Bahia Principe Fantasia Tenerife: What to Know Before You Book
Quick answer: A large five-star all-inclusive family resort in Golf del Sur on Tenerife's south
coast, built around a fairy-tale theme with a castle at its centre. **It is genuinely strong for
families with young children** - multiple pools, splash areas, a kids club and nightly shows - and
less obviously the right choice for couples or anyone wanting a quiet, small hotel. Independent
reviewers rate it around 4 out of 5 across a large sample, with consistent praise for the pools
and entertainment and recurring criticism of service consistency at busy times. **Before you
search, know that it trades under three different names.**
If you have been trying to research this resort and getting confused, there is a reason.
It appears under at least three names. Its current official name is Bahia Principe Explore Fantasia. TripAdvisor lists it as Bahia Principe Explore Tenerife. Booking.com calls it Bahia Principe Fantasia, Hyatt Inclusive Collection. Older reviews - including the Telegraph's - call it Fantasia Bahia Principe Tenerife.
Bahia Principe reorganised its whole portfolio into "Explore" and "Escape" tiers, so the resort's name changed while the reviews, the search results and most travellers' memories did not. They are all the same hotel. Search any of them and you are looking at the same place.
With that cleared up, here is what it actually is.
Where it actually is
Golf del Sur, in the municipality of San Miguel de Abona, on Tenerife's southern coast.
This matters, because some listings file it under Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Santa Cruz is the island capital on the north-east coast, about 60 km away. If you book expecting to be near the capital you will be disappointed, and if you are looking for the sunny southern resort coast, you are in the right place.
Golf del Sur is a quiet, purpose-built resort area next to the golf courses it is named after. It is close to the airport, which is convenient on arrival and means some flight noise depending where you are on the property.
What is nearby, by the resort's own reckoning:
| Place | Distance |
|---|---|
| Playa San Miguel de Abona | ~10 minutes on foot |
| Whale and dolphin excursions | ~20 minutes by car |
| Siam Park | ~20 minutes by car |
| Playa El Medano | ~15 minutes by car |
| Los Gigantes cliffs | ~45 minutes by car |
| Mount Teide National Park | ~60 minutes by car |
The honest note on beaches: the nearest beach is a small volcanic-sand bay, pleasant for a walk but not the golden-sand picture people often have of the Canaries. El Medano, fifteen minutes away, is the proper beach - big, sandy and one of Europe's better windsurfing spots. If a beach on your doorstep is the priority, this is not the resort for that; if a resort you barely leave is the plan, it does not matter.
Who it suits, and who it does not
It suits families with children under about twelve, strongly. The whole property is built around that: several outdoor pools, children's splash zones and themed water play areas, a kids club, a teen club, and nightly theatrical shows staged around the fantasy castle that forms the centrepiece. Family rooms and junior suites are the core room types, and connecting rooms are available - one of the more practical things to look for with children, and often the first thing to sell out.
An independent family-travel reviewer counted seven pools, most heated in winter, which is the detail that decides a February half-term booking.
It suits multi-generational groups. Suites, connecting rooms and enough on site that different ages can do different things.
It is a reasonable choice for couples in the shoulder season - there is a spa and adult dining - but you should go in knowing it is a large, busy, child-centred resort. If you want quiet, Tenerife has adults-only hotels that will serve you better.
It does not suit you if you want: a small hotel, a beach on the doorstep, a walkable town outside the gates, or an authentically Canarian rather than resort experience. None of those is a criticism of the resort - it is simply not what it is for.
What is included
It runs as a full all-inclusive. Per the resort's own listing, that covers the pools and splash areas, kids and teen clubs, live evening entertainment, the spa and wellness centre, a fitness centre, an international buffet, specialty a la carte restaurants, snack bars, pool bars and cocktail lounges.
Rooms include high-speed Wi-Fi, air conditioning, smart TV, a minibar, coffee and tea facilities, a safe, bathrobes and slippers, and a private balcony or terrace. Views are described as overlooking the resort, the pools, the gardens or the Atlantic.
A practical tip that comes up repeatedly in independent reviews: rooms toward the rear of the property are the ones with ocean-facing balconies. If a sea view matters to you, request it specifically rather than assuming - "ocean view" and "resort view" are priced differently and allocated on request.
