The Mare Nostrum apartments in Alcossebre are one of the most central options for renting a large flat in Alcocéber: the building is right in the centre of the village, Cargador beach is a couple of minutes' walk away and the apartments have three bedrooms, with capacity for eight people. On this page we gather what the booking portals say, what the building offers and who it suits best, with its strengths and also its weaknesses.
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Where the Mare Nostrum apartments are
The Mare Nostrum building is in the centre of Alcossebre, the coastal core of Alcalà de Xivert (Baix Maestrat, Castellón), about 2 minutes on foot from Cargador beach (Carregador), the main beach of the village. It is a town-centre location: around it there are bars, restaurants, shops and supermarkets, and guests highlight it as the accommodation's best feature.
The sub-scores confirm it: location is the best-rated aspect on all three portals that score it (8.6 on Booking, 8.7 on Atrápalo and 9.0 on Central de Reservas). From the door you can walk to the beach, the seafront promenade and the Senda Litoral, the wooden walkway that links Cargador with Playa Romana.
Advantages of the area:
- You do not need a car for everyday life: beach, shopping and restaurants are a few minutes' walk away.
- Cargador beach has had a Blue Flag without interruption since 1987 and is fully accessible.
- You have Playa Romana a walk away along the Senda Litoral and the Sierra de Irta a few minutes by car.
Drawbacks worth knowing:
- Being right in the centre, there is more street activity and noise than in an estate on the outskirts.
- Several guests comment that parking in the surrounding area is difficult, especially in summer.
What the Mare Nostrum complex is like
Mare Nostrum is an apartment block with a lift, a shared pool with solarium and a seafaring atmosphere typical of the centre of Alcocéber. It is not an estate with large gardens, but an urban building with communal services, designed for those who prioritise location.
The apartments managed by Casa Azahar have three bedrooms and capacity for 8 people, something unusual in the village centre. According to reviews and the Booking listing, they are spacious flats and some are exterior, with a terrace or balconies. They are not advertised as having sea views.
Equipment mentioned in the listing and by guests:
- communal pool, with an area suitable for children;
- air conditioning in the living room;
- wifi;
- terrace or balcony, depending on the apartment;
- kitchen with oven and washing machine.
A practical detail: the air conditioning is in the living room and does not reach the bedrooms as well, something several guests point out in midsummer. Towels are also not included, so it is best to bring them.
What guests think of the Mare Nostrum apartments
7.0/10 weighted average across booking sites · 72 reviews
| Website | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Booking.com | 6.5/10 | 23 |
| 3.7/5 | 18 | |
| Atrápalo | 6.9/10 | 19 |
| Central de Reservas | 7.8/10 | 12 |
Public scores from each website, checked on octubre de 2026. They may have changed; see the source for the current score.
The weighted average is around 7 out of 10, but the portals do not entirely agree and it is worth reading them in context:
- Booking.com (6.5/10, 23 reviews) is the most critical portal. Even so, its location (8.6) and staff (8.9) sub-scores are high; what lowers the average are cleanliness (6.7) and facilities (6.7).
- Central de Reservas (7.8/10) is the most favourable, but with only 12 reviews and many of them old, so it carries little weight.
- Atrápalo (6.9/10) matches Booking: a very good location score and low scores for decor and facilities.
- Google (3.7/5) gathers mixed reviews; among the positive ones, the speed of the maintenance service when there is a breakdown is repeatedly mentioned.
- We have not found a listing for Mare Nostrum on TripAdvisor or Expedia. In addition, on Booking there is another listing called "Mare Nostrum" in another part of Alcossebre which, because of its location, probably corresponds to a different property: do not mix it up with this one.
What guests like most. Location is the main argument: almost all the positive reviews talk about having Cargador beach, bars, shops and the supermarket a few minutes away. The size of the apartments is also valued, that some are exterior with a terrace, the communal pool (also for children) and the flexible and friendly service at key handover and return. For short stays, several guests consider the value for money to be good.
What is criticised. The most repeated topic is noise and smells from the ground-floor bar-restaurant and from the street itself, a direct consequence of being in the centre. Next come the heat in the bedrooms, because the air conditioning is only in the living room, and the state of repair: some guests point out wardrobes, towel rails, showers or enclosures that need maintenance and a building that has not been renovated. Also appearing are cleaning that could be better on some arrivals, an uncomfortable sofa bed, the lack of towels and the difficulty of parking.
