TAO Caleta Mar Boutique Hotel

Those seeking a thoroughly laid-back seaside holiday close to some of the best beaches in the Canary Islands should find that this small hotel and apartment complex ticks a lot of boxes. Being situated on the eastern edge of Corralejo, the TAO Caleta Mar feels pleasantly removed from the hustle and bustle of the town's centre, yet offers access to its many facilities, and whilst the accommodation is spacious and comfortable, the hotel's ambience is very informal, suiting those who prefer doing their own thing over any organised entertainment.

The TAO Caleta Mar consists of four two-storey buildings, three of which contain the hotel rooms, which are offered on B&B basis. Their excellent size and white-and-blue colour scheme makes the interiors wonderfully light and airy, and in most of the rooms, a large glass screen between the walk-in shower and the main rooms means that the bathrooms also benefit from natural light, although this can be covered by an electric roller blind for privacy. Each room has a balcony or terrace, with reclining patio chairs in the upper-floor rooms or a pair of sunbeds in the ground-floor rooms. All rooms are equipped with a small fridge, TV, hairdryer, safety-deposit box, free WiFi and air-conditioning, and rooms with sea views are available at a supplement.

The fourth building contains 11 apartments, each comprising a bedroom, a shower room, a living room with sofa-bed and an open-plan kitchen equipped with fridge-freezer, hob, microwave, toaster and coffee-maker. Unlike the hotel rooms, the apartments are not air-conditioned, but all have sea views from their balconies or terraces. The apartments are available on self-catering basis, with an optional supplement for breakfast.

Breakfast is an extensive buffet, laid out in a conservatory-style room next to the main circular swimming pool (there is a second, smaller pool in front of the apartment building). With floor-to-ceiling on three sides, the breakfast room boasts spectacular views across the sea to Lanzarote and the smaller island of Lobos, which are especially enchanting at sunrise. Whilst the hotel does not serve lunch or dinner, a small selection of snacks and sandwiches is available from the bar area near the reception.

The nearest cluster of restaurants is approximately one mile away in the attractively designed El Campanario commercial centre, which also hosts a large supermarket for those planning to self-cater and a few other shops. Corralejo's busy main street with its wide range of stores, bars and restaurants is around half an hour's walk away, but we prefer the older part of the town near the harbour with its narrow streets and bustling squares. During daylight hours, its a very pleasant 45-minute walk along the shore towards the harbour and old town, walking along a mixture of sandy paths, volcanic rock and wooden boardwalks. Alternatively, local taxis are reasonably inexpensive and easily summoned.

In the opposite direction lies Corralejo's main claim to fame, the Dunas de Corralejo Natural Park with its 9 km of fine sandy beach backed by a vast area of sand dunes, which starts just past the hotel grounds. The shoreline closest to the hotel is quite rocky, depending on the tide, but walking south — or jumping on one of the local buses — you can reach long stretches of pale, powdery sand, some of which are serviced with sunloungers and umbrellas for rent, whilst other sections are uncrowded and popular with naturists. To enable you to make the most of the area and explore further afield, we recommend taking advantage of our reduced car hire rates, but for those who prefer not to drive our package prices include private airport transfers.