Residencial Marcomar, Alcossebre

The Marcomar apartments in Alcossebre form a complex with a pool in the Marcolina estate, on the slope where the Sierra de Irta begins. It is not a town-beach complex: it is an option for those who prefer peace, views and nature, with the sea and coves close by and the centre a few minutes by car. Casa Azahar manages apartments in the complex, which other operators (Apartamentos 3000 and Albert Villas) also rent, and that is why it appears on the portals under names like Marcomar 3000 or Residencial Marcomar Casa Azahar.

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Where Residencial Marcomar is

Residencial Marcomar is in the Marcolina estate, between calle Reino Unido and calle Alemania, 14, in the Irta-Ribamar area of Alcossebre (Alcalà de Xivert, Castellón). It is about 1.3 km from Las Fuentes beach, north of the marina, and literally at the foot of the Sierra de Irta.

From part of the complex there are sea views, and from other areas, mountain views. Guests mention a nearby cove you can walk to; the coves on this part of the coast, such as Cala Blanca, next to the lighthouse, are small, of sand and pebbles, and have no lifeguards or services.

Advantages of the area:

• Very quiet surroundings, with mountain and sea air at once.
• Direct access to the Serra d'Irta walking and cycling routes.
• Easy parking, according to guests.

Drawbacks:

• It is far from the centre and the main beaches: to go to Cargador beach, shop or have dinner you need a car.
• The terrain is sloping and the complex has many stairs.

What Residencial Marcomar is like

Marcomar is a complex with an adult pool and a children's pool, open seasonally (spring to autumn). The apartments have one, two or three bedrooms, with capacity for 4, 6 and up to 8 people, which makes it one of the few Casa Azahar options for large groups or large families.

Other services mentioned in the listing and reviews:

• Air conditioning and wifi, both well rated on Booking (wifi, 8.7).
• Parking without difficulty.
• Pool with long afternoon hours, much appreciated by families.

According to reviews, there is no lift and the complex has quite a lot of stairs, something to bear in mind with suitcases, pushchairs or older people.

A clarification: some portal reviews mention that dogs were allowed, but that does not apply to Casa Azahar apartments, which do not accept pets in any building.

Residencial Marcomar reviews

Marcomar is a complex with several operators, and this is very noticeable in the reviews. The table only shows the listings of Casa Azahar (or those that do not distinguish the operator): 7.4/10 on Booking from 181 reviews, 3.4/5 on Google, 6.1/10 on Atrápalo, 6.8/10 on Central de Reservas and 6.0/10 on Expedia, the latter with only two reviews.

There are other listings of the same complex under the name Apartamentos 3000, another operator, which we have not mixed with the above: on TripAdvisor it has 2.4/5 from 49 reviews, very critical of that operator's reception and key handover; on Booking, 4.8/10 (47 reviews); on Central de Reservas, 7.3/10 (23), and on Google, 3.5/5 (33). If you search for "Marcomar" online you will find both series of scores, and it is important to know that they correspond to different managements. The Casa Azahar listing on TripAdvisor does not yet have reviews.

What guests like most. On Booking, the best sub-scores are wifi (8.7) and staff (8.3). The reviews repeatedly say that:

• the area is very quiet and part of the complex has sea views;
• the pool is pleasant for children and open until late;
• parking is easy;
• there is a cove nearby that you can walk to;
• the agency's service is good, and the air conditioning works well.

What is criticised. The lowest Booking sub-score is facilities (7.0), followed by location (7.1); on Central de Reservas location drops to 6.0. This makes sense: those who expect to be close to the centre find that they need a car. Other topics that some guests point out:

• many stairs and no lift;
• worn mattresses, pillows and sofas;
• maintenance that could be better in some places (damp, dirt in the pool area, ants);
• a deposit that some customers did not expect;
• late check-in and early check-out times.

In short, Marcomar appeals to those who know what they are getting: a quiet complex next to the mountains, with a pool and space for groups. The worst scores are concentrated among those who expected something central and in the wear of some interiors.

Our assessment

Strengths

• Natural surroundings next to the Sierra de Irta, with sea or mountain views.
• Adult and children's pool with long hours.
• Apartments of up to three bedrooms and 8 places.
• Easy parking, wifi and air conditioning.

Weak points

• Far from the centre and main beaches: a car is essential.
• Stairs and no lift.
• Worn furniture in some apartments.

Ideal for

• Large families and groups who need three bedrooms.
• Fans of hiking and mountain biking, with the Irta routes at the door.
• Those seeking rest away from the summer bustle.
• It is not the best option if you do not have a car or if you want to walk down to Cargador beach.

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Tips before booking at Marcomar

1. Count on having a car for Cargador beach, shopping and dinners in the village.
2. Ask about the floor and access if you are travelling with older people or a pushchair.
3. Confirm the operator: several agencies work in the complex and the reviews of one do not apply to another. With Casa Azahar, keys are collected at its office at avenida de Las Fuentes, 11.
4. Check the conditions (deposit, check-in and check-out times) before confirming, to avoid surprises.
5. Choose sea or mountain views as you prefer; not all apartments have the same orientation.

What to do near Marcomar: the Sierra de Irta

Marcomar is a good starting point for the Serra d'Irta Natural Park, declared in 2002, with about 12 km of unspoilt coast between Alcossebre and Peñíscola and one of the last well-preserved coastal ranges on the Mediterranean. Some official routes on the Alcossebre side:

• Route 2 (Faro d'Irta - Cala Cubanita - Font de la Parra): 12.8 km, easy, from Cala Blanca.
• Red route "Un paisaje de contrastes": 8.5 km circular, easy, from the lighthouse to Cala Cubanita.
• Ruta del Cranc by mountain bike: the Alcossebre-Peñíscola coastal track, 13.2 km, easy; the only demanding climb is Torre Badum.
• Ruta del Fardatxo by mountain bike: 16.2 km, hard, from Cala Blanca to Font Nova via Pou del Moro and Mas del Senyor.

In the park you will see dwarf fan palm, the only native palm in Europe, Aleppo pine woods and, with luck, Audouin's gull on the coast. Remember that lighting fires is forbidden and that pets must always be on a lead. In summer, driving access to the park's coast requires booking a place in the GVA Parcs Naturals app.

For a beach with services, Las Fuentes (freshwater springs in the sand, lifeguards and a children's area) is the closest, and Cargador, with a Blue Flag since 1987, the most complete.

How to get there

From the AP-7 (exit 44, Alcossebre-Torreblanca) or the N-340, take the CV-142 to Alcossebre and continue towards the marina and the Marcolina estate, north of Las Fuentes.

• Airports: Castellón (about 22 km), Valencia (about 123 km), Reus (about 145 km) and Barcelona (about 230 km).
• Train: Alcalà de Xivert station, about 10 km away.
• By car: Zaragoza, about 255 km; Madrid, about 465 km; Bilbao, about 565 km. More information at how to get to Alcocéber by car.

Casa Azahar alternatives near Marcomar

If you prefer to be a little closer to the beach, Casa Azahar has other buildings in the north of the village:

• Apartamentos Madeira: in Las Fuentes, about 6 minutes from the beach, with sea views, free parking and close to the Sierra de Irta.
• Apartamentos Arcos I: about 185 m from Las Fuentes beach, with pools and mini golf, and apartments of up to 6 places.
• Apartamentos Marino: on the front line of the Las Fuentes promenade, with an adult and a children's pool.

Other pages in the area: Fuente Sol apartments and Jardines del Puerto apartments. For more options, check the directory of Alcocéber complexes.