Mundaka Sea Flat

I liked the location and the building structure itself, and how they made it blend with the environment outside. Amazing view from the living room window! As the tide comes in, you will actually see the famous left-handed waves that Mundaka is known for.

Next time, I will request the apartment that's on the street level. The unit we stayed in was at the bottom of the stairs which could get rather slippery when it rains (and it did rain upon our arrival!), and difficult to access specially while carrying heavy travelling bags. I'm no longer as young, strong, and nimble as I used to be!

We had a wonderful time. This is because this is a more-than-5-star location. The location makes it possible to over-look the downsides, of which there were a few. The living area of the flat opens out onto a corridor/balcony, with table and chairs, and a view directly over the estuary that Mundaka is set on. The corridor is enclosed all in glass, like a narrow conservatory, so you can sit in it when it rains. The huge windows, which open, are double-glazed. There are doors at either end that have direct access via stairs down to the water, where you can go swimming. Although too cold for us to swim (we are over 70 years old and had no wet-suits with us), we sat and watched others surfing, paddle-surfing and kayak-surfing. We also watched cormorants fishing. It was endlessly interesting. The flat is small but extremely well designed. The living area is light and looks over the sea, the bedroom is darker and is at the land-end of the flat, so you can make the room dark enough to sleep. If you open the window, you can hear the sea when you wake up The flats are located near the centre of Mundaka, next to the church and a square in which children play and people meet. Shops, the tourist information, the surf school, bars and the underground parking lot (you pay extra for this) are all very close by. Mundaka itself is a lovely place, quiet and friendly. Trains go into Guernika and Bilbao, stopping along the way at villages from which you can walk in the Urdaibai Reserve. The flat comes with nearby underground parking (extra charge) which is needed. Although out-of-season (early May) there were no parking places on the street nearby. Mikel is very responsive and answers phone queries quickly and helpfully. This is important as the total absence of information provided in the flat means that you will need to call him up.

There is absolutely no information provided in the flat, not even a note with the wifi code. For everything, you must ring up Mikel and ask. The thing that caused us most trouble was learning how to get out of the underground parking, when we were in it. You need to locate a point on a column set well-back from the exit doors and insert your access-key into it, so that the exit doors will open. This key-point is not well-marked and is not where you would expect it to be if you had been informed (which we weren’t) that we needed to find it. A standard information sheet in the flat with information about the wifi code, recycling and where the bins are (we asked Tourist Information!), how the heating works, the existence of a drying rack, how to exit the parking lot etc would have been extremely useful. The mattress was very hard. A mattress-topper would fix this. Some basics in the kitchen were missing. I had the impression that the flat hadn’t been checked before we arrived. There was neither a washing-up bowl nor a sink plug, so we could only wash up under running water, which is not good when there’s a water shortage. No bread or chopping board (though there was a good knife and bread knife), no kettle, not enough glasses or cutlery for 3 people. (The kitchen itself is fine though you would struggle to cook full meals in it. It’s set up for people, like us, who eat their main meal out and only need to prepare breakfast and picnic lunches. There’s a hob, microwave and fridge.) The plumbing worked but seemed to be struggling. For example, the shower was great but drained so slowly that we needed to turn off the water while soaping to allow the water to drain, before putting it on again to wash the soap off. The toilet made loud, grumbling noises - but it too worked. The plumbing would benefit from a service. Wifi signal was variable. Almost all of these problems could be fixed quite easily and cheaply.

Breathtaking views, comfortable beds, right in the town center and 200m from the beach. We really enjoyed our stay and the kindness of our host who arranged a late check out for us. Mundaka is just perfect for surfing but please mind the river might scare beginner surfers. Will come back :)

incredible views

Lovely apartment with lots of space and a location / view to die for. A minor note that in no way detracted from our stay (we'd love to go back), parking close is tricky unless you use the additional offer of an underground parking space.

location was amazing! Clean and comfortable. Owner was so helpful. parking spot available right across the street.

loved this property