Tenerife is the best island for a family holiday in the Canary Islands. It does not matter if you are travelling with toddlers or teenagers; Tenerife has many family-friendly resorts and things to see and do on the island. These included the amazing Siam Water Park, Loro Parque and many water sports. Also, since most of the famous family resorts in Tenerife are close to the airport and there are many daily direct flights to the islands, getting there with your family is fast and easy.
Other Canary Islands also have fun family holiday hotels and resorts, but Tenerife wins overall!
Best family holiday hotels in the Canary Islands
For those who don’t have much time to read, here is a quick summary of the article below. After travelling all over the Canary Islands for over 3 months, staying in a lot of hotels and visiting even more of them… this is my selection of the 5 best ones that are also in a family-friendly location.
- Princesa Yaiza Suite Hotel for a luxury family holiday
- Gran Castillo Tagoro Family & Fun Club for an all-inclusive-family holiday
- Iberostar Selection Lanzarote Park for a family holiday next to the beach
- Barcelo Fuerteventura Royal Level Family Club for a family holiday in a cosy modern bungalow complex
- HD Parque Cristobal Tenerife for an excellent budget family holiday
Best family holiday destinations in the Canary Islands
Costa Adeje in Tenerife – Best for families with babies, toddlers and young children
Costa Adeje is the best and most popular destination in the Canary Islands if you travel with babies, toddlers and young children. Not only is it close to the airport in the South of Tenerife, making airport transfer quick and easy, but it also has a large selection of safe white sandy beaches with small waves, lots of family-friendly restaurants and a relaxed family-oriented nightlife.
If you book a holiday in Costa Adeje with children, it is best to check the location of your accommodation on a map before booking as the part of Costa Adeje further to the back is very steep and far to walk. You want to be as close to the beachside of this resort as possible.
Best family holiday hotels in Costa Adeje
Iberostar has some fantastic family-friendly hotels all over the Canary Islands. The Iberostar Bounganville Playa is located right on the edge of Costa Adeje and Playa de las Americas, offering the best of these two great family-friendly holiday destinations in Tenerife. This hotel does not only have a great kids’ pool with slides, playground, kids club and all-day entertainment, it also has more relaxing and quiet areas for adults with great views over the surrounding area and nearby beaches.
If you want to be in a more central location in the Costa Adeje, the HOVIMA La Pinta Beachfront Family Hotel is a great choice. This hotel has everything you could want for a family holiday but is even better because of its location. It is right next to the beach, the harbour, the biggest shopping centre in this area and many restaurants and family fun pubs.
Playa de Las Americas in Tenerife – Best for families with teenagers
Playa de las Americas is the best holiday destination for families with teenagers in the Canary Islands. Not only can you do lots of active water sports here, like surfing, but there are also lots of fun parks and attractions nearby for teenagers, like Siam Water Park, karting and arcades. In addition, there are many great family-friendly places to eat in the evening and large open-air shopping centres. Later at night, there are lots of live performances and lounge bars.
Best family holiday hotels in Playa de las Americas
Spring Hotel Bitacora is a great family-friendly hotel with lots of fun stuff for the kids, like playgrounds, slides and pools. This hotel is located centrally in Playa de las Americas, less than 2 minutes’ walk from shopping centres, restaurants and beaches but far enough from the nightlife not to be bothered by it.
HD Parque Cristobal Tenerife is also great for those looking for a budget family holiday in the Canary Islands. The nice thing about this complex is its many cosy bungalow houses. This makes it easy if you quickly need something from your room, like drinks, snacks or sunscreen, as pools and entertainment are always just a few seconds away from your room.
Caleta de Fuste in Fuerteventura – Best for a family holiday with older children
Caleta de Fuste is a great choice in the Canary Islands if you want a family holiday with older kids. This area has excellent family-friendly beaches, a wide selection of restaurants and many family-fun pubs with karaoke, quizzes and live shows. You can make many boat trips from the harbour area, rent a jetski and do many other water sports. Since you are located centrally on the island and not too far from the airport, you never have to drive very far if you like to explore or visit parks and attractions.
Do know that Caleta de Fust consists of different parts. Therefore, before booking, ensure your accommodation is in front of the big road close to the beach, as otherwise, you are far away from all the fun in Caleta de Fuste.
Best family holiday hotels in Caleta de Fuste
Broncemar Beach Suites is one of the budget family holiday options in this area that I can advise. Of course, there are cheaper options, but this hotel is excellent value for money and fun for kids. The whole complex has a nice cosy feel.
Elba Sara Beach & Golf Resort is a large hotel located less than a minute from one of the most excellent beaches in this area. It also has a children’s pool and a heated pool. This last one can be especially interesting when travelling in colder months like December or January.
Barcelo Fuerteventura Royal Level Family Club is ideal for a family holiday, centrally located in a modern bungalow complex.
