Barcelo Castillo Beach Resort

Great for a Getaway

We needed a break and Barcelo Club El Castillo was perfect. It is a lovely resort, conveniently placed for beach and restaurants. It is calm and quiet, no noisy revellers--great for families or couples. We were in the 1000 block, self-catering and had a good sized apartment, well-equipped kitchen, a double bed and TV with BBC, Spanish and German stations. We hired a car for 2 days and drove around to see the island’s dramatic mountain scenery (not apparent at El Castillo) and other lively resorts of Correlejo and Jandia and the beautiful old town of Betancuria. This is highly recommended.

Traveller's tip on dining

The upstairs Restaurant El Castillo is excellent & features local goat, among other things. Fresh fish at Frasquita’s on the beach is also excellent. There are also two very good tapas restaurants nearby.

Pleasantly surprised

Having read other reviews which have negative aspects, you arrive with a feeing of apprehension. This was immediately dispelled as we walked through the immaculately kept grounds and found our upstairs appartment. Being upstairs gives great privacy to utilise the large balcony and is quiet. We had opted for B. & B. and that was great. A huge choice of good food served and cleared away by smiling, helpful staff. Wow! In fact we found all categories of staff to be very pleasant. Main grumble was the size and hardness of the twin beds. We are not big people and wondered how larger bodies coped. As keen gardeners, we were thrilled by the abundance and variety of planting everywhere and the efforts made by the hotel to keep paths and areas spotless. The complex is very child/baby friendly and I wished we had had my grandson with us.

Do not waste 20 Euros per adult on the "Underwater+ Harley Interaction" Our promised one hour in the underwater seats was actually 20mins. where we saw the one type of fish in murky water. The rest of the hour was spent looking at tanks with hiding fish then the highlight of 5 mins with the sealion. Will happily pay for quality experiences but this was a major rip-off!

perfect for relaxation

I went with my 12 yr old son in may and it wasn’t crowded at all and all low level one or two story buildings surrounded by fabulous greenery. take a taxi from the airport - only takes 10 mins. we asked at reception but for accommodation next to the beach and got it; number 2012 - it was just across the palm lined walkway from the beach! large living / kitchen area with sofa bed and satellite tv (only three english channels though) and separate bathroom (with fresh towels each day) and one big bedroom. big wardrobe space and the kitchen was well equipped even had a toaster and electric kettle. i woke up in the morning, drew the curtains and there was the sea a few metres away -lovely. we were ground floor and had a great patio area with loungers and table and chairs and the occasional visiting cat much to my son’s delight. yes there were a couple of cockroaches but only on the first day. the maids came every day and were really friendly, as were all of the staff. we didn’t actually eat in the resort - just walked along the beach into the town where there’s lots more choice and slightly cheaper supermarkets! The resort does have it’s own little stretch of shops though - electronics shop, supermarket, gifts, clothes shops etc. we wanted relaxation, good apartment and great weather which is what we got. fantastic swimming pools and the beach was great - Even so a lovely break - i’d love to go back

Traveller's tip on getting the most out of your stay

the fatastic beach was sandy but a few tiny stones in places so keep the flip flops on. the sea was clear water with little fish swimming in the shallows - fantastic. occasionally very windy though so keep the sunscreen going every hour and i’d advise hiring one of those loungers with sun umbrellas (or bring your own) - the cooling wind can be deceptive and we got sunburn the second day!