The profile of those who stay is clear: Spanish families and groups looking for a large flat in the centre.
Our assessment
Mare Nostrum is a building about location, not design. If you choose it knowing that, it fits well; if you are looking for a renovated, quiet apartment, there are better options in Alcossebre.
Strengths
- Village centre and Cargador beach about 2 minutes away.
- Three bedrooms for 8 people, unusual so close to the beach.
- Lift, useful with pushchairs, suitcases or older people.
- Shared pool with solarium.
- Also close to the Sierra de Irta.
Weak points
- Noise from the ground-floor premises and the street.
- Air conditioning only in the living room.
- Dated furniture and finishes according to several reviews.
- Difficult parking in the area.
Ideal for. Large families, groups of friends or two families travelling together who want to get around on foot between the beach, the terraces and the shops. For couples looking for silence or those who want a quiet estate with a garden, we recommend looking at the alternatives below. Remember that no Casa Azahar building accepts pets.
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Practical tips if you are staying at Mare Nostrum
Based on what the reviews repeat, these are the details that help most to get it right:
- Bring towels. They are not included, and it is one of the complaints that appear on several portals.
- Ask about orientation. If rest is a concern, ask when booking whether the apartment faces the street or the interior: noise complaints are concentrated around the ground-floor premises and the street.
- Think about the heat. The air conditioning is in the living room; in July and August, a fan for the bedrooms can make a difference.
- Leave the car parked. Finding a space in the centre is difficult, but once settled you do not need it to go to the beach, the supermarket or dinner.
- Make use of the lift and pool. They are two services that are unusual in such central buildings and are very useful with small children or older people.
If there are eight of you, the three-bedroom format lets you distribute the beds well without renting two apartments, something that families in the building's usual profile value especially.
Surroundings and things to do from Mare Nostrum
Beaches. Cargador beach measures about 850 by 70 metres, is fine sand, retains a dune system with sea daffodils and has a sailing club and paddle surf hire. Along the Senda Litoral you reach Playa Romana (500 metres of fine sand, also with a Blue Flag). Further south are El Moro beach and Manyetes, and to the north Les Fonts (Las Fuentes) beach, where freshwater springs bubble up in the sand itself, next to the marina.
Sierra de Irta. The Serra d'Irta Natural Park begins north of the village. From Cala Blanca, next to the Alcossebre lighthouse, start route 2 (Faro d'Irta - Cala Cubanita - Font de la Parra, 12.8 km, easy) and the red route, of 8.5 km. By bike, the Ruta del Cranc follows the coastal track towards Peñíscola (13.2 km, easy). In summer, to drive into the park's coast you need to book a place in the GVA Parcs Naturals app.
In the village. The seafront promenade, the Tuesday afternoon market in season and the Tourist Info office in Plaza Vistalegre are a short distance away. About 9 km away is Alcalà de Xivert, with the church of San Juan Bautista and its 68-metre octagonal bell tower.
How to get there
By car, you arrive via the AP-7, exit 44 (Alcossebre-Torreblanca), or via the N-340 and then the CV-142 to the coast. Some approximate distances by road: Castellón, about 50 km; Valencia, about 120 km; Zaragoza, about 255 km; Madrid, about 465 km. The nearest airports are Castellón (about 22 km), Valencia (about 123 km), Reus (about 145 km) and Barcelona (about 230 km). By train, the nearest station is Alcalà de Xivert, about 10 km away. You will find more details in our guide to getting to Alcocéber by car.
Alternatives near Mare Nostrum
If there are no dates or you are looking for another type of apartment in the same area, these Casa Azahar buildings are around Cargador and the centre:
- Apartamentos Bovalar: also with lift, garden, solarium and pool, a few minutes from Cargador. You can read its page with reviews at Bovalar apartments.
- Apartamentos Ibiza: 3-bedroom flats on the Cargador seafront promenade, with sea views.
- Residencial Al Andalus: large garden and pools for adults and children, about 7 minutes from the beach, for those who prefer more calm.
Very close to Mare Nostrum are also the Barlovento building and Vista Alegre apartments, facing the beach. You can see all the complexes by area in the directory of Alcocéber apartments.