Casa Rural El Rincón by Isla Bonita

The owner is a lovely, friendly, down-to-earth woman, and we enjoyed hearing some of the stories behind the house and its history. We just wish we'd had more holiday time to enjoy it. Next time, we'll have to make that barbecue. The location is excellent, near the new volcano and right in the island's center, making trips south, north and to the capital easy. There aren't many places to eat nearby. La Cumbre is the best lunch option.

Our group was grandpa, a daughter and two granddaughters, and we spent a week in this lovely house. Tizia (?) greeted us warmly and explained everything in English and Spanish. We felt very at home and would gladly return, hopefully. The former little finca sits almost right at the edge of the new lava fields, with wonderful views over the lava to the sea from the terraces. The garden is beautifully arranged, with several places to sit in the sun. The room arrangement suited us perfectly, and the house is simply but stylishly furnished, with nothing missing. El Paso is just a 5-minute drive away, and Los Llanos, Tazacorte and Santa Cruz are easy to reach too.

We came looking for peace and quiet, but the road noise made that impossible. The house is beautifully renovated and has a lovely garden, yet the busy road is a serious problem that the listing should have mentioned. From 6:00 AM until midnight, traffic is loud and constant. Sometimes a car, truck or other vehicle passes every two to three seconds; the sound is deafening, and you can feel the vibrations inside. The industrial area view isn't attractive, but we could have accepted that. The noise is unacceptable. Such a shame about the beautiful house, but I can't recommend it.

Tajuya would be near the bottom of my list, even for a spiritual retreat. It's isolated from everything, but still close to busy highways and noisy industry, and sits in a mid-altitude area with a particularly unpleasant climate.