Apartamentos Río Piedras

Apartamentos Río Piedras is an aparthotel for divers who prefer a proper base rather than a hotel room with nowhere to put a cup of tea. You get a small kitchen, a living area and your own balcony or terrace, with the beach close enough to make a post-dive walk entirely manageable.

The feel is practical and self-contained. You can eat in, walk out for dinner, or spend the evening on the roof with the sea in front of you. Air conditioning, free WiFi and a fridge cover the useful things; the rest is up to you, which is often a fair arrangement after a day spent underwater.

Couples can keep things simple in a one-bedroom apartment, while the two-bedroom layout gives a group of up to four more room to spread out. Families are welcome too, with cots and extra beds available depending on the chosen apartment.

You are in Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria, in the south of Gran Canaria, at C/ El Ancla, 2. Puerto Rico Beach is about 0.1 miles away, and the property sits by the sea rather than inland behind a highway and a hopeful description.

Amadores Beach is about 1 mile away on foot, while Playa de Tauro is roughly 1.6 miles away. Anfi Beach is about 2.4 miles away, giving you several stretches of sand to choose from when you fancy a change of scene.

Daily supplies are easy to reach, with supermarkets within about 0.1 miles. The Puerto Comercial Shopping Centre is a five-minute walk away, and several restaurants sit around 250 feet from the property. Gran Canaria Airport is about 21 miles away by road.

These are apartments, so the useful question is not simply where the bed goes. It is whether you want somewhere to sit, make coffee, chill a bottle of water and eat without having to dress up for the occasion. Every apartment has a small kitchen with a fridge, microwave, oven, hob, toaster, kettle, coffee machine and kitchenware, plus a dining table and seating area.

For two people, the terrace apartment is the natural choice if outdoor space matters more than keeping things compact. The balcony apartment does the same job with a smaller footprint. If you are travelling as a group or want separate sleeping areas, the two-bedroom apartment with terrace gives four guests more room to organise themselves without turning the living area into a luggage depot.

Air conditioning is available for the warmer hours, with a fan also provided. The private bathroom includes a bath or shower, hairdryer and bidet. A flat-screen television with satellite channels is there for the quiet evenings, while the balcony or terrace gives you somewhere to sit when the walls of the apartment start to feel a little too close.

Terraza Grill handles breakfast, lunch and dinner, either indoors or on the terrace. The setting matters here: you can sit outside with sea views instead of treating every meal as a logistical exercise between dives.

Breakfast is served as a buffet. For lunch and dinner, the restaurant offers a straightforward solution when you have had enough of deciding where to eat, while the apartment kitchen gives you the option of keeping things quiet and making your own meal.

There is also a bar on site, and restaurants including Fran's, Oscar's Restaurante and Restaurante Caballito de Mar are about 250 feet away. Chester Beach Club is roughly 350 feet away, with Little Star Bar about 700 feet away and Wig Wam Cocktail Bar around 0.4 miles away. In other words, your evening drink does not require a taxi or a second expedition.

The main non-diving feature is on the top floor: an outdoor swimming pool with sea views. It is paired with a large rooftop sun terrace and free sun loungers, so you can choose between a swim and the traditional diver's afternoon discipline of lying down and not moving for a while.

From the roof, the view takes in the sea, Puerto Rico Beach, the park and the valley. That gives the pool area more character than a simple rectangle beside the building, particularly when you want fresh air without committing to another excursion.

Further afield, hiking and fishing are available outside the property, and a water park is also off site. Three golf courses are within about 12 miles of the aparthotel. The nearby beaches provide the simplest alternative: a short change of scenery, no timetable, and considerably less equipment to remember.

Check-in runs from 3pm to midnight, and check-out is by noon. You need to give the property your expected arrival time, particularly if your flight lands late or your transfer decides to take the scenic route. A 24-hour reception is available.

Private parking is available on site, with an electric vehicle charging station. Parking arrangements differ between the property information and the booking details, so confirm the current terms directly before relying on a parking space. WiFi is free throughout the property, and a safety deposit box is available.

Airport transfers are not listed as an on-site service. Gran Canaria Airport is about 21 miles away, so you can arrange your own transfer or car hire for the journey to Puerto Rico. Smoking is not permitted, pets are not allowed, and parties and visits are not permitted. Only the people included in the booking may use the shared areas and swimming pool.