Apartments Buganvilla

For travellers seeking comfortable self-catering accommodation close to the sandy beaches of Gran Canaria's warmer and sunnier south coast, but wishing to avoid the busy resort of Playa del Ingles and the large luxury hotel complexes of Maspalomas, this relatively small block of apartments presents an ideal solution. Situated at the eastern end of the island's southern resort area, San Agustin was the first stretch to become developed for tourism. Today, it is considered the quieter part of the coast, with a handful of hotels and a mixture of residential and holiday apartments catering predominantly to more mature guests from Scandinavia and northern Europe.

Built into the side of the cliff that overlooks San Agustin's sandy beach, the Buganvilla Apartments enjoy a privileged position that grants each studio and apartment uninterrupted ocean views from its southwest-facing balcony - the perfect spot for starting the day with a leisurely breakfast, or rounding it off with a nightcap whilst gazing at the silvery reflections on the sea and listening to the sound of the waves.

The building was completely renovated in 2014, and offers accommodation with a fresh, modern feel. There are 16 studios and 24 apartments, spread over eight floors (please note that the lift only runs from the third floor upwards; the entrance from the road is on the sixth floor). Each has a practical kitchenette with a fridge, two-ring ceramic hob, microwave oven, toaster and coffee-maker; a sitting area with satellite TV (limited English-language channels) and a tiled shower room with hairdryer. The studios are open-plan, whilst the apartments have a separate bedroom (the beds can be arranged as two singles or a double). Each also has a large furnished balcony with lovely views out to sea and along the coast.

The beach is only 200 metres away, and there are a number of restaurants as well as small shops for your day-to-day needs within a 10-minute walk from here. The centre of the much larger and busier resort of Playa del Ingles is approximately 4 km away and can be reached on foot along the pleasant seafront promenade. From there, you can continue along the seemingly endless sandy beach all the way to the lighthouse at Maspalomas, passing the famous sand dunes (and almost equally famous naturist area) along the way. For exploring further afield, you can catch buses from San Agustin towards the island capital Las Palmas and towards Puerto de Mogan in the south-west of the island.

WiFi is available at reception and in the studios/apartments for a small local charge. For those days when even the short stroll to the beach seems like too much effort, there is also a swimming pool (and a shallow paddling pool for children) surrounded by an attractive sea-facing terrace with sun-loungers.