Start with your base
Where you stay changes the whole holiday
Resorts that promise the same sunshine can produce completely different trips. Compare the neighbourhoods, realistic day journeys, car needs and local-food options before choosing the hotel.
18 bases compared4 islands54 ready-made day plansChecked 19 September 2026
TenerifeCosta AdejeThe easiest full-service base in sunny south TenerifeCosta Adeje is the safest first-time choice when winter sun, swimmable resort beaches, boat trips and easy logistics matter more than historic atmosphere. It is convenient, polished and expensive by Tenerife standards; the greener north feels like a separate journey.First visitsFamiliesWinter sunPlan from this base →
TenerifePuerto de la CruzA walkable northern town with gardens, history and real street lifePuerto de la Cruz is Tenerife's best resort-town compromise for travellers who value character, greenery and evenings on foot. Choose it over the south for atmosphere and the Orotava Valley; do not choose it solely for guaranteed beach weather or frequent south-coast boat trips.CouplesWalkable eveningsGreen sceneryPlan from this base →
LanzarotePlaya BlancaCalm beaches, family-friendly streets and Papagayo on the doorstepPlaya Blanca is Lanzarote's strongest family and relaxed-couple base: sheltered-feeling beaches, a long promenade and Papagayo close by. The trade-off is distance from Teguise, Haría and the northern visitor centres, so full-island sightseeing needs discipline.FamiliesCouplesCalmer beachesPlan from this base →
LanzarotePuerto del CarmenLanzarote's most convenient all-round basePuerto del Carmen wins on convenience: close to the airport, broad beaches, the island's liveliest evening choice and a central-southern road position. It is less serene than Playa Blanca and less architecturally distinctive than smaller towns, but it wastes the least holiday time.First visitsBeach plus sightseeingNightlifePlan from this base →
Gran CanariaMaspalomasReliable southern sun with several very different resort districtsMaspalomas is the practical southern base for dependable beach weather, resort facilities and the dunes. The name often covers districts with completely different moods, so choosing the right one matters more than choosing the resort itself. Mountain and north-island days are rewarding but not short.Winter sunFamiliesLGBTQ+ nightlifePlan from this base →
FuerteventuraCorralejoThe liveliest base for dunes, Lobos and Fuerteventura's northCorralejo is the best all-round northern base for restaurants, boat trips, nightlife and access to Lobos and the dunes. It is a poor choice for repeated trips to Cofete or Jandía: Fuerteventura is long, and the map understates how much holiday a north-to-south drive consumes.Lobos IslandSurfingRestaurantsPlan from this base →
FuerteventuraCaleta de FusteThe calm central base with the shortest airport transferCaleta de Fuste is Fuerteventura's sensible central base: a sheltered bay, one of the shortest airport transfers on the island and the best balance between northern and southern day trips. It will not win on character against Corralejo's harbour or El Cotillo's coves, so choose it for convenience and calm rather than atmosphere.Short transfersFamiliesSheltered swimmingPlan from this base →
FuerteventuraEl CotilloCalm lagoons, big sunsets and surf without the resort crowdEl Cotillo is the base for travellers who want the island's edges: calm lagoons, sunsets that end the day properly and surf atmosphere without the crowds. It is small and quiet, services are limited and you will want a car. Choose Corralejo instead if you need nightlife, restaurant choice or a car-free holiday.SunsetsSurfingCalm lagoonsPlan from this base →
FuerteventuraCosta CalmaLong southern beaches and the Sotavento wind, one step short of JandíaCosta Calma is the beach-first southern base: long sand, the Sotavento beaches next door and some of the island's most popular windsurf and kite conditions. It is a resort rather than a town, and the wind is part of every day. Choose it when the holiday is essentially the beach; choose Caleta de Fuste or Corralejo if you want the north to stay an easy option.Long beachesWindsurf and kiteBeach-first holidaysPlan from this base →
FuerteventuraMorro JableThe southernmost resort: a broad beach, a real town and the way to CofeteMorro Jable is the base for the far south: a wide beach with town services, a harbour and an old fishing quarter that still feels like a Canarian coastal town. Cofete and the Jandía peninsula are within reach, and the ferry to Gran Canaria leaves from its port. The trade-off is distance: the north is a long, planned day, not a spontaneous drive.CofeteWide beachesA real townPlan from this base →
