La Casa al Roura

Joan, the manager, gave us a very warm welcome. The hamlet has just 30 residents and is close to the beaches in a lovely setting, with beautiful walks, excellent restaurants, and free parking at the bottom of the village. It’s an apartment, not a hotel, so cleaning only happens when you leave. The studio does have a broom and mop for cleaning during your stay. Good value for money.

Joan is charming and always so attentive, and the apartments were clean. They’re right in the middle of the lovely town of Sant Marti d'Empuries, just two minutes from the beach. It’s a magical place in a special location, and I’ll definitely be back.

The upper apartment is quiet, well laid out, and well located, with air conditioning. For the Costa Brava, the price is reasonable. But several things got in the way of a comfortable stay. The toilet seats wouldn’t stay upright, and the cistern buttons often stuck, leaving water running unless we adjusted them by hand after each use. The old shower curtains dragged and let a lot of water out, so screens would be better. There was no washing machine or clothesline, which would be handy in a beach apartment. The kitchen had no cloths or scourer, and the mop was full of hair. The fridge was more like a minibar and too small for a week’s food. The dish drainer was stored in a drawer beside the bin. These details need attention to make the stay more pleasant. At least toilet paper and trash bags were provided for free. I’d recommend it only if you’re prepared to accept quite a few limitations.

The apartment has air conditioning and is in a lovely town, in an excellent location. The information we got through WhatsApp was quick and useful. The apartment itself needs a lot of work. The refrigerator was off and dirty when we arrived, so we couldn’t use it straight away. The mattress and pillows were uncomfortable, the towels were too small, the hot water kept cutting out, and the shower head was broken. Basic supplies like toilet paper, soap, and salt weren’t replenished often enough. The kitchen was poorly equipped too, with no corkscrew or bottle opener, no pot lid, and no coffee maker.