We are a family of 5, myself, wife and our 3 boys aged 4, 8 and 13. This was our first time away from package holidays so we weren't too sure what to expect planning our own holiday.
I have to say that we had our concerns after reading the horror stories people have had booking villas and being ripped off, so we approached the whole process with extreme caution.
That said the booking experience through Home Away and the payment protection set our minds at ease, this coupled with Peggy's prompt replies and information provided to our numerous emails really took away any doubts and concerns.
The villa itself is absolutely stunning and the views over the seafront were breathtaking everyday. We were all very comfortable in the villa with the boys having enough entertainment through the various games and TV available to keep them occupied when needed. You can find everything in the villa to make it a home from home, the kitchen well stocked with dishes and cooking utensils, the bathrooms stocked up with toilet rolls and towels. The beds were comfortable for all of us, even though my wife and I suffer with bad backs, we found ourselves comfortable with no aches or pains from our bed.
The communal pool was brilliant and on most days we had it pretty much to ourselves, the kids really enjoyed it! We were pleasantly surprised at the amount of equipment in the storage room in the garage, it meant the kids had plenty of extra fun on our the beach trips. And on that topic, boy you really are spoiled for choice when it comes to the beaches. Plenty of stunning soft sand beaches with clear water within a short drive from the villa. The beach front on the complex was fine if you didn't want to drive anywhere but is a bit pebbly with some rocks in the waterline so beach shoes essential here.
The restaurants on the complex were fine although a bit pricey, you're much better off venturing away for dining out. Meson Papa in San Juan is a must visit, great food although can get busy in the daytime very quickly. Pimento in Aguilas has some great tapas at ridiculously cheap prices.
We took the kids to the water park in Vera which is reasonably priced and although not a huge park was still a great day out for everyone.
We really enjoyed our 1st venture away from package holidays, the villa was perfect for us with the only real gripe being the chimenea BBQ not set up for charcoal but had a broken electric BBQ instead, easily solved with a disposable BBQ from Aldi!