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STILL in their wedding gear and oblivious to their party of guests, a just-married couple smooch under the fairylights.
Cocktails in hand, they sway to the salsa beat, taking their eyes off each other for a moment to savour the sunset over La Gomera.
Sundowners at Las Salinas mojito bar, in Tenerife’s Playa de las Americas, are the perfect way to start an evening or – in their case – a marriage.
From the beachside shack, a pair of bearded hipsters rustle up the 5-Euro green potions of rum, mint, lime and sugar.
Customers then toast the end of the day ® at the outdoor tables and chairs, sit on the cushions scattered near the rocks or wander down to the water’s edge to watch the sky turn pink.
The huge metal sculptures anchored to the boardwalk, part of “Geranium Walk”, just around the corner, make another fantastic sunset photo opportunity.
A towering coiled spring spikes skywards next to a solid rectangle of iron, ideal for framing the light.
We head back into town for tapas at La Iberoteka, an unassuming restaurant in the middle of a modern complex called “After Work Plaza”. Beneath dozens of multi-coloured umbrellas hanging high above our heads, we hoover up sharing plates of asparagus served with crispy pancetta and prawns, fresh calamari with alioli and medallions of soft Iberian pork.
The chef emerges from the steaming kitchen to ask if we like our food.
He’s thrilled when we say we love it.
Our base for the week is Hotel La Siesta, a wellestablished four-star abode, across the road on the Av Rafael Puig Lluvina.
There’s a large wade-in swimming pool complete with sunbathing crocodiles, a children’s pool with slide, a pirate-themed play park and plenty of loungers to go round.
An al fresco bar serves drinks and snacks and hosts cooking demonstrations – one lunchtime we watch a cook rustle up a giant pan of paella.
Inside there’s a children’s games room, luxurious spa and indoor pool, restaurant, bar and entertainment stage.
Our family room has a king-sized bed and a sofa bed each for the kids.
There’s a flatscreen TV with English channels, a