What independent reviewers actually say
We have not stayed here, so rather than offer an opinion we do not have, here is what the independent record shows. You should read current reviews yourself before booking - this is a summary of the picture, not a substitute for it.
The numbers. TripAdvisor's aggregate sits at around 4 out of 5 from more than 3,700 reviews - a large enough sample to be meaningful. The Telegraph's expert reviewer rated it 7 out of 10. Both are solid rather than exceptional scores, and both are lower than the marketing suggests.
What reviewers consistently praise: the pools and splash park for children, the standard of the evening entertainment, cleanliness and maintenance of the grounds, and the family rooms.
What comes up as criticism: service consistency when the resort is busy. The Telegraph's reviewer noted that service on their visit was less chaotic than it had been - which is a compliment that tells you something about the baseline. TripAdvisor carries a discussion thread specifically about whether recent reviews reflect a decline, and Facebook travel groups regularly see travellers asking others for reassurance before booking. Sentiment appears to vary by season and by how full the resort is, which is common at properties of this scale.
How to read that if you are deciding: a 4-ish average across thousands of reviews at a resort this large usually means the core product is good and the experience varies with occupancy. Book outside the busiest weeks if you can, and read the most recent reviews rather than the highest-rated ones.
What booking direct gets you here
The resort lists these as direct-booking benefits:
- Free cancellation, and modification without an extra fee - the most valuable pair, and worth holding on an all-inclusive booking made months out
- Free breakfast and a wellness package
- Express check-in, a welcome drink, a bottle of water and a restaurant reservation service - the last of which matters more than it sounds at an all-inclusive, where the a la carte restaurants are the ones that book up
- A member special rate and an exclusive direct discount, plus loyalty points
- A free night and a room upgrade through the loyalty programme
- Suites and connecting rooms available to book
The one to act on is the restaurant reservation service. At a large all-inclusive, the difference between a good week and a frustrating one is often whether you got into the speciality restaurants - and booking direct is what gives you a channel to arrange that in advance.
There is no promotional code attached to this property. The member rate is the discount here, it is free to join, and it applies regardless of what campaigns are running elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bahia Principe Fantasia the same as Bahia Principe Explore Tenerife? Yes. The resort's official name is now Bahia Principe Explore Fantasia, TripAdvisor lists it as Bahia Principe Explore Tenerife, and Booking.com adds "Hyatt Inclusive Collection". Older reviews call it Fantasia Bahia Principe Tenerife. All the same hotel - Bahia Principe renamed its portfolio into Explore and Escape tiers.
Where is Bahia Principe Fantasia Tenerife? Golf del Sur, in San Miguel de Abona on the southern coast, close to Tenerife South airport. Not near Santa Cruz de Tenerife, despite how some listings file it - the capital is about 60 km away on the opposite coast.
Is it good for families? This is what it is built for. Several pools, children's splash zones, a kids club, a teen club, nightly shows around a fantasy castle, family rooms and connecting rooms. Independent family reviewers count seven pools, most heated in winter.
Is it suitable for couples? It can work, particularly in shoulder season, and there is a spa and adult dining. But it is a large, busy, child-focused resort, and Tenerife has adults-only alternatives if quiet is the priority.
Is there a beach at the resort? The nearest beach is a small volcanic-sand bay about ten minutes' walk away. The main sandy beach, El Medano, is around fifteen minutes by car.
What do reviews say about it? TripAdvisor's average is around 4 out of 5 from more than 3,700 reviews and the Telegraph rated it 7 out of 10. Reviewers consistently praise the pools, the entertainment and the family rooms; consistent criticism concerns service when the resort is full. Read current reviews before booking.
Does Bahia Principe Fantasia have a promo code? No code is attached to this property. The saving available is the free member rate on Bahia Principe's own site, along with the direct-booking benefits listed above.
How far is it from the airport? Tenerife South airport is close by - one of the shortest transfers of any resort on this coast, which also means some flight noise in parts of the property.
Ready to book?
See Bahia Principe Explore Fantasia for the full gallery, the direct-booking benefits and the BOOK DIRECT link.
Other Bahia Principe properties on Tenerife: Bahia Principe Explore Costa Adeje, Bahia Principe Escape Tenerife and Bahia Principe Explore San Felipe.
Planning the wider trip? See our guides to the seven types of hotel discount and the best time to book a hotel.