Apartamentos Loar

Loar has three kinds of accommodation - hotel/suites in one building and apartments and studios is the adjoining building. The buildings are seamless on he ground floor but separate lifts service the two buildings. We stayed in a one bedroom apartment which has a balcony big enough for two chairs so great for looking at the comings and goings of locals and their families and what was going on in the square. The 12 apartments have outward facing balconies whereas the studios face the rear. I think it is worth the extra cost to have an apartment as we spent a fair amount of time just enjoying the atmosphere of the town. I don't know about the hotel rooms as we much prefer the space of an apartment and the flexibility to cook our own meals and snacks. The apartment was clean, comfortable and well equipped. The highlight was the roof terrace with views, loungers, lovely pool and jacuzzi. There is also an indoor heated pool which was a bit awkward to access as unless the restaurant was open the only way in was via a spiral fire escape. Being able to choose which pool you fancied was a real treat and we mostly had the roof terrace to ourselves. The town itself had no real must-sees for tourists but it was a convenient base to explore the island. Although Loar does not offer parking we always found a space within a few minutes' walk. There are enough places to eat and drink with three decent sized supermarkets, a butcher and fishmonger if you wanted to cook. The apartment facilities made this easy. It is quite surprising to have such a large establishment in an inland town but it seemed quite busy and the bar & restaurant were popular. I certainly recommend Loar and Ferreries. Staying in a central town worked well for us. Don't hesitate to stop at a cheese producer, signposted everywhere. Mahon cheese is excellent.