We really wanted to like this apartment. It was large, in a perfect location on Canteras Beach, and had a nice balcony and view. There was a great shop that sold EVERYTHING downstairs run by a very nice family, and there were good restaurants just steps away. It was warm in February and the beach just outside was perfect for swimming. Check-in was hassle-free. The apartment was a little stark in terms of furnishings (it lacked an oven, which we only realized after buying a frozen pizza for the kids) and the beds and polyester blend sheets left something to be desired. But these were infelicities.
The main problem was that one day into our stay, we noticed a strange odor in the back of the house. We determined that it was sewer (methane) gas coming from the sewer trap in the back bathroom. Long story short(ish), although the problem would have been an easy enough fix (the repairman only had to buy a new part and seal the trap), and although we gave the property management company plenty of notice, the issue was not resolved until two days before the end of our two-week stay, meaning that half the apartment smelled like a sewer gas for almost our entire stay. We had to put towels under the door is to protect our children sleeping from the methane gas (Ironically, the doctor in the upstairs apartment owns the rental.)
Other issues were the lack of Internet or phone reception in the bedrooms (the property management company finally plugged in Internet boosters a few days before our stay ended), and a broken sliding glass door leading out to the patio--you had to throw all your weight into it to close and open it (our twin 10 year old girls could not move it) and the issue was never resolved because the management company said they could not obtain the necessary part. But since the problem was obvious one wonders why it wasn’t fixed before we arrived.
In short, if you decide to rent this apartment know that if something goes wrong you cannot be sure it will be addressed promptly or properly.
It's a shame we were relieved to be home--the Canaries really are a lovely spot.
