THE LONDON EDITION London, UK

SARAH OVERTON DISCOVERS ANOTHER SIDE OF THE RUGGEDLY BEAUTIFUL VOLCANIC ISLAND OF TENERIFE

WHERE & WHY: Located in trendy Berners Street, Fitzrovia, just north of Oxford Street and a stone’s throw from Soho, this landmark hotel couldn’t be in a better location to experience all the sights and excitement the capital has to offer.

Each of the 173 guest rooms and suites has luxury custom furnishings, oak floors and wood-panelled walls giving the feeling of a luxury yacht cabin.

The rooms are wonderfully quiet – draw the magnificent floor-to-ceiling curtains, and get under your amazingly soft linen sheets, the hubbub of the nightlife below seems like a different world. I certainly made the most of my lovely freestanding bath before retiring for a perfect night’s sleep.

ON THE MENU: The heart of the hotel is its wonderful restaurant, Berners Tavern, where Michelin-star chef Jason Atherton and his team conjure up delights that have made it one of London’s hottest tables. I enjoyed a wonderful meal of tomato salad (£8), perfectly cooked steak and fries (£41) and fine cheeses (£17).

The early dining menu, ideal for theatre-goers, served from 5pm to 6.30pm, is £29.50 for two courses and £35 for three.

Before or after dinner, have a drink in the gorgeous oak-panelled Punch Room, which serves a choice of 20 speciality punches, or indulge in a cocktail in the Lobby Bar. WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Go shopping on Oxford Street or visit Theatreland or Chinatown. WAKE-UP CALL: Rooms from £495 per night. Rates are available from the hotel and there are packages available to mark its 10th anniversary. Visit editionhotels.com/london or call 0207 781 0000.

By Dean Rousewell

MORE than two million of us Brits take the four-hour flight to Tenerife each year to bask in its subtropical climate.

But if you don’t venture beyond the bright lights of the tourist zones, you’re missing out on a stunning side of the biggest Canary Island.

Sleepy Spanish towns, spectacular mountain scenery, restaurants loved by locals, not to mention sublime stargazing and adventures on the high seas are there to be discovered, if you can tear yourself away from your sunlounger.

So I set out on a trip to sample real island life with local guide Jaime Munoz from Feel Tenerife tour company, whose mission it is to spread the word about wonders to be found in less visited areas. My first destination was San Cristobal de La Laguna in the north, the first colonial settlement in Tenerife that became a UNESCO world heritage site in 1999.

It was founded in the 1400s and was the original capital city. Its grid street layout provided a model for many colonial towns in the area. It’s a lovely town to just sit sipping coffee in the sunshine and watch the world go by, or wander around taking in the architecture, historic buildings, courtyards and pastel coloured houses.

The daily food market treat for the senses too.

I stayed at the four-star Hotel Laguna Nivaria, an impressive 16th-century mansion in the heart of the old town, overlooking the leafy main square. is a real

The breakfast buffet leaves you spoilt for choice while dinner in the restaurant serves up fresh local dishes – the pork fillet in a moreish dark Pedro Ximenez sherry wine reduction was amazing.

A 20-minute drive out of La Laguna takes you into the mountains of Anaga Rural Park with its lush laurel forests and spectacular views of the island and sea beyond.

Covering 14,500 hectares, there is a vast network of trails and paths and a route down to Taganana village where you can finish with a dip in the sea. Later we headed west along the northern coastline to one of the oldest and prettiest villages, Garachico. It was founded in the 15th century and was once a prosperous port, but was destroyed by a massive eruption of the Montana Negra volcano.

Today some of the biggest attractions are the natural swimming pools in the sea created in the wake of the lava flow.

Garachico’s picturesque streets and shops are lovely for a stroll around, followed by a lazy lunch on a shady veranda. We ate at Restaurante Silogía on the edge of the main square. The smoked goat’s cheese with a red pepper sauce starter, succulent cod fillet with sweet potato mash, and a decadent chocolate mousse were so good they elicited a chorus of “mmmmmms” around the table.

Fighting the urge for a siesta, we headed to a more bustling old town – Puerto de la Cruz where La Ranilla district is home to an amazing array of street art. Renowned artists have created huge murals on the sides of buildings ranging from lifelike portraits to abstract patterns, cartoon styles and even one Banksy-esque painting – taking them all in was a brilliant way to spend an afternoon.

The next day we headed to the far west coast where there were adventures to be had on the sea.

We joined a group of tourists at Los Gigantes preparing to give kayaking a go with Teno Activo, which runs daily trips out to view the magnificent 2,000ft cliffs, caves and coves from the water. The guide team put our minds at rest and soon everyone was excitedly hopping into the kayaks and paddling out.

We were dwarfed by the spectacular coastline and there was even time to hop off the kayaks to cool off in the sea before heading back.

My second hotel stay was the new and modern GF Victoria in Costa Adeje and I was completely wowed. With its giant, stylish lobby and rooftop infinity pool it oozes luxury and works equally well for couples.

The buffet breakfast was vast – the fresh bread section alone took up a whole room – a hot section, meats,

There were gasps of excitement when a fin was seen breaching waves not far off the bow