El Nautico

Walking into the reception atrium, I am immediately struck by a column of light which falls lazily from the glassed ceiling several floors above and disappears past the balcony to bathe the floor below.  Plants trail from each level, following the light down, as if caught in its stream.  I cross the immaculate marbled floors and a feeling of understated opulence pervades the atmosphere.

The suited receptionist smiles and I ask for Andrew Forest, my guide for the day.  Andrew hails from Glasgow and first bought an apartment in Tenerife in 1985 as a holiday home.  He is now a property investor in the UK and spends about six months of the year on the island with his wife and ten year old son.  He was lucky to have bought several suites on El Nautico when it was first built, about two years ago, as the complex was rapidly sold out.  His suites are rented to tourists by the managing company, and he comments that, as an investment, they have proved to be 'really good'.  Straight talking and friendly, Andrew does not suffer fools.

We start our tour, curiously, at the bottom of the building.  'El Nautico always reminds me of a cruise ship', says Andrew.  'So we'll start in the engine room.'  We walk down through the underground car park, so clean that it seems the parked cars must have been somehow carried into their spaces.  'The parking spaces are rather large', I comment, and Andrew's eye twinkles as he replies, 'Even my mother can get a four wheel drive into one without leaving the half the paintwork behind.'  To the rear of each space is a door leading to a generous private storage area. Behind another door I detect a hum, and as we pass through, my eyes widen with surprise.  Pipes and machines pop out of the walls in ordered lines, so clean that it looks like a showroom.  'These are all the air conditioning units for the suites, so all maintenance is done right here, without disturbing anyone.  Water is also heated and distributed centrally, with individual meters in each apartment.  It's all very non-intrusive efficiency,' continues Andrew.  'Let's go back up, and have a look at the other facilities.'  Andrew spurns the various lifts in favour of the stairs, and leads me to the fitness area.  A range of torturous looking machines sit menacingly in the gym, and I guiltily suck my stomach in as we briskly stride through the piped music.  'There's a sauna over here,' says Andrew, 'and a steam room, too.'  A much more civilised way to raise a bead of sweat, I think to myself.  'Right,' Andrew jolts me from my reverie, 'Let's have a look outside.'  I rush to catch up with his purposeful stride.

We pass through a bar area, a comfortable retreat.  Wooden tables and chairs and wooden floors accentuate the welcoming nature.  A couple of computers sit in one corner, but Andrew tells me that all the suites have internet access, so he never uses them.  I glance wistfully at the barman, feeling an aperitif break coming on, but my guide is already outside pointing at the two pools.  '... and a pool for the kids,' is all I manage to catch.  The heated pools sit a few metres from the sea, overlooking a delightful bay with a small beach.  All the 65 suites and their balconies face this way, with the building providing arbour on a windy day.  The sun rises to the left and sets to the right and I am almost tempted to simply order a Pimms, lie back on a lounger and watch it pass.  But Andrew has other plans.  Unlocking an external wooden door, he tells me that the same key unlocks the door to his suite, as well as all other public doors in the building.  'Nice touch,' I think to myself; it seems typical of the attention to small detail throughout El Nautico.  He reveals another bar area, serving small snacks amidst the low burble of conversation from people seated at the surrounding tables.  The sea laps enticingly close, but I sense that Andrew is not a man to be deterred from his mission as my guide.  'This is the Chiringuito,' he informs me.  Impressed by his grasp of Spanish, I ask, 'What's a Chiringuito?'  He pauses and looks at me as if totting up my IQ in single figures, 'Well this is of course!' 'Oh right,' I reply, weakly.  Then Andrew is bounding off again.  'Time to see a suite.'  I hear him say, as I scamper behind.

As we enter the suite, my first impressions are of light, space and luxury.  All the suites at El Nautico are spacious, the sun floods through large windows which, when open, let in the sound of waves breaking below.  All the rooms are climate controlled, so the temperature is always perfect.  The balcony is huge, with more than enough space to eat with friends and enjoy the outdoors.   'Sometimes you can see a school of dolphins just out there,' Andrew gestures out to the bay.  I squint and survey the ocean, but to no avail.  We turn back into the living room; marble floors, beautiful prints on the wall, and a stylish dining table to one side.  Comfortable sofas invite me to kick off my shoes, but Andrew does not, so I follow him into the kitchen.  I silently wish my kitchen was like this.  Smeg appliances, granite work surfaces, spacious and so clean!  'Well, there is a maid service that is optional,' says Andrew, 'and, of course, if you don't want to cook, there's always room service.'  My jaw drops open.  Andrew regards me suspiciously, so I clamp it shut.  I can see we're not going to be sampling room service today.  'And the bedrooms?'  I ask, in an effort to sound efficient. 'Well, as you can see,' he opens a door to the master bedroom.  'There's lots of space, beautiful views and,' he disappears through another door, 'the walk-in H'lsta wardrobe probably has enough space to satisfy Imelda Marcos.'  He continues, 'The en suite is enormous with double basins, a walk in shower and of course, a Jacuzzi.'
'Of course.'  I concur, wishing I'd brought my loofah.  Andrew raises an eyebrow.  'The second bedroom also has a view of the ocean.'  I follow him into another tastefully decorated and ample room.  'The one bedroom version of this suite is just as nice with similar fixtures and fittings,' says Andrew.  'The main difference is that the one beds have an American kitchen, and of course they are slightly smaller.'  As we leave the suite, Andrew flicks a switch.  'This switch shuts off everything and it means you don't have to look around everywhere when you go out.  The technology here is really advanced.  There are smoke sensors, door sensors and a central satellite system with BBC and Sky.'  I nod in the most intelligent way I can.  'Now, how about some lunch?'  asks my guide.  My eyes light up and my stomach gurgles with expectant glee.  I have heard of the restaurant at El Nautico, but have never sampled the fare.

As I take in the beautiful view of the surrounding ocean and bite into my suckling pig, I am dimly aware of Andrew, 'Did I mention the library that we have here, and then there's ...' But I'm now on information overload.  The tastes explode in my mouth, and I'm in my own private heaven.

Properties at El Nautico, from one and two bedroom suites to a spectacular penthouse, are available exclusively through Tenerife Property Shop (922 714 700).  Apartments can also be rented on a daily basis through El Nautico reception (922 738 210).