The Bahia Grande is part of a resort with two hotels and an apartment complex with a number of shared sporting facilities. It is about 35 minutes drive from the airport. Hiring a car was no more than the cost of a taxi each way, so that’s what we did. The cheapest we found was Top Car Auto Reisen, which has an office at the airport, and was half the cost of hiring at the hotel. The resort is adjacent to a beach with the village of Las Playitas a ten minute walk away. Otherwise there are no other buildings nearby, and it is mainly surrounded by typical Canarian countryside. The fact that it is so self-contained is both its strength and its weakness. You are largely reliant on what the complex offers unless you have a car (although there is a limited bus service) but if what it offers is what you need, its position makes it quiet and restful. So what does it provide? The best feature is the pool complex. The main pool is huge in a kind of clover leaf shape and the same depth (1.2m) throughout, so it's designed for playing and cooling down in, not serious swimming. It has two 'jacuzzis' (bubbles, but the same temperature as the rest of the pool) and two water jets. There is a shallow pool for small children, a little distance away from the main pool, and a water slide, big enough for all ages, with its own separate small pool. The temperature was fine for swimming in mid-November, although it felt a bit chilly getting in (the sea was swimmable too). There were plenty of loungers available round the pool area, and some on the beach. Apart from the beach (fine volcanic sand) the only other activities at the hotel were mini-golf and table tennis. The shared sports facilities seemed impressive. There is a very well-equipped gym (free) and an Olympic-sized swimming pool for lane swimming (2 euros). There is a golf professional offering lessons, plus a driving range and a small course, with a full 18 hole course planned for 2009. There is a volleyball court (not used while we were there) and apparently some tennis courts, which we did not come across. When we went, there was some very limited evening entertainment, such as a film in the bar of the other hotel, and some kind of nightclub from 9pm to 2am on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, but we didn't go to any of these. The majority of guests were families with small children, for whom the pool area was ideal, and who were probably not concerned about the nightlife, or lack of it. The other main client group was older couples, for whom the same was probably true. The whole resort is beautifully maintained with lovely gardens between the apartments. We had an extremely spacious studio, with separate sleeping and sitting/eating areas, a bathroom with bath and shower, a balcony and a tiny kitchenette. The sitting areas included two sofa-beds, so the studio could sleep four, although it’s all one big room. The beds were comfortable, though the pillows thin. As an aparthotel, the Bahia Grande is geared up for those who want to self cater, as well as offering half board. However the cooking facilities are pretty basic – just two electric boiling rings with no grill, oven or microwave. Cookware was a saucepan, a frying pan and a coffee-maker (no kettle) and crockery and cutlery was limited to exactly four of everything. Also no kitchen consumables (such as washing up liquid or dishcloth) are provided, just a tea towel. Only the fridge was spacious. We were on half board (breakfast and dinner). The range of food on offer was pretty good at both meals, although it wouldn’t win any Michelin stars. Dinner offered two meat grills and one fish grill, a roast and a couple of other meat and fish dishes. There were basic rice and pasta offerings for children, plus salads and fruit, with a wide range of desserts. It was fine for a week, but might start to feel a bit repetitious after that. Non fish-eating vegetarians would have much less choice, though, as most of the salads contained meat or fish, and even the vegetables accompanying the main course sometimes also contained meat. All drinks at dinner have to be paid for, even the water, which is bottled, as the desalinated tap water has a slightly brackish taste. The choice for lunch was more limited. The poolside bar offered very good pizza plus a limited range of sandwiches and salads from about 5-8 euros. Alternatively, there is a small supermarket which also bakes good french bread on site, although it had almost no fresh salad while we were there, and even no fresh milk for several days. Staff are friendly and helpful. Reception staff speak very good English. German was the most common language spoken by guests and the staff typically seemed to have more German than English, although this was enough to get by. We spent our time lying in the sun reading, with the occasional swim to break up the day. We therefore quiet ambience of the hotel perfect. It is excellent for the clientele it sets out to attract, but would not suit those looking for daytime diversions other than the pool or sport, or for lively nightlife. Although good for young families, teenagers might find there was not enough to do during the day, and especially after dinner. If the food were a little more inspired, it would rate 5 out of 5 in terms of what we were looking for from our week in the sun.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
