It's the 'laid-back' atmosphere, and lack of over-commercialisation which keeps drawing us back to El Cotillo.
The beaches and lagoons to the north have been described enough already, but suffice to say that we can find a different beach each day, if we so wish.
We spend only a single week there, and can dine very well in a different restaurant each night. If staying for a fortnight, you could still eat perfectly well, without repeating any venue. And there'd still be somewhere you hadn't tried.
Everything in the town is within easy walking distance, with a good Inpescasa supermarket on the approach to town, as well as some local shops scattered through the streets, almost every need is catered for. Doesn't appear to be a pharmacy now, though.
On our first trips we were picked up from the airport and taken to the apartment, and would then get the bus to Corralejo on one day, though we now rent a car which also allows us to reach the wilder coast beyond the lighthouse.
As well as the old town, there's been quite a bit of new development, most of which seems finally to be finished. There's a lot of vacant development sites around which haven't been started though.
This means that there's a very open feel to the town, not cramped and closed in, as some places are.