I was expecting chaos on first family holiday – but found 3 is the magic number

MY husband and I have had a good run.

More than a decade of child-free, boozy, sunshine holidays where the biggest hassle was deciding which amazing restaurant to dine in of an evening.

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But that came to a crashing halt this year when, with Covid all but a distant memory, we finally took our first family holiday overseas with our now three-year-old son Jimmy.

I had heard the horror stories — meltdowns on flights and tantrums in the sweltering heat — and that’s why we decided to head for familiar turf for our debut jaunt with toddler in tow, La Caleta in Tenerife.

This beautiful little fishing village is nestled on the Adeje coast, just 20 minutes from the island’s south airport.

It’s a special place for us. We got married there in 2016, spent a lovely trip there while I was pregnant with our son and would have been back sooner had it not been for the inconvenience of a global pandemic.

La Caleta doesn’t have the same hustle and bustle of the bigger resorts, like Las Americas, but what it lacks in razzle dazzle it more than makes up for in charm — and amazing food.

After a Ryanair flight from Prestwick, which leaves at an ungodly hour but has the benefit of getting you to Tenerife in time for a tapas lunch, we headed for our villa which we booked through Vrbo.

The online marketplace for holiday rentals lets you filter accommodation by location and need — like whether you want a private or shared pool — and lets you pick from a variety of properties. Unlike other holiday homes companies, Vrbo only offers whole homes, catering for families and friends looking for a place to be together in privacy.

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From their amazing variety on offer, we picked our home for the week — Villa Luisa, a stunning house set on three levels with four bedrooms and three bathrooms, as well as a spotless, open-plan, living area.

Complete with a sunshine-filled dining area, two outdoor patios and a roof terrace, there’s enough space for at least two families to enjoy a break without tripping over each other.

The location is what swung it for us though. The house is set just one street back from the harbour, where all the action in La Caleta takes place — though action may be an exaggeration in this peaceful horseshoe bay.

And there’s a lovely shared pool which we had mostly to ourselves for the whole week — which was just as well since we foolishly invested in a water gun for Jimmy during a weak moment.

It really was the perfect base for our trip, giving us a lovely place to relax while our wee boy was napping or cooling down after a day in the sun.

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While La Caleta isn’t party central, there’s plenty to keep even the most high-energy toddler amused.

There are a number of little coves dotted around the village. Our favourite is a small pebble beach surrounded by rocks where the locals swim and where, at low tide, there are gold standard rockpools to explore.

There’s also a larger, black sand inlet with sunbeds and parasols for rent as well as a beach bar — ideal to enjoy lunch and a mojito while sunbathing.

A new kids playpark was a welcome addition for our first family holiday and the local basketball court and football pitch is another brilliant facility to burn off some energy.

Another absolute highlight of La Caleta is its impressive array of excellent eateries. There are so many to choose from, whether you fancy a laidback tapas lunch or a slap-up Italian meal.

We can’t have a trip to La Caleta without visiting our wedding reception venue, the Masia del Mar restaurant.

This is perched right on the harbour, overlooking the sea and is a stunning spot for watching the sunset.

The staff welcome you like family and serve up the freshest seafood, including the local grilled cherne and shellfish paella, with Canarian wine which we devoured.

You’ll get a seriously good meal with drinks for less than €50. If you fancy venturing further afield, for more traditional touristy fun, Fanabe is around a 20-minute walk along the coast, or a five-minute bus ride.

Buses and taxis still insist on face masks, so make sure to pop a couple in your bag.

There’s a great sandy beach with plenty of space for sandcastle building as well as loads of lovely cafes and shops.

And there’s a brilliant crazy golf on the shore. We had a somewhat chaotic match with Jimmy making up his own rules as we went along.

The game itself is great fun but it’s also a prime lizard spotting location, which adds to the adventure. For a more high-octane day out, there are a number of great attractions dotted around the island which can be reached by bus or taxi, or a hire car if you’re keen to brave right-hand driving.

Jungle Park, which is close to Los Cristianos, is set in 18 acres of woodland and is home to more than 500 creatures.

There’s loads to explore from suspension bridges and assault courses, to waterfalls and even a mini luge. And, of course, there’s loads of animals to meet with a brilliant bird show and daily crocodile feeding.

Our favourite attraction, however, is Monkey Park. This is a much smaller affair which focuses on primates and birds, but you get up close and personal with the animals. On our last visit we got to feed lemurs with the adorable creatures taking fruit right out of our hands.

GO: TENERIFE

IF you want to explore Tenerife, here’s how to get there and where to stay.

GETTING THERE: Ryanair fly to Tenerife from Prestwick, see ryanair.com, while easyjet.com and jet2.com fly from Glasgow and Edinburgh.

STAYING THERE: A night at Villa Luisa starts from £217. It sleeps six people comfortably. See vrbo.com/en-gb/p6729779 to see the property. Search for more great places to stay at vrbo.com

MORE INFO: See webtenerife.com

One of the best things about Tenerife is, of course, the weather.

Being close to Africa means it enjoys year-round sunshine, which is ideal if you want to escape the grey cold of Scotland in the chillier months.

But on our visit we were unlucky enough to experience the only three consecutive days of rain in the year. If that does happen, however, there’s still plenty to entertain. We dodged the downpour with a movie at Multicines Gran Sur.

While there’s daily screenings in English we chose to watch a kids film in Spanish — and it was surprisingly fun. The centre also has some lovely cafes and shops to while away the time during any very rare wet days.

And, of course, our villa was a lovely haven when the rain came. thanks so much Vrbo, you more than saved the day.

While we might not have had quite the same holiday we did as a twosome, our first holiday as a trio was very much worth the wait — and La Caleta was the perfect place for it.

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