I first visited Bahia Blanca resort near Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria some 10 years ago. My brother owned several weeks there and let me have one of them to take my children away after their father left. One week on the third rock from the sun – it was wonderful, we got off the plane and a gust of hot air met us I couldn’t believe the heat out there.
Suffice to say I fell in love with place and after borrowing one of my brother’s weeks every year over the next few years I was offered my own week for the sum of £2000, on 12 months interest free credit and through a British company with a British contract! Bahia Blanca Leisure are situated in Downham Market. The weeks are sold in perpetuity which means that providing the maintenance is paid you can leave your timeshare to someone in your will!!
I bought my birthday
week - what a present!! My birthday is at the end of April, which in timeshare speak is week 17 and the weather out there then is usually over 30 degrees and is never less than 28. I have to pay an annual maintenance fee of £180 The week can be transferred within the resort so that if I wanted to change my week for another I could do that at no extra cost. All time out there is ‘red time’ which means its good weather, usually expensive time. I have holidayed there at all different times of the year, (my son has a week in November) and the weather has always been glorious.
Flights from Birmingham range from £160 to £180 depending on the time of year and as my week is Monday to Monday I have a greater range of flights to choose from. It takes a little more than 4 hours from Birmingham to Las Palmas I have to admit I hate flying but it is a necessary evil!!!
It is also possible to bank timeshare with a holding group and swap with other owners for other resorts all over the world. Dial an Exchange are very good. I was with RCI in the beginning, but as I always go to Bahia Blanca - my second home now, with many Spanish friends whose company and family events I have come to enjoy over the years, I have never used this facility. My brother has travelled the world by banking his weeks and exchanging elsewhere.
Bahia Blanca The Resort
The resort has a swimming pool and a pool bar which serves food until 4pm. There is a restaurant on site with entertainment every evening. There is also a small supermarket for any necessities. It has a laundry and a gym on site plus tenniscourts on the top level.
Daily events include, darts, water polo, scuba diving lessons, and killer pool and there is a nanny on site during the day so that parents with young children can enjoy themselves without worrying what the little ones are up to.
The apartments are built on the side of a cliff, like many apartments on this island, and are accessed by using the funicular lift followed by stone stairways to the different levels. I have to say that its no fun when the lift breaks down but they do keep it fairly well maintained.
The Apartment A four berth self catering apartment. All the apartments are the same inside but some have a garden area and others, a large balcony, The kitchen is wonderful but then I love to cook, particularly on holiday after a trip round the supermarket. It has a two ring electric hob with extractor hood and a full sized oven and fridge. There is a breakfast bar dividing the kitchen from the large lounge area which doubles as a sleeping area at night. The TV has some sky channels and there is a radio cassette player in each apartment. The bedroom has twin beds and a dressing table and there is also a large wardrobe. The bathroom has a shower, bath, bidet, loo and basin with a beautifully lit vanity area. There is no air conditioning, but there are ceiling fans in the lounge and bedroom and with the tiled floors the apartment stays relatively cool. My apartment has a balcony which comfortably holds a patio table and chairs, a parasol and two sun loungers with room to spare. The apartments all face the same way (see photo) and the view is spectacular!. There is maid service every day and if more help is needed reception is just a call way.
The area The resort is situated at the south of the island, a thirty minute drive from the airport between the towns of Puerto Mogan and Puerto Rico.
Another spectacular feature is the new Amadores Beach which is a man made beach area within walking distance of the resort. It has showers, shops and restaurants if the beach is not enough with its white imported sand, clear blue sea water, sunbeds and parasols.
Puerto Mogan is a beautiful fishing port 30 minutes drive from the resort, a huge market is held here every Friday and many resorts offer a trip to Mogan. I don’t like markets and crowds but I do like the town and its history. Also there are many good fish restaurants there with reasonable prices.
Puerto Rico is either a 2euro taxi ride or a 20 minute walk and has markets, shops and restaurants- this town gets very lively at night with clubs karaoke and dancing until 6am – that is how I get my disco hip!!!!
So there it is – timeshare works for me, but I have heard of some of the awful scams around. Equally, there are many resorts where the apartment has a private pool and a study but I don’t like isolation and would never want to pay for luxuries like these for my holidays.
My next holiday is in November, the flights are booked and I cannot wait!!
Thanks for reading this Peace and Love Kate
Pictures of Time Share
A guinness at Playa del Amadores
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Aug 16th, 2004
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