Apartamentos Rocamar

For thirty-odd euros a night, I was surprised to get such a huge apartment: a bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette, lounge, and a view of the Atlantic. It may look a little industrial or feel a bit tired, and the plates and towels may not impress you, but at that price the value is hard to argue with. The staff are lovely, there’s parking, the water is hot, and the fridge works great. It’s about a five-minute walk into one of the loveliest towns you’ll ever visit. I felt right at home, like it was a second home, and I’m going back as soon as I can. Honestly, you book it because it’s cheap, and you get what you pay for. I stay in cheap rooms often, but this place really blew me away.

For 70€, I spent two nights in an apartment with an ocean view, and it really wasn’t bad for the price. Breakfast is available for 3€. The staff were very nice. When there was a communication problem, she used Google Translate, and handled it in a friendly way. Renovations are underway, which the place needs, but the noise stops at 7 pm, so it wasn’t a big deal.

The apartment was spacious, but worn, and some of the windows and doors stuck. Water leaked from the walk-in shower, so I had to mop the bathroom floor with towels. Those things were minor next to the renovation noise starting at dawn. They’re doing noisy building work at the moment, but this wasn’t mentioned when I booked and paid. Noise carries in general too: the old bay-style windows and hard marble-effect tile floors mean you hear sounds from upstairs whenever someone even moves a chair. Places like this shouldn’t be allowed to operate during building work.

There was lots of room, with a roomy bedroom and a big living area that included the kitchen. The apartment overlooked the ocean.