Santa Barbara by Placida Mar

La terraza era muy espaciosa ideal para tomar el sol o leer, muy silencioso, tenía todo lo necesario. Las piscinas muy limpias. Muy buena ubicación. La anfitriona un encanto, nos ayudó en todo lo que necesitamos. Sin duda volveremos.

It has surveillance cameras directly on us.... and it has no washmachine

Absolutely! I would stay here again – and I hope I will – as the bungalow is a gem. The accommodation is well-sized, featuring an open-plan kitchen and living area with sliding doors and full-length shutters that open onto a spacious veranda, complete with a large glass table and comfortable chairs. There are potted plants to enjoy. There is a roll-out canopy, which was a blessing to my red Irish skin. There are two bedrooms, one with a single bed and the a double. The mattresses are very comfortable indeed – I am hyper-sensitive about an uncomfortable mattress, so for me not to complain is rare! The double room is spacious, with a window looking over the back garden. The garden is large for the size of the home, wrapping around the entire building. The sun moves around from the East in the earlyish morning and remains for the whole day. The side garden is West-facing. There is shade if needed. Santa Barbara is a gated community with three pools. The feel of the community is local; there are other holiday lets, but a significant Spanish influence is present, so it doesn't feel like a holiday resort. The outer gates are kept locked, which is very good for security (in other places, one can find people propping them open so anyone can just wander in, not here! I found the place to be secure, very quiet, and the neighbours unobtrusively friendly. The cleaner was adorable: personable, friendly, helpful and thorough (again, I am very fussy when it comes to cleanliness). She came to wave her magic wand on the Friday to ensure the place was lovely for the weekend. Simone, who organises everything, offers a private taxi service from the airport for a very competitive price. As my plane was due early in the evening, I decided to accept this offer. As it turned out, my flight was an hour late, but Simone was waiting at the airport. He is a delightful and charming young man, and my journey was thoroughly enjoyable as he offered valuable insights into the area.

I will return to the bungalow, and I recommend it. All things in this world can be improved upon, and in that spirit, I hope you will indulge me while I offer some thoughts. I often find reviews frustrating because, in general, they are either overly fulsome in praise or damning to the extreme – which is unhelpful to both owners and potential guests. One aspect that cannot be changed is the traffic. This bungalow sits at the roadside. One cannot see the road, but it's there, and at times, it's noisy, especially early in the morning (when I found it bothersome) and periodically throughout the day. To put it in context, I live on a lane at home that sees half a dozen cars a day go by, so I was expecting it to be unbearable; it wasn't; I got used to it very quickly. Things that need to change and can be changed: kitchenware is an assortment of plates, some chipped, cups, glasses, and saucepans – one leaks. The bungalow could easily be upgraded; it would be inexpensive to replace these things, but it would significantly enhance the feel of the place. The kitchen knives are blunt – this was really frustrating. Bigger expenditure: the sofa is coming to the end of its life; it's no longer comfortable to sit on. The sliding doors do not lock as they should, and the sunbed mattresses need replacing. With these changes completed, the bungalow would be in an even higher bracket. This information is intended to offer insight for prospective new guests and suggestions to the owners. I reiterate that I highly recommend this place and will return.

The lady who met us was so friendly and welcoming. Explained everything to us on arrival, really nice lady. The bungalow is well equipped and the added extras around made it feel more homely than just a holiday let, you can see thought has gone into it. WiFi, cushions, sofa throw, padded topper for sunbed, Nespresso machine, air con, safe box, plants etc… it really is a little gem.

Because you don’t get house keeping it would have been nice to of been left some cleaning products so we could clean up after ourselves ie floor cleaner, surface spray.

Very nice service and welcome. The apartment is in the center, but on a quiet street, where it is easy to park for free. You can walk to the beach, dunes and promenade as well as to the center of the town and many restaurants and shops. There is a nice terrace and garden by the apartment, where you can eat or relax. In the apartment we had everything we needed. Well-equipped kitchen, bathroom, living room and two bedrooms. The person taking care of the apartment was very nice and always willing to help.

The only downside was the small hot water tank, which meant that after one person's shower you had to wait a while for the next person to have hot water.

Great communication from the host and met us upon arrival , the bungalow was clean comfortable had everything you need ,beds were very comfortable,great sun trap all day and had an awning if you wanted a bit of shade , good location 👍

Spacious and well laid out bungalow, plenty of storage spaces and very little clutter. Loads of outdoor space and sunbeds. The host was there to meet us when we arrived, gave us a quick tour, and handed over the keys. There was a small issue with the hot water boiler, but this was resolved within a few hours.

We knew there wasn't a washing machine when we booked, but there is plenty of space to install one.

Just back home after 12 night stay at this property as a group of 3. It was our first stay with Placida Mar and definitely not the last one. The bungalow is well kept, clean and has everything you could possibly need on your holidays. The kitchen is well equipped, beds are comfortable (with linen and towels provided) and there is more than enough space to accommodate 4 people. It’s the last bungalow in the row, so the outside area is bigger than the rest. There is a patio with a large table, chairs and retractable awning above them for the sunny days. There are also 4 loungers for private use. There are a few shared pool areas in the complex which we found empty most of the time. The whole complex has just been treated for insects so we didn’t have any unexpected ‘guests’ inside or out during our stay. The hospitality we have received from the owners was the cherry on top of our holiday- hands down 5* service. They made us feel welcome, provided airport transfers and tips where to eat and what to do. Patricia and Simone- thanks again for the great stay we’ve had and hopefully see you again very soon!