Blue Sea Callao Garden

Blue Sea Callao Garden is a quiet, apartment-style resort that was built in 1989. It occupies a long sloping hill that provides views of the sea in the distance. Apartments are spread across 25 three-story, white-stucco buildings -- each named after a flower -- with lovely flat terra-cotta roofs and dark-brown wooden balconies, though some show wear and tear and there's peeling paint here and there. The grounds are serene, with lots of resident birds and huge cacti, palms, and bougainvillea flanking the walkways. The lobby is one of the quietest spaces in the property and features vending machines, a small book exchange, and a couple of internet terminals, plus a computer for gaming, complete with a couple of controllers and a huge screen. There's also a large schedule of events and activities offered right on the property, including music performances, aqua fitness classes, quizzes, and bird shows. The property is popular with Polish, British, and Dutch couples and families, and while there's lots of walking involved in getting around the property, plenty of elderly visitors still book here, especially during the cooler European winters.

This hotel is located in Callao Salvaje, a quiet community about a 15-minute drive north up the freeway from the action of Playa de la Americas and Los Cristianos, and about 25 minutes south of Los Gigantes. The area surrounding the property is relatively quiet, though there are three small supermarkets within a five-minute walk from the hotel. The airport takes about 25 minutes to reach by car (it can also be accessed by bus, but doing so requires changing just south of Costa Adeje at Estacion de Guaguas). Mount Teide is around an hour or so away by car. Google Map users beware: the hotel can be really hard to find if you enter the name of the hotel and leave the rest up to the app -- you might find yourself up a narrow back entrance or two with nowhere to turn around. Instead, make sure to enter the main address of the hotel rather than its name, which will take you to the top of the property and right to the front reception area. 

Rooms at Blue Sea are uniform in layout -- all are dated one-bedroom apartments, and most feature the same stone tile floors and light-wood furniture. Expect pale-yellow walls with some small pieces of artwork, patterned bedspreads and matching curtains, and sofa beds upholstered in red fabric. The hotel also offers some Superior Apartments, which are roughly the same size as standard counterparts, but feature sea views and sleeker bathrooms with glass partitions on the shower/tub combos instead of older plastic curtains. All units have large balconies with plastic tables, and many of those located on higher parts of the hill and on upper floors have lovely sea views.Bedrooms are tiny, with big in-built closets and safes (for a fee), plus small vanity areas and Juliet balconies. All feature two twin beds pushed together. Living rooms are a bit more spacious in comparison, with sofa beds that can sleep two and coin-operated TVs. Kitchens have wood cabinets and mini-fridges with small freezer compartments, as well as kettles, four-burner stoves, coffeemakers, and ovens, but no microwaves. Living areas are separated from the kitchens by built-in tables that seat four. Standard unit bathrooms show wear and tear -- we noticed water stains and a cracked light switch during our visit. Note that hairdryers are provided, but toiletries are not.

Features at Blue Sea Callao Garden are on par with what's offered at most of southern Tenerife's three-pearl properties, with a few extra perks such as a squash court and tennis courts (free to use, with rackets available for a fee). A mini-golf course on a slope at the base of the property and rental bikes are also available for a fee. The property lacks a fitness center and spa, but in-room massages can be arranged. Wi-Fi is free in the reception area and is available for a fee in rooms. There's no on-site parking, but there's tons of street parking in the area around the hotel. Three swimming pools are available. The tiny La Palma Pool is the hotel's quietest and sits off to a separate part of the property, away from the bars and restaurants. The Fuerteventura Pool is spread over two levels that are separated by a waterfall fountain, making it feel almost like two pools in one. It sits next to a bar of the same name and is among the most boisterous of the three, which isn't really saying much given that the whole hotel is pretty calm. Still, there was loud Latin pop music playing during our visit and an animation staffer rounding up guests for some of the daily animation activities. This pool also has a sandy volleyball pitch off to one side, and there's a tiny adjacent playground for toddlers plus a pool table. A bit farther down the hill is the Lanzarote Pool, a single-level lagoon pool with a few lounge chairs (note that lounge chair reservations are not allowed and staff will remove the towels of offending guests if need be, a practice common on the island). It sits next to the main restaurant, where simple buffet meals are served, and while there's not a ton of selection, the variety of offerings are reasonable enough for a hotel of this category, consisting of meat dishes, vegetables, and breads, along with beer, wine, and soft drinks. All-inclusive, half-board, breakfast-only, and meal-free self-catering options are all available.