Casonas de Marengo

Set amidst wonderfully verdant and gloriously unspoilt countryside, Casonas de Marengo is a beautifully retored 18th-century manor house that has recently been converted into six charming and comfortable apartments. Nestling against the hillside above the town of Icod de los Vinos, the property affords lovely views down to the ocean and up to Mount Teide, and is an ideal location for walkers, nature-lovers and romantic couples simply wishing to escape the pressures of modern-day life for a week or two.

As you would expend from a restored building, each apartment is different, but all have been comfortably furnished and prettily decorated. The furnishings have been carefully chosen to complement the building's historic fabric with its wooden ceilings, polished floor boards and traditional Canarian windows, but that is not to say that contemporary comforts have been eschewed. All are equipped with electric heaters for the cooler season, satellite TV (limited English-language channels) and safety deposit boxes. The open-plan kitchenettes have a fridge, two-ring hob, microwave, kettle and toaster, and each apartment also has an attractive bathroom. WiFi is available free of charge but the signal may be a little patchy depending on where you are in the complex.

Four of the apartments are in the main manor house, each with its own external entrance. El Teide is on the upper floor and comprises a bedroom and a separate living room, as well as its own terrace facing towards Mount Teide. The largest apartment, La Bodega de San Marcos, spans both floors, with a bedroom and shower room on each floor plus a living room and its own terrace. Señorial La Era is also arranged on two levels, with the living room on the ground floor and the bedroom with four-poster bed upstairs. It shares the ground-floor terrace with Cuarto de Aperos. an open-plan studio suitable for two people only (the other apartments have sofa beds for up to two children). In addition, La Cuadra is a separate detached stone cottage with its own terrace standing next to the main house, whilst El Mirador de Marengo in a single-storey cottage situated approximately 200 metres from the rest of the property.

Casonas de Marengo stands in 30,000 m² of grounds, with some lovely country walks right on your door step. On sunny days, you can relax by the lovely freeform swimming pool, which is heated by solar energy, unwind in the large outdoor Jacuzzi or get stuck into a book in one of the quiet corners of the gardens. But it would be a shame not to explore the surrounding area, Isla Baja, which boasts some of Tenerife's most charming towns and most unspoilt landscapes. The centre of Icod de los Vinos is 8 km away and is famed for its millennial dragon tree, whilst the picturesque harbour of San Marcos and the historic town of Garachico lie just a little further. Between them, these towns offer a good selection of restaurants and shops, but there are also a couple of charmingly unpretentious local eateries within a 10-15 minute walk from the cottages, so you can enjoy the odd evening meal in authentic surroundings without necessarily having to drive. Another attraction just down the road from here natural underground tunnels of Cueva del Viento, part of Europe's longest volcanic tube. Visits are only conducted in small groups, so reserving in advance is advisable.