The Sand Trap- Costa del Sol C-9

The white sand and beautiful ocean were perfect, and the location was great. But Costa del Sol was filthy and had too many plumbing problems for the $3,000 weekly price. The ground-floor shower was so dirty that a towel I put down turned black, and the sink in that same bathroom wouldn’t drain. The toilet barely flushed, so it was only useful for peeing, and I had to go upstairs for anything else. I doubt the cleaning crew cleaned that bathroom, since the sink basin would have shown the issue. The main house air conditioner also wasn’t working, and it was 88 degrees in mid-September. The people next door had to relocate because of plumbing problems too. I tried to vacuum sand from my ground-floor room, but the vacuum was full of dust and just spread more dirt around. Looks can be deceiving. I wish I’d loved the place, because the location was so good.

You get immediate beach access, and each condo has a 15-foot-wide spot on the private beach. In summer, chairs and an umbrella are set up early in the morning and collected at 5 p.m. The kitchen is small but nice. Hot water can run out quickly if more than three people bathe or shower, though it comes back fairly fast. I’d seriously consider coming back.

Don, the property inspector, is a great asset to Newman-Dailey and a great man. It’s a lovely place for a getaway, and I’d recommend the view to family and friends.

The condo had lovely furniture and a great view, but we ran into a water leak and plumbing trouble. The owner took a while to sort it out, but did eventually get everything taken care of.