Gran CanariaPuerto de MogánThe prettiest harbour on the island, with a small sheltered beachPuerto de Mogán is the quiet, pretty base: a small sheltered beach, a working fishing and leisure harbour, and white-walled lanes and canals that make every evening a pleasure. It sits at the western end of the resort coast, so Las Palmas and the north are long trips and nightlife is limited. Choose it for calm days, families and boat trips, not for a busy resort strip.Families with small childrenCouplesQuiet eveningsPlan from this base →
Gran CanariaPuerto RicoReliable sunshine, a family beach and the south-west's boat harbourPuerto Rico is the practical sunshine base: a small family beach in a sheltered valley, a harbour full of dolphin-watching and fishing boats, and prices that stay sensible. The resort climbs the valley sides in terraces, so the walk back to your apartment matters. Choose it for boat trips, water sports and an easy family week, not for character or a long beach.Reliable sunFamiliesBoat tripsPlan from this base →
Gran CanariaLas PalmasA real city with one of the world's great urban beachesLas Palmas is the base for city life: Las Canteras, one of the finest urban beaches anywhere, the old town of Vegueta, markets, museums and restaurants that serve locals. It is not a resort, and the north is often less reliably sunny than the south, so beach-first holidays belong in Maspalomas or Mogán. For food, culture and a car-free stay, nowhere on the island matches it.City lifeFoodCulturePlan from this base →
TenerifeLos CristianosThe old fishing town of the south, with the ferry to La GomeraLos Cristianos is the south's most down-to-earth resort: a former fishing enclave that has kept its seafaring air, a town beach and a working port with ferries to the western islands. It is better value than Costa Adeje and has a real town around it, with less polish; the busier strip of Playa de las Américas starts next door.ValueFamiliesFerries to La GomeraPlan from this base →
TenerifeSanta Cruz de TenerifeThe capital: markets, Carnival, Anaga and the tram to La LagunaSanta Cruz is the base for city life: the Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África, the Auditorio and TEA, Carnival, Las Teresitas beach and the Anaga trails on the doorstep, with the tram to historic La Laguna. It is not a resort, and the north-east is often cloudier than the south, so beach-first holidays belong in Costa Adeje or Los Cristianos. For food, culture and a car-free stay, it is the strongest base on the island.City lifeFood and marketsHiking in AnagaPlan from this base →
TenerifeEl MédanoThe wind town of the south, beside Montaña RojaEl Médano is the south's wind town: one of its most charming beaches, windsurf and kite schools, and the Montaña Roja natural monument at the end of the sand. It is a real town rather than a resort, right by Tenerife South Airport. The wind that makes it famous also makes some beach days blustery, so choose it for the atmosphere and the sports, not for sheltered sunbathing.Windsurf and kiteA real townShort airport transferPlan from this base →
LanzaroteCosta TeguiseAn easy east-coast resort, closer to the north and the Manrique sightsCosta Teguise has the easiest resort layout on the island, restaurants around Pueblo Marinero and beaches with real personalities: sheltered El Jablillo for small children, Las Cucharas where the windsurfers set up. Its east-coast position cuts driving time to the Manrique sights and the north compared with Playa Blanca. It is quieter and less varied than Puerto del Carmen.FamiliesWindsurfingTrips to the northPlan from this base →
LanzaroteArrecifeLanzarote's capital: a lagoon harbour, a city beach and every bus lineArrecife suits travellers who want local cafés, an urban waterfront and public transport over a conventional resort. El Reducto is a proper city beach and the Charco de San Ginés is where islanders come for coffee and calamari. It has fewer resort facilities, but it works without a car better than any resort base, because the island's intercity bus lines start here.Car-free staysLocal lifeValuePlan from this base →Still choosing the island?
Choose the island first when landscape and atmosphere matter more than a specific hotel or resort.