Furnaka Village EcoSurf

The gym and spa turned out to be storage space, so the listing felt misleading. We also never saw anyone apart from the cleaning lady, who eventually let us in. The place looks larger in photos than it is, and sits in an industrial area with cars passing close by. Noise from nearby guests carried in the evening and morning since everything is so close together. I wouldn't recommend it.

The staff member we met was friendly and helpful, and offered to address the afternoon noise. She expected the party next door to finish by 8 p.m., so we didn't ask her to intervene. It went on loudly into the night, though, and with no reception after 7 p.m. we didn't know what to do. The apartments are packed around a shared green space and pool, so you hear your neighbors constantly. A party was being held in the apartment beside us, and the pool filled with guests and was left covered in grass leaves. There were so many visitors that we had to park on the street instead of in the lot. The property also seems to provide space for parties. It's far from the beach and somewhat cut off from town, despite the photos suggesting more private space. There are plenty of nice places in Portugal, but this wasn't one of them. Go elsewhere if you can.

The place was well equipped and close to town, but being on an industrial estate was disappointing. The fourth bedroom had no door, which matters even more if it's meant for a child. There were no safety rails on the raised terrace areas, each about six steps high, which isn't great for children either. For a property sleeping 12, the lounge only had two two-seater sofas, and there was room for a larger one. The dining table seated just six. Some beds weren't made up, and there were no mosquito nets. We were bitten badly the first night, then kept the windows shut and sprayed everywhere. That wasn't pleasant without air conditioning. It was expensive for what we got, so I'd consider other accommodation if I returned to the area.

We booked two apartments for this summer two months ahead, but they canceled a week before we were due to arrive, without giving a reason. We had to find somewhere else at the last minute. They said they hadn't received the agency's booking confirmation, even though we had an email confirming that it was received.