Before you travel
When booking your rental period, let them know how many people will be staying and ask for “Key in the door”. That way the key will be ready when you arrive, and you won’t have to worry about whether the office is open. You can pick up an extra key from the office.
- Matches – for the gas water heater, in case it is turned off. It is usually left on.
- A roll of toilet paper – just to be on the safe side. There is usually one provided.
- A beach towel – the apartment’s towels and bed linen must not be taken down to the beach.
- Cash in euros – the office does not accept payment cards.
- 20 € (≈ 149 kr.) for the remote control – it can be rented at the office with a deposit.
When you arrive
The apartment has been cleaned and fresh bed linen, towels and tea towels are provided. Blankets are used instead of duvets. There is a lift in all three blocks.
No lights working in the apartment? The fuse box is located just inside the front door.
The office
The office is on the ground floor of block 3. Basi and Loui run the office, and both speak English. They are very helpful – especially if you ask politely – but do keep in mind that things can take time. This is Spain: mañana.
| Facility | Quick facts |
|---|---|
| Where | Ground floor of block 3 |
| Opening hours | See the notice on the wall next to the lift |
| Telephone | +34 958 63 14 73 |
| info@apartamentosplayatropical.com | |
| Payment | Cash only. There are cash machines further down the road to the left, and plenty in the town centre. |
| Borrowing | Extra key, electric heater, glasses and crockery |
In the glass cubicle next to the office, you will find the head of the cleaning team. This is where you collect fresh linen and towels. She speaks Spanish only.
In the apartment
Electricity and heating
There is an electric heater in the apartment. If it is missing or not working, you can get another one from the office.
The association can be charged for excess electricity consumption. The limit is 95 € (≈ 709 kr.) per month, and we cannot read the meter ourselves. Please use the heater sparingly, and turn it off when you leave the apartment – also due to the fire risk.
Water
Tap water is safe to drink, but at times it can taste slightly of chlorine. For that reason, many people buy drinking water in large bottles.
TV and internet
There is a TV in the apartment, but no remote control. You can hire one from the office for a deposit of 20 € (≈ 149 kr.), which is returned when you hand it back before departure – remember to keep the receipt. There are many foreign channels, including DR1, TV2 and Charlie, as well as SVT1 and NRK1. See the Nordic TV channels.
The Wi-Fi password is on the router on the wall next to the TV.
Linen and towels
Fresh bed linen, towels and tea towels can be collected on the 1st and 15th of each month from the cleaning supervisor by the office. Linen, towels and furniture must not leave the apartment – if you need a beach towel, bring one from home or buy one in town.
Shared facilities
| Facility | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Washing machine (2 units) | Basement under block 3 | 4 € (≈ 29,84 kr.) per wash, including detergent and fabric softener |
| Tumble dryer | Basement under block 3 | 3,50 € (≈ 26,11 kr.) per cycle |
| Library | The laundry room | Free – borrow books, and leave any you don't wish to take back home |
| Pool | The garden | Free – opening times are posted on the board by the pool |
| Storage lockers | Underneath all three blocks | 100 € (≈ 746 kr.) per year – put your name down at the office |
| Shelf space (½ metre) | Underneath the blocks | 25 € (≈ 186 kr.) per year |
| Bicycle parking | Behind block 1 (key at the office) and by block 3 | Free by block 3 |
| Defibrillator | Entrance 2 (English) and entrance 3 (Spanish) | – |
Please remember to empty the machines as soon as your wash and dry cycles are finished. Read more about the laundry room and library.
The supermarkets
The three large supermarkets are located together in the eastern part of town, only 1.2–1.3 km from Playa Tropical: Mercadona, Lidl and Aldi – right next to each other. It takes about a fifteen-minute walk to get there. Further into town you will find another Mercadona and several small Covirán stores, and in La Herradura there are a couple of supermarkets that are also open on Sunday mornings.
| Store | Where | Distance | Open |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercadona | Calle Mariana Pineda 2 | 1.2 km | Mon–Sat 9–21.30 |
| Lidl | Next to Mercadona | 1.3 km | Mon–Sat 9–21.30 |
| Aldi | Next to Lidl | 1.3 km | Mon–Sat 9–21.30 |
| Mercadona | Avenida Mar de Plata 4 | 2.2 km | Mon–Sat 9–21.30 |
| Covirán | Several small shops in town | From 1.5 km | Varies – many close for a midday break |
| Dia, Covirán and Jiménez-Guillén | La Herradura | 6 km | Mon–Sat 9–21 · Covirán and Jiménez-Guillén also Sunday morning |
Distances are as the crow flies from Playa Tropical. Opening hours are from OpenStreetMap in October 2026 – in high season, several stay open longer.
Sundays and public holidays
Most supermarkets in Andalusia are closed on Sundays and public holidays. However, Almuñécar is designated as a tourist area (zona de gran afluencia turística), and in 2026 shops were allowed to open every Sunday and public holiday from early June until 27 September. This summer, Mercadona opened on Sundays from 9–15 in around 320 stores in tourist areas from 22 June to 30 August.
The rest of the year, shops may only open on 16 selected Sundays and public holidays. Remaining in 2026 are 7, 13, 20 and 27 December, though the municipality may swap individual days. Keep an eye out for notices by the checkout. If you find yourself missing something on a Sunday, try the small shops in La Herradura.
The day before a public holiday and Friday afternoon before a long weekend, there are queues at all checkouts – and the day after, the shelves are often half-empty.
When is it busiest?
Spaniards shop after work and on Saturdays. The typical pattern in Spanish supermarkets is:
- Busiest: Saturday 11–14 and weekdays 18.30–20.30. Also Friday afternoons and the day before public holidays.
- Quietest: Weekdays 9–11 – and 14–17, when Spaniards have lunch.
- In summer, it is packed with tourists in the middle of the day, and the fresh produce runs out fastest in the morning.
Mercadona – good to know
- Home delivery: Mercadona can deliver your groceries to your apartment for 6.50 € (≈ 48.49 kr.) with no minimum spend (Mercadona, May 2026). You pay at the checkout, and the goods arrive the following day at the earliest. Not all stores offer this anymore, so ask at the checkout if they deliver to Playa Tropical (postcode 18690).
- Fruit and veg: Take a plastic glove, place the items on the scales, and attach the price label to the bag yourself.
- Bags cost money in all Spanish shops – bring a shopping bag.
- Order online: At mercadona.es delivery costs 8.20 € (≈ 61.17 kr.), and there is a minimum spend.
Maps and routes
Red star = Playa Tropical. Click on a point for the name and distance. Map data © OpenStreetMap.
Open the route in Google Maps
- Walk to MercadonaCalle Mariana Pineda – the nearest large one. Approx. 15 minutes.
- Walk to LidlRight next to Mercadona.
- Walk to AldiNext to Lidl – the three large ones are located together.
- Walk to CoviránThe nearest small supermarket, slightly further into town.
- Walk to Mercadona on Avenida Mar de PlataThe other Mercadona, in town. Approx. 30 minutes.
The routes start at Playa Tropical. On mobile devices, they open directly in the Google Maps app, ready for navigation.
Waste
Waste must be sorted and taken down to the bins: bottles and glass, plastic, paper and cardboard – and general waste.
The bus into town
The local bus stops just across the road, and for 1 € (≈ 7,46 kr.) you get a lovely scenic ride into town. The trip back is shorter, but costs the same. The times on the bus stop sign indicate departures from the town centre – the bus reaches us about 4–5 minutes later. In the winter, the winter timetable (invierno) applies. See more under buses.
If something goes wrong
If you have any questions, need anything, or if something isn't working, simply pop by the office. You can also ask the other Danish residents staying there – they are usually very helpful. And if there is anything you'd like an answer to, do let us know.
Enjoy your stay at Playa Tropical and the surrounding area!
Krone amounts are converted at 1 € ≈ 7.46 kr. and rounded.
