Hotel Bodegon
Av. Papa Luna, 77 y Av. Valencia, snº
12598 Peñíscola, ES
In mid-June, four of us as two couples, were on holiday and making our way down the eastern seaboard of Spain, from Barcelona. The town of Peñíscola seemed a good stop as it is a smallish town with a population under 8,000, and Hotel Bodegon sits right on the waterfront with wide beautiful beaches and a nearby historic thirteen-century castle. We had made our reservations the month before, as is recommended throughout the summer season, because it is a popular holiday destination.
We arrived mid-afternoon and were greeted by one of the owners, Jacqueline, and later we met her brother, Christian. They run the hotel and both were friendly, courteous, helpful, and each spoke English even though we spoke some Spanish. This lovely and comfortable hotel has fifteen double rooms with ensuite bathrooms. Our room was on the third level that faced the sea with a balcony that even went around the side. The rooms and bathrooms were very clean and neat with a desk, TV, tile floors, and air-conditioning.
After showers, a rest, and a change of clothes, we met up with our friends downstairs for drinks. We sat outdoors under their wide veranda so we could stare out to sea and watch the people go by. Our friends had Rosado (rose) wine and we enjoyed some of the best piña coladas that we had ever had, though the couple near us raved about the mojitos. We also ordered some appetizers of delicious green olives, Manchego cheese, and barbecue chicken wings. All this and the sea air had only peaked our appetites, so we decided to move indoors for the full dinner menu. It was only 7:30, at least an hour before Spaniards eat, but we were still on American time, and the hotel was happy to serve us. We sat next to wide and high windows on two sides for an expansive view, with lower windows open. The room held at least a dozen wooden tables with tablecloths of red covered with white cloths.
Two of us had the Monk fish which came with some shell fish. A third had the steak with Roquefort sauce and our fourth member had a capresa salad with tomato, buffalo mozzarella, and walnuts. Everything was delicious and the service good. Afterward, we walked the boardwalk heading south for a short ways, enjoying the warm breeze. Then we retired for an early night to get a good night’s sleep.
When we retired to our room, the room was stuffy so we opened the French doors and enjoyed the boardwalk nightlife and warm evening breezes. This was fine for us as long as we were awake. But the distracting noise below with chatting people walking by, late night diners in the restaurant, and some music from the restaurant next door, had us close the doors when we wanted to sleep. We reminded ourselves that the air only goes on when the windows and doors are closed. At first, we were puzzled when it still would not go on, and then we realized that the batteries were used up in the air-conditioning remote, so we simply exchanged them for the ones in the TV remote, which we never watch when we are on vacation, anyway, and then the air-conditioning worked great.
Two of us are early risers, so the next morning we went downstairs for some coffee, but the door to the restaurant was locked. Please note two things: The owners live off the property and lock up the restaurant until they arrive between 8:30 and 9:00 am. And, it is tricky to exit the front door of the hotel unless you know how. If you plan to get up early and want to leave for a walk, ask them how to exit out the front door, the night before. Soon though, we were again sitting in the hotel’s outdoor patio, and ready for breakfast. The indoor buffet is ample. They offer hard-boiled eggs, fresh tomatoes, croissants and breads, fruits, cheeses, meats, yogurts, cereals, and small cakes, with a coffee machine that gives several options.
After breakfast, we wanted to go to the Papa Luna castle which we could see in the distance to the south. Not knowing how long we would take, we checked out, placed our suitcases in the car, which is safe in the hotel’s front private parking lot, and we left our computers at the front desk. The castle is only three kilometers away and would be a nice walk, but we opted to rent next door a four-person covered bike, and we pedaled along the wide sidewalk, where it is indicated for bikes to travel. However, that pathway runs out after one kilometer and one needs to take bikes on to the street for the second kilometer. Just be careful, it is a busy thoroughfare. Then there is a place near a large circular plaza where bikes can no longer go, but can be locked up. One must walk the last kilometer, and then up the hill to the castle. (See review of castle.)
Note: The four-person pedal bikes are relatively heavy so it is not as easy to pedal as one might think. They also have single and tandem bikes.
We returned three hours later, fetched our laptops and left, very happy with the Hotel Bodegon, its food, service, amenities, and lovely hosts.