Costa Teguise in Lanzarote – Best for families who love beach holidays
Costa Teguise is a great place to go on holiday for families who love the beach. There are many different big and small beaches located on the coast here. Also, this area is popular for water sports like surfing and windsurfing. And if you have had enough of the beach but still want some water fun, the Aquapark water park, located in the back of the resort, is great fun for children, yet maybe a bit small for teenagers. In the evening, just next to the beach and a short walk inland, there are many great restaurants and live music.
Best family holiday hotels in Costa Teguise
I have visited many H10 hotels in the Canary Islands and they have all been good. H10 Suites Lanzarote Gardens is no exception. It is an excellent hotel for families, especially if you have small children, with a friendly mini club and kids’ pools.
Los Zocos Impressive Lanzarote is an excellent option in Costa Teguise for those looking for a more budget-friendly holiday.
Playa Blanca in Lanzarote – Best for an all-inclusive-family holiday
Playa Blanca, in the Canary Islands, has a lot of all-inclusive family hotels in all price categories. Many of these are modern new, recently built hotels with fantastic all-day entertainment for adults and children, a choice of different themed restaurants, many sports fields and playgrounds, a variety of pools, and some even have their private mini beaches in the hotel. So for those who want to spend most of the time in the hotel and next to the pool, Playa Blanca has many great hotels.
Do know that this area is huge and if you want to explore outside of your hotel it might be far to walk or you might need to take a taxi or bus if your hotel is not in the centre of the resort.
Best family holiday hotels in Playa Blanca
If you are looking for a luxury family holiday, the Princesa Yaiza Suite Hotel is one of the best options in the Canary Islands. The hotel is not only great for children but also for adults. The children have many playgrounds and their own children’s pools and playgrounds inside and outside. The adults have their own relaxing and quiet area and pool, making it ideal for everyone. On top of that, one of the best beaches in this area is located right outside the hotel.
Iberostar Selection Lanzarote Park is a similar hotel located next to an excellent beach with lots of all-day entertainment but generally a bit more budget-friendly.
Gran Castillo Tagoro Family & Fun Club is also a great hotel, especially if you are looking for an all-inclusive family holiday in the Canary Islands. However, do know that the beach here is not very pretty, but the hotel has its own private white sand beach inside the hotel area.
Playa del Ingles in Gran Canaria – For a budget family holiday
Playa del Ingles is one of the oldest and first holiday destinations in the Canary Islands. Playa del Ingles in Gran Canaria is a great choice for families who want a big, family-friendly resort but travel on a budget. This is not only interesting for people travelling on a lower budget, but since this place is so big, there is a large variety of accommodation in any price category available here.
The resort has a lovely beach, many open-air shopping centres, restaurants, arcades, mini-golf and lots of things to do and experience. Nearby there is also a waterpark, buggy, jeep safari, and much more.
When booking a hotel or accommodation in this holiday destination, look up the exact location on a map, as this area is vast and if you are on the edge of the resort, your holiday might include a lot of walking. Not ideal for families with small children.
Best family holiday hotels in Playa del Ingles
If you are travelling on a budget, I advise looking at last-minute deals, as many go to Playa del Ingles every month because there are so many hotels here.
If you are looking for a nice hotel for a family holiday, Servatur Waikiki is great and generally budget-friendly. The hotel Riu Papayas just next to it, is also great for a family holiday.
For those who enjoy the bungalow park feel and want to have your own little house, both Sol Barbacan and HD Parque Cristobal Gran Canaria are excellent for families.
Taurito in Gran Canaria – Best for a family holiday in a small and cozy holiday destination
If you are looking for a small holiday destination that is very family-friendly, Taurito is the right choice for you. This area has its own centrally located waterpark and, in the evening, has live shows and children’s entertainment right in the centre of the resort. Since this resort is situated between in a valley between two mountains, you have amazing views over the ocean just in front. If your accommodation is higher on the hill, don’t worry, because there are elevators to take you down to where all the actions are.
Best family holiday hotels in Taurito
Hotel LIVVO Costa Taurito & Aquapark is one of the best choices for a family holiday in this area. It is close to everything and has lots of pools and fun things to do in the included waterpark just outside of the hotel.
Are La Gomera, La Palma, El Hierro and La Graciosa suitable for a family holiday in the Canary Islands?
These islands are generally not interesting for a family in the Canary Islands. Not only because getting there takes longer and is more challenging because there are no direct flights from most places to these islands, but also because there is very little to do unless you like hiking and nature. If you want a unique family holiday with older children or teenagers who don’t mind the extra flight and travel time away from mass tourism, then La Gomera is your best choice.
When to visit the Canary Islands for the best family holiday
Compared to many other holiday destinations in Spain, the Canary Islands have warm and sunny weather all year round. The winters get a bit colder, but the pool and sea temperatures remain good all year round. In winter, they might be a bit chilly for some adults, but kids definitely won’t complain. Just know that to avoid the rain, especially in December, it is best to stay away from the more Northern located holy destination in the Canary Islands.
If you travel with school-aged children, it will be hard to find budget deals as school holidays are generally more expensive because so many people want to visit the Canary Islands then. However, if you are travelling with babies or toddlers, it is best to avoid school holidays to find better deals and pricing.
