The full review
Set on a 160-hectare estate carved into the cliffs of Guía de Isora, The Ritz-Carlton Abama is Tenerife's most accomplished resort. The architecture borrows from Marrakesh — terracotta walls, tiled fountains, towering palms — but the experience is unmistakably modern luxury: nine pools, an oceanfront beach club reached by funicular, a Dave Thomas–designed golf course, and a private cove of imported white sand. The interiors of the Citadel suites have been reimagined by Studio Caini in Italian linen and walnut. Service is silently brilliant; staff remember your espresso preference by day two. Two Michelin-star restaurants — M.B. (three) by Martín Berasategui and Abama Kabuki (one) — make this the gastronomic capital of the Canaries. Best for travellers who want absolute polish without leaving the resort, but who occasionally venture out to Mount Teide. The sunset view from the Citadel pool, with La Gomera floating in the haze, is among the great hotel moments anywhere.
The single best resort experience on the island, and the only Tenerife address with a 3-Michelin-star table.