La Casa de Abajo

The house is located in a serene rural setting, perfect for those seeking tranquility. The neighborhood is quiet and peaceful, and free parking is available on-site. The house itself is well-maintained, clean, and visually appealing. Communication with the owner was excellent — she was responsive and proactive, even going as far as installing a 4G mobile signal repeater to mitigate the generally weak network coverage on the island. Based on our experience, Vodafone ES LTE worked best inside the kitchen, while Orange had slightly weaker performance. The water supply is reliable (provided by the local network, not a tank), with both hot and cold water consistently available — although we recommend using bottled water for drinking. One unique aspect of the area is the presence of harmless “Portuguese Millipedes,” which can occasionally wander inside, but are a known and natural part of the island ecosystem.

There are several important limitations guests should be aware of. The property runs on solar energy, which wasn't mentioned prior to booking. This affects the functionality of many appliances: the washing machine works only with cold water, and the oven — powered by natural gas — was not functioning at all during our stay. Heating also posed a safety concern, as the gas stove came with a warning that the gas continues to flow even when the stove is turned off, requiring the cylinder to be disconnected after each use. We chose not to use both oven and stove for safety reasons, resulting with the house being quite cold at night. Additionally, several amenities listed on the Booking.com page were either missing or non-functional, including the advertised sea view, coffee machine, electric kettle, cable channels, and toaster. Lastly, a stray cat frequently roamed the property. While not a direct problem, it could potentially scratch vehicles if it tries to find warmth on them, so it's something to keep in mind for guests with rental cars.