Frequently Asked Questions

Select your dates on our booking page, choose any extras you'd like, enter your details, and pay securely via Stripe. You'll receive an instant confirmation email with your booking summary and a link to your digital guest guide. Booking direct means you deal with your host from day one — no platform in the middle.

Yes — it's as safe as booking through any platform. All payments run through Stripe with 3D Secure, exactly the same secure card processing the big platforms use, and you receive a written confirmation email the moment you book. You're also in direct contact with your host from the start, so any question gets a personal answer — the only difference is there's no platform service fee.

We accept all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal, all processed securely through Stripe with 3D Secure verification. PayPal is available on the Pay Now option only; the Pay Later and Pay on Arrival options require a card on file. UK and Irish cards work without any issue.

There are three options, and the deposit-then-balance model is completely standard for Spanish holiday rentals — not a scam. You can choose: (1) Pay Now — pay in full today for an extra 3% off; non-refundable, but includes one free date change up to 14 days before check-in; (2) Reserve Now, Pay Later — we securely save your card and charge it automatically 14 days before check-in (free to cancel any time before that charge, available when check-in is at least 14 days away); or (3) Pay on Arrival — pay cash at check-in, with a card saved only as a guarantee: it is charged the first night only if you cancel within 7 days of check-in or don't arrive. Every option runs through Stripe, so your details are protected.

Free cancellation more than 7 days before check-in for a full refund. Less than 7 days before check-in, only the first night is charged and the rest is refunded; a prepaid booking that doesn't arrive without cancelling is not refunded. If you chose Pay Later, you can cancel at no cost any time before your card is charged (14 days before check-in). If you chose Pay on Arrival, nothing is charged unless you cancel within 7 days of check-in or don't arrive — then the first night is charged to the card saved as a guarantee. Our discounted Pay Now rate is non-refundable in exchange for the lower price — instead of a refund it includes one free date change (up to 14 days before check-in). Either way, you can cancel within 24 hours of booking for a full refund — including the Pay Now rate — as long as check-in is at least 7 days away. Full details are on our cancellation policy page.

No. We don't take a security deposit or place a damage hold on your card — you simply pay for your stay and any extras you choose. We trust our guests to treat the apartment with respect, and the vast majority do. This is one less thing to worry about compared with many holiday rentals that ring-fence several hundred euros.

Yes, there is a one-off cleaning fee of €80 per stay, regardless of how many nights you book. This covers a full professional clean and fresh bed linen and towels. There are no other hidden charges — the price you see at checkout is the price you pay.

No. Andalucía currently has no tourist tax or city tax, so there's nothing extra to pay on arrival or at check-out — unlike many destinations in Italy, the Balearics, or Catalonia. The total you see when you book is the total you pay (accommodation, cleaning fee, and any extras you choose).

Booking direct gives you a better deal and a better stay. You skip the platform service fee — an honest saving of up to 20% — and direct bookings automatically apply the single best available discount (weekly, early-bird, last-minute, or returning-guest rates). You also unlock exclusive extras and concierge services that simply aren't available on Airbnb or Booking.com, and you talk to your host directly from the moment you book.

Yes — we offer discounts for longer stays. Just contact us directly by email or WhatsApp and we'll put together a personalised offer for your dates.

Yes — our Bring a Friend programme rewards both sides. Refer someone who hasn't stayed with us before and they get 10% off a direct booking (new guests only, once per guest, and never below our standard direct rate). Once their stay is completed, you receive a single-use 10%-off code valid for 12 months on your next direct booking. There's no reward if the referred booking is cancelled or refunded, and you can't refer yourself.

Minimum stays vary by season: 2 nights in low season (Nov–Mar), 3 nights in mid and high season (Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct), and 5 nights in peak season (Jul–Aug). You can book up to 12 months ahead, so it's easy to lock in popular summer dates early — they go first.

Check-in is from 16:00 (4 PM) and check-out is by 10:00 (10 AM). Your host meets you in person to hand over the building key and welcome you. Need more flexibility? Early check-in from 14:00 (€20) and late check-out until 13:00 (€30) are available as bookable extras, subject to availability.

Yes. Pay Now bookings include one free self-serve date change: pick any available dates from your guest area up to 14 days before your original check-in. If the new dates cost more you pay only the difference; if they cost less or the same, your price stays as paid. On flexible rates (Pay Later / Pay on Arrival) just message us — comparable dates in the same calendar year keep your original price, otherwise the stay is re-priced at the current rates. No amendment fees, ever.

The apartment is on the first line to the beach — literally a 30-second, one-minute walk to the sand. Step out, cross the promenade, and you're there. It's one of the closest beachfront positions in Sabinillas, with sea views from the balcony.

The apartment sleeps up to 6 guests across 96 m², with 3 bedrooms (a master double, a twin, and a double/twin) and 2 bathrooms (one with a walk-in shower, one with a bathtub). There's an open-plan living and dining area, a fully equipped kitchen, and a private sea-view balcony — comfortable space for a family or two couples sharing.

Yes — every room has its own air-conditioning unit, covering all three bedrooms and the living area. Even in the peak of July and August, when daytime temperatures reach the mid-30s°C, the apartment stays cool and comfortable for sleeping. There are also fans and the sea breeze on the balcony.

Yes. The building has a shared community swimming pool and a landscaped garden with sun loungers, around a one-minute walk from the apartment door. It's a relaxed, family-friendly spot — perfect for a cool-off when you don't fancy the short walk to the beach.

Absolutely. We provide a travel cot, high chair, and board games free of charge on request, and you can add a children's beach toy set as an extra. The beach across the road is calm and shallow, the town is flat and easy with a pushchair, and there's plenty of space inside for a family of up to six.

A secure private garage space in the building is available as a bookable extra for €10 per night — handy if you're hiring a car. Free on-street parking is also available nearby, and many guests find they don't need a car at all since the town is so walkable.

Yes — high-speed WiFi runs throughout the apartment at no extra cost, suitable for video calls, remote working, and streaming. The network name and password are in your digital guest guide, sent after you book. With sea views from the balcony, it's a pleasant spot for a winter-sun working stay.

Unfortunately, pets are not permitted in the apartment. We're unable to make exceptions, as the building's community rules and our cleaning standards don't allow it.

The apartment has a fully equipped kitchen with oven, hob, microwave, dishwasher, coffee maker, and all utensils, plus a washing machine (no dryer — a drying rack is provided), iron, hair dryer, and a Smart TV with streaming apps. Bed linen, towels, and the essentials are all provided. The building has a lift, though it doesn't open directly onto the apartment — there's one short flight of stairs (up or down) between the lift and the front door, so access isn't completely step-free.

We keep it simple and considerate: the apartment, balcony, and building are strictly non-smoking (please step outside to smoke), no parties or events, and community quiet hours from 23:00 to 08:00. You're free to enjoy the balcony and pool, but please be mindful of neighbours late at night. These rules keep the building peaceful for everyone, including future guests.

Yes, if you want an authentic, relaxed Spanish beach town rather than a resort strip. Sabinillas (San Luis de Sabinillas, in Manilva) is a genuine Andalusian fishing village on the quieter western Costa del Sol — a long seafront promenade, great-value chiringuitos, weekly markets, and Spanish families holidaying alongside a settled international community. It's the 'real Spain, but easy in English' end of the coast, well away from Marbella's crowds.

Yes on both counts. Sabinillas and Manilva are very low-crime, with a large, long-established British and international community, so English is widely spoken in shops, bars, and restaurants — you'll get by easily even with no Spanish. Your host also speaks English, Spanish, and German and is on WhatsApp throughout your stay if you need anything.

It's mainly dark golden sand with some small stones in places — comfortable for sunbathing and easy for children to paddle, as the water shelves gently. It's lively in peak August, with Spanish families and sun loungers from May to October, but it never feels overcrowded the way the busier resort beaches do. You'll always find space to lay your towel.

Dozens, all within walking distance. The seafront promenade is lined with tapas bars and chiringuitos (beach restaurants) grilling fresh fish over wood fires, plus Indian, Chinese, Italian, Argentinian, and British options. La Casita is a long-standing local favourite right next door, and nearby La Duquesa marina adds more waterfront dining.

There are two weekly street markets, both roughly 09:00–14:00: a Friday market and a larger Sunday market on the seafront, selling local produce, clothes, crafts, leather, and household goods. Note there are no fish stalls at the street markets — for fresh fish, head to the town's pescaderías. In July and August there's also an evening seafront market with street food and live music.

The Costa del Sol enjoys over 320 days of sunshine a year. Summers are hot and dry (28–35°C, July–August), spring and autumn are warm and quieter, and winters are mild — typically 16–18°C by day and rarely below 9°C. May–June and September–October are the sweet spots: warm sea, fewer crowds. Winter is ideal for a calm, sunny long-stay escape.

Yes — it's one of the best-kept secrets for winter sun on the Costa del Sol. Winters are mild (around 16–18°C on sunny days), the town stays open and pleasantly quiet, and the apartment has full air conditioning that doubles as heating. We offer monthly and long-stay rates for retirees, remote workers, and Gibraltar commuters looking to escape a grey northern winter — just ask for a tailored quote.

Lidl and Mercadona are both within about a 5-minute walk, with several smaller convenience stores even closer. You'll also find pharmacies, banks, a health centre, and fresh-fish pescaderías in town — everything for a self-catering stay is on your doorstep without needing a car.

Card is widely accepted in Sabinillas restaurants, bars, and supermarkets — contactless is everywhere. It's still worth carrying a little cash for the Friday and Sunday markets, small tips (rounding up or leaving a euro or two is plenty — service isn't heavily tipped here), and the odd small chiringuito or kiosk. Tipping is appreciated but never obligatory.

Both work, and the right choice depends on your flights. Gibraltar (GIB) is closest at about 30 minutes by car, but it has fewer flights, occasional border queues, and in high winds flights sometimes divert to Málaga. Málaga (AGP) is roughly 75 minutes away via the AP-7 but offers far more routes and reliability, making it the safer all-round bet for most UK and Irish travellers. One gotcha to know: Spanish taxis cannot carry passengers across the Gibraltar land border, so from GIB you'll need a pre-booked transfer or to cross the border on foot to a Spanish taxi.

Málaga Airport (AGP) to Sabinillas is about 75 minutes by car via the AP-7 motorway. Our private door-to-door transfer is €140 one-way or €260 return, with a driver who meets you at arrivals holding a name sign — ideal for a family of up to six with luggage. You can book it as an extra during or after your reservation, so there's no scramble for a taxi when you land.

Yes. A private transfer from Gibraltar Airport (GIB) is €60 one-way or €100 return, with the driver meeting you on the Spanish side of the border. This neatly sidesteps the rule that Spanish taxis can't cross the Gibraltar border, so you're driven straight to the apartment door — handy for guests on British Airways or easyJet into GIB.

Not for everyday life — Sabinillas is flat and walkable, with the beach, restaurants, supermarkets, pharmacies, and markets all on foot from the apartment. A car only becomes useful for day trips to Gibraltar, Ronda, Estepona, or the white villages. Many guests skip car hire entirely and use our transfers plus the local bus, while others rent a car for just a day or two of exploring. We're happy to advise either way.

Yes. A regular bus service links Sabinillas with Estepona, Marbella, and Málaga, and the nearest stop is about a 3-minute walk from the apartment. Buses are cheap and reliable along the coast. For Gibraltar and inland destinations like Ronda, a hire car or our private transfer is more practical than the bus.

Plenty, and the apartment makes an ideal base. Gibraltar is about 30 minutes by car, Estepona's pretty old town around 15 minutes, and Marbella and Puerto Banús roughly 30 minutes. Inland you've got Ronda and its gorge (about 1.5 hours), the white villages of Casares and Gaucín (under 30 minutes), and the free open-air Roman sulphur baths at Baños de la Hedionda near Manilva. Our magazine has detailed how-to-get-there guides for each.

Yes. We can connect you with a trusted local car-rental partner for competitive rates — a free concierge service for our direct-booking guests, often cheaper and more flexible than the big airport desks. Just let us know your dates and we'll point you in the right direction.

Booking direct unlocks a full range of extras you won't find on Airbnb or Booking.com: private airport transfers, a private garage space (€10/night), welcome packs of local food and wine, a stocked fridge pack, early check-in and late check-out, SUP and kayak rental, beach packs, pre-arrival grocery stocking, and celebration touches like cakes or balcony decorations. Browse the full list on our extras page. Please note that not all extras are available at all times — availability can depend on the season and on enough advance notice, and we'll confirm each one when you book.

Yes. Our Stocked Fridge Pack (€35 per stay) fills the fridge with breakfast and everyday basics so you can settle straight in, and we also offer a pre-arrival grocery-stocking service where we shop to your list (a small service fee plus the cost of the groceries). Both are popular with families and late-night arrivals — no hunting for an open shop after the flight.

Yes. You can add extras through your digital guest guide at any time before check-in — and many during your stay too. For last-minute requests, your host will confirm availability. Anything added after booking is charged separately via a secure Stripe payment. Need to change or cancel an extra? Just contact your host via WhatsApp or the contact form and we'll sort it out together.

Yes — our full range of extras and concierge services is exclusively for guests who book directly through our website. Airbnb and Booking.com simply can't offer these add-ons, so this is one of the real advantages of booking direct, alongside the price saving and dealing with your host personally.