pick up an audio-guide or simply read the plaques located around the castle (also called the Carcassonne Citadel).

Because we visited on a weekday in February, we had most of the castle to ourselves. It was a beautifully sunny day and I loved getting to walk along the ramparts and around the castle grounds.

Most of the castle is empty; you’ll walk from tower to tower or along the ramparts learning about the different structures and how they were used in battle, but don’t expect to see made-up rooms with beds and tables like you would in Versailles.

However, there are a few rooms that are not empty and hold ancient artifacts, like statues and paintings. But mostly, it’s just fun to walk around!

If you’re not visiting in the off-season like us, you’ll want to pre-book your ticket to the Castle Carcassonne.

Walk along the Canal du Midi Carcassonne

The Canal du Midi is a famous waterway in France, running 240 km (150 mi) along the southwest. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered one of the most impressive feats of construction for its time (built in the 17th Century).

The full canal network links the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea and was designed to be both practical for industrial advancement but also very pretty, blending in beautifully with its surroundings.

Part of the Canal du Midi runs through Carcassonne (as well as Toulouse, where your day trip started). So if you want to take a photo along this important body of water, you can do so while in town.

In fact, if you take the train to Carcassonne, you’ll actually walk right over the Canal du Midi as you walk into town.

Have lunch in Carcassonne

After exploring a castle and famous canal system, you’re probably getting hungry. You can pop into a local Carcassonne boulangerie for a quick snack or sit down at a restaurant for lunch.

While we were in Carcassonne for the day, Colin and I had lunch at Taverne Moderne. Their daily lunch special was €20 ($22 USD) which included an appetizer, main and dessert.

This was our first proper meal in France after a jet-lagged and delayed arrival into Toulouse the day before, so the first taste of local cheese made us giddy.

The rest of the meal was also nice, but I wouldn’t say it was the best food I’ve had in France. It was affordable and just outside La Cite, which was convenient.

If you decide to eat inside of the old city walls, keep in mind that many of the restaurants there are more high-end, so expect higher prices.

Explore Carcassonne Cite (aka the old city) Dame Carcas bust

Besides the castle and ramparts, there are lots of other places to discover in Carcassonne’s medieval city.

You’ll want to visit Saint Nazaire Basilica, a pretty church from both the in and outside, as well as the Dame Carcas bust on the outside of the city walls. There’s a fun story about Dame Carcas and how she saved the city (plus gave Carcassonne its name), which you can read here.

Within the walls there’s also a school museum, inquisition museum and haunted house. Of course there are plenty of shops, squares, restaurants and cafes to visit too.

After living out my fairytale fantasies by walking all around the Cite, Colin and I grabbed some ice cream and sat against an ancient fountain just to take it all in.

Explore the new Carcassonne

If you have a bit more time on your day trip, you can check out the new city of Carcassonne. Of course, this city isn’t exactly “new” – it just seems that way when compared to the medieval Cite.

The new part of Carcassonne definitely feels more local; you can tell that all of the tourists flock to the old city. It was kind of nice to remember that people actually live here after spending most of our time with other tourists around the castle.

In the new city, stop by Place Carnot or Andre Chenier Square, two main squares where you’ll find lots of people bustling about.

If you’re into churches (I’m not religious, but always find they’re worth a visit for their intricate architecture), you can step into Saint Michel Cathedral and Saint Vincent Church. There’s also the nearby Calvary Garden.

Before you jump back on your train, stop in at a grocery store or boulangerie for some train snacks!

Return to Toulouse from Carcassonne or travel onwards

If you’re heading back to Toulouse after your day in Carcassonne, you can simply travel the route you took to get to Carcassonne in reverse. Make sure you give yourself lots of time to get back to your train/bus from the old city.

If you’re travelling onwards from Carcassonne, you can pick up your luggage and head back to the train station. From Carcassonne, you can get to many other nearby places in France quickly and..

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