Mantamar I

For the price, it’s great value. The beach is very close, there’s a pool, and the rooms have air conditioning, which really helped us sleep in the heat. You also get a dedicated parking spot in an area where parking can be quite difficult.

The place is clean and simple, and the residents are friendly. We arrived Friday morning, but the rooms weren’t cleaned over the weekend, so by Monday we had 3.5 days’ worth of rubbish.

We stayed with lovelystay - swert algarvian escape 1 mantamar, manta Rota. It was clean and had a great patio. There was a portable fan, and I didn’t have air conditioning, but the sea breeze made it okay. If air conditioning matters to you, check that it’s included. It’s self-service, so make sure you know how to use the lockboxes. They’re in a hallway cabinet around eye level, and the numbers are hard to see if you’re over 50 or need reading glasses. The lever takes a hard push to open, enough to break a fingernail. I’d just get the keys and leave the box open, or bring a screwdriver to save your nails. tradh is the next block on the right, and they don’t provide extra trash bags. The kitchen has a refrigerator, microwave, cutlery, cooking utensils, knives, spoons, a paring knife, pots, and pans, plus plenty of food storage. There’s a meat market down the street. A supermarket is very close, along with another meat market, and there’s a grocery store with beer and wine, canned and bottled goods, fresh bread, chocolates, yogurt, and flour. Another smaller market has different items, and a third market has a wide selection of produce. Restaurants close at 10 pm; some open early and close early, I think at 7 am.

Good value for the price. Mantamar provides bed sheets and towels, and Wi-Fi and a TV are included in the apartment. They’re happy to supply extra kitchen equipment or glasses if you need them. There’s a supermarket around the corner, and you can park safely in their own underground garage.