Barlavento Islands Vacations from $1,837

No hotel has ever exceeded my expectations as much as this one. ​At first, I was actually a bit jealous of the people staying in those big hotels right on the coast. But once I walked down there, I realized it was just a dead end full of nothing but tourists and hotel amenities. I even saw people basically fleeing their resorts because they couldn't face another boring hotel buffet! ​Staying in the heart of Santa Maria was a total game-changer. We got to experience the real local culture—eating where the locals eat, chatting, and actually feeling part of the community. Everything we needed (shops, restaurants, you name it) was less than a minute's walk away. ​The hotel itself was great and really well-maintained. The staff did a meticulous job cleaning the rooms, and having Netflix was a huge plus for winding down at the end of the day. Breakfast was served fresh every morning, and even though the menu didn't change much, it was always tasty. It was a bit unlucky that the rooftop was being renovated while we were there, as that would’ve been the icing on the cake, but honestly, the stay was still perfect.

Very friendly and helpful staff and kept rooms and everywhere very clean. So much choice at breakfast. A great stay 2 minutes to the beach and easy walk in Santa Maria.

Hard to review stay as I was suffering from after effects (but clear) of recent Novo contracted in UK as lost 8-9 lbs. So did not due what I expected to do & 1/2 way thru stay started to pick up. Room, staff breakfast very good. Had nice trip to Santa Maria they provide for free. Pool fine but used less than expected as not up to it. Snorkelled in small bay up from reception. Good first 2 days last day churned up so visibility issues. Very nice walks N & S of resort on or near beach which I could not exploit as much as wished. Nice meals in afternoon N of reception. Good Super Mercardo on site S of reception