MaryLou was our first impression of this holiday villa, as, even though we were not able to arrive until 1.00 am, she was waiting for us with a welcome smile (and welcome pack) to explain everything and hand over keys etcetera. This sums up the care and attention that has been given to this villa as a holiday home. Thank you, MaryLou.
The villa is well proportioned, airy, clean and well kept. It is set in a quiet cul-de-sac within walkable distance of cafes, restaurants and food shops. Only Great- Grandma (G-G), 87 years but active, found the steepness of the hill out of the street too much of a challenge in the hottest part of the day in August. Not a problem to pop up in the Fiat. We were able to park a large people carrier and a small Fiat inside the gate.
This was an excellent base for us all to split up or stay together to visit Gibraltar, Ronda, The Roman Oasis and local beaches and ports. The file in the villa is an excellent guide to suitable restaurants and venues. MaryLou popped in mid week and gave us excellent recommendations for specific things that we wanted to do.
Every one of us found the bedrooms comfortable with enough choice for us to put the Aged Parents (APs) in the bedroom with an en-suite bathroom and a veranda; G-G in a twin room with Juliet balcony and adjoining bathroom; parents and two children in two bedrooms with a shared bathroom; and the young couple chose the cottage.
The kitchen was stocked with all necessary equipment (we now intend to buy a coffee machine like this!) but we thoroughly enjoyed the BBQ area, the hammocks, the sunbeds, and the table tennis. The living room was full of comfy chairs, TV and dining area plus books, books, books - great for a little extra holiday reading.
Most of all, we will remember the sunny afternoons in and around the pool where G-G could do the crossword while APs and Ps relaxed and youngsters dived, swam, jumped and lazed in the water.
We don't usually return to the same place for our extended family holidays but Casa Salamandra is definitely the exception. We were asked to say how the villa could be improved and all we could think of was: stronger WiFi (not possible). And seriously, if that's all that's left for us to wish for in a holiday villa, then perhaps we should consider if we are really in holiday mode!
