Tenerife or Madeira?

BB3Lions

Olá!

Time has come upon us to book our Christmas holidays   Using the HomeAway website I am stuck on Madeira or South Tenerife having never been to either.

My son (8) loves swimming, and we want him, as usual, to meet other kids and play while we chill, we also on the evening alway eat out and as we are not heavy drinkers like to find quiet more relaxed places.

I am really stuck on which island to visit; each has it's positives and negatives, and I wondered if anyone has visited either (or both) could offer some insight, please?

DJT75

Which part of South Tenerife? If South West it probably couldn't be more different to Madeira.

Ps. Do you always go away at Christmas? Where have you found the warmest at Christmas.

SteakAndCake

We went to Egypt at Christmas. A local dressed as Santa and rode a Camel along the beach with fake reindeer horns on, throwing sweets at the kids.  That was one surreal Christmas day for sure.

WeegyAVLover

I have been to Madeira for Summer holidays and the main place to go is Funchal where I think like 75% (number I plucked out of the sky as it is high) are there.  Pestana have a number of places to choose from and we were there self-catering.  Most of the local places we ate it were good or excellent so no complaints there.  Funchal is busy but not overl noisy and it is busy (at least during the Summer) with families, couples and locals rather than Union Jacks, 18to30s or young hoodlums (said the 36yr old), so again no complaints there.  My only real gripe for my summer holiday was the weather was not great and you cannot blame the Madeirans for that.  However I think becuase it is in the Atlantic sea and you are near the cost you are constantly getting the cold Atlantic sea breeze and the water was like UK beaches.... Absolutely baltic!  So during the winter I am not sure.  I suppose if you have seen somewhere you like the look of, put the hotel into trip advisor and check the reviews (you can narrow the reviews down to families and the 3 month time span you are away to get a really good idea of what people similar to you at a similar time of year thought).

DJT75

Truly magical

BB3Lions

Always been away for the last 5 years, hottest was Egypt but definitely not the nicest.  Second place would be Puerto de Mogan, south-west coast of Gran Canaria.

Superaintit

I have been to Gran Canaria, Tenerife and La Palma. Gran Canaria and Tenerife have great weather and swimming conditions. The not so good is that with great weather and relatively short distance lots of tourist come to visit. Gran canaria would be my pick as it is less touristy (if there is such a word...)

gg13533

Madeira (Funchal) is lovely, lots of excellent restaurants.  For xmas time of year though I would go for the Canaries, more reliable and warmer weather than Madeira.  Can recommend Costa Adeje area of Tenerife or Maspalomas/Meloneras area of Gran Canaria - plenty of excellent hotels and restaurants to choose from.

BB3Lions

Thanks to everyone who has commented, I have removed Madeira and now looking at Tenerife.  With that would you go Costa Adeje or Puerto de la Cruz?

The latter looks quieter with less 'Brits abroad' but needless to say my son needs to find friends and I don't think he would fancy swimming with Nanna.

Thoughts please?

SteakAndCake

We went to Costa Adege in 2013 and stayed here

IBEROSTAR Grand Hotel El Mirador (Costa Adeje, Tenerife) - Hotel Reviews - TripAdvisor

Very nice. Only compliant I had was the typical Spanish 5* acting a little pretentious, cloche reveals of fairly average hotel food not befitting the ceremony, and hardcore enforcement of dress codes.   If I can wear (smart dress) shorts to dinner at a Four Seasons hotel,  I sure as hell ought to be able to in Tennerife.