Royal Hideaway Corales Beach Resort: Pool massage and finest Nikkei cuisine

With Tenerife vacationers associate mostly sun, beach and cobalt blue sea. But the largest Canary Island scores equally with luxurious accommodations and fine cuisine. A site visit to the Royal Hideaway Corales Beach Resort.

You can't choose the weather, but you can choose your vacation destination. Many cold fugitives, who do not want to take on a strenuous long-distance trip, have chosen the Canary Islands as their winter warmth dorado. On Tenerife the temperatures hardly fall even in the deepest winter under the 22-degree mark.

Costa Adeje in the southwest of the island enjoys sunshine all year round. Despite its proximity to the tourist silos of Playa de las Americas, it is home to mostly four- and five-star hotels that satisfy more discerning tourists. Among the younger resorts is the Royal Hideaway Corales Beach Resort, which opened in 2018.

Lobby in the rock

The Spanish Barcelo Hotel Group invested more than 90 million euros in the hotel, which stretches like an ocean liner from the desert beige of the south. The avant-garde design is meant to be reminiscent of coral: sculpted concrete of bright white, clean tones, curved lines. Canarian architect Leonardo Omar was inspired by the island's shapes and colors, so he incorporated volcanic rock into his concept. This includes having the lobby, which is alternately illuminated in different colors, smash into the rocks.

The resort is divided into two areas: Corales Beach, with its rooftop infinity pool and five restaurants, caters only to over-16s, while Corales Suites accommodates entire families. 114 suites, with their own kitchens, private pools and, if desired, multiple bedrooms, offer plenty of space for kids and kids at heart. The 121 junior suites in the "Adults only" section all offer ocean views, a 22-square-meter balcony, and freestanding bathtubs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

The culinary flagship is the rooftop restaurant MaresIa. Masterminds are the Padron brothers, whose parent house "El Rincon de Juan Carlos" was awarded a Michelin star. At MaresIa, Mario Goncales is their silent governor. His "nuova cocina canaria" stands for a symbiosis of regional cuisine, sea specialties and selected international products.

 

Royal Hideaway Corales Beach: Not without the mom

"My kindergarten was my parents' kitchen," Juan Carlos Padron looks back in conversation. His father died when he was 19 years old. Thus, the mother plays a leading role in the restaurant kitchens to this day. Brother Jonathan is dedicated to perfectly formed desserts. Once a week the Padròn brothers come to the MaresIa. The creations of Juan Carlos, who worked not least in Ferran AdriA's El Bulli, cannot quite stand up to his brimming self-confidence. For example, the wreckfish with fish soup from macho vinegar or the smoked eel with raspberries and teriyaki mayonnaise stand for technically impeccable craftsmanship. But sometimes the finishing touches are missing on the way to the work of art that was so eagerly awaited after the afternoon press chat. Nevertheless, creations such as "sea wolf with gazpachuelo soup and parmesan and black truffle shavings on boats of roasted onions" or "lemon yogurt with roasted chocolate" stand for the high culinary competence of the Padron brothers.

Definitely recommended is a visit to San Hô restaurant, where Colombian chef Jamie Palmar celebrates the finest Peruvian-Japanese fusion cuisine. The classic ceviche with "leche de tigre", red onions, cilantro and lime, shows where the culinary journey is headed. The Usuzukuri de Toro, sliced very thin, with avocado cream and tomato chalaquita, is also excellent. Equally excellent is the paper-tender beef served on glowing coals.

In the shadow of the volcano

Wine lovers should put Altos de Trevejos at the top of their agenda. Probably the highest winery in Spain is located 1300 meters above sea level in Vilaflor, which – another superlative – is the highest municipality in Spain. It's only about two kilometers to the 3718-meter-high volcano Pico del Teide, which towers over the vineyards like a protector. When the sun goes down, it sometimes gets icy cold. This is also felt by the vines – and it is precisely this difference in temperature that allows the grapes to ripen more slowly and enhances the fruity aromas.

Enrique Alfonso, winemaker and scion of a long-established winemaking dynasty, is actually a pharmacist. He started growing grapes on Tenerife in 2012 and produces about 15 according to organic principles.000 bottles a year. His credo: "We do not want to make the best wines, but those that are typical of Tenerife."

The best drops are its mountain wines. The old Listan and MalvasIa vines are cold macerated and left on their own lees for nine months. It is a wine of great complexity, combining the fruity and floral aromas of Malvasia with the herbaceous notes of Listan Blanco. Among the reds, the Baboso Negro is worth a sin. Aged for twelve months in French oak barrels, it impresses with its high aromatic intensity, with ripe fruit and spices dominating the palate.

Villa from the year 1880

Enrique Alfonso also does a great job with his Brut Nature, which is produced according to the traditional champagne method with second fermentation and at least twelve months of aging in the bottle. On 25 hectares of vineyards grow primarily with autochthonous varieties such as Listan Blanco, MalvasIa, Albillo, Vijariego Negro, Syrah and Listan Prieto. For decades, the wine was produced in the Canarian villa from 1800, which the Alfonso family owns in the municipality of San Miguel Abona and whose courtyard is dominated by a huge press from the early 19th century. century.

A must is the lunch with traditional island dishes in the villa of the Alfonsos. Atún en Adobo, for example, a marinated tuna, accompanied by the barrel-aged Tinto de Altos de Trevejos made from Baboso and Syrah – living like God on Tenerife.

Back at Corales Beach Resort, guests can book their "tailormade experience" for the following day. A helicopter flight over the Teide National Park, for example, or in-room dining prepared by the chef de cuisine at the suite's own cooking island – or a dolphin boat tour or a "floating mindfulness massage" not at, but in the private pool. Golf aficionados will get their money's worth at Adeje Golf Club, just minutes away – ocean views from nearly every hole included.