Pension De La Hoz

“Location! Location! Location!”

Ask any estate agent what the most important thing about a property is and he'll tell you LOCATION! And that's what Apartamentos de la Hoz has got! Great, if like us you've got young kids and you want to give them a bit of freedom, but don't want them going too far and having to cross roads, etc. T… more

Ask any estate agent what the most important thing about a property is and he'll tell you LOCATION! And that's what Apartamentos de la Hoz has got! Great, if like us you've got young kids and you want to give them a bit of freedom, but don't want them going too far and having to cross roads, etc. The apartments are perched above the beach, with steps leading down to the beach. You come out of reception, take a right, walk 20 yards down the pavement and the steps are there! And what a beach it is! The whole bay incorporating Isla and Noja is superb. Not just because of the sand quality but also because of the constantly changing environment caused by the interaction of the tides and the flooding of the Ria de Cabo Queja. It's a kids paradise because the sea floods up into the river and then slowly drains back out again, creating rock pools, tributaries, sand banks and pools warmed by the sun. You can walk up the river and then drift back down to the sea on a boogie board - great fun! The sea often has enough waves for boogie boarding and proper surfing. Although not quite as warm as the Med, with a rash vest on, you can stay in for quite a while, especially if you're larking about with the kids on boogie boards, trying to catch a few waves. Even down by the sea there are numerous rock pools, crowded with kids catching fish, shrimps, mussels, etc. It would be easy to carry on describing the delights of Isla - the beaches, the river, restaurants, cafes, etc - it really is a great place for a family holiday - but if you're reading this, you'll want to know about the accommodation? Well, the apartments are run by a family, who take great care of them. They are immaculately clean. There are different sizes of apartments, depending on how many beds you need. Our apartment had two bedrooms, one containing 3 singles the other a double. There was a separate bathroom, separate lounge and kitchen. They were of a good size and very comfortable for the week we were there. All the apartments are accessed through the small reception area, constantly manned by one of the family. The apartments are arranged over 4 floors which have nice wide stairs leading up to them and there is also a lift. The kitchen was quite basic, containing a 2 ring hob with extractor, refrigerator, sink and a bit of work space, but adequate for cooking an evening meal for a family of 5. It contained enough crockery and equipment to do the job. We tended to have cereal, fruit and fresh croissants for breakfast (there's a small Lupo supermarket under the apartments) and would take a packed lunch down to the beach. Then alternate between cooking and eating out for evening meal. A couple of times we also fired up a portable BBQ in the rear garden (ours, not theirs), which overlooks the beach. The garden contains a number of fig trees, providing a nice shady spot if you want lunch off the beach. The garden leads through to the Apartment car park - once in Isla you can ditch the car and explore by foot, it's a small compact town. The bathroom was clean and functional and supplied with towels. It contained an over bath shower, bath, basin and toilet. Bedrooms had a basic wardrobe, bedside cabinets and lamps. The beds were comfy enough and had white, hotel style cotton sheets. If you're looking for clean, organised, wonderfully located accommodation, then Apartamentos de la Hoz is a great place to stay, when visting Isla. We've been twice and both times had a great stay. The apartments provide a cost effective, flexible base for exploring this wonderful seaside resort and the wider Cantabrian coastline. Recommended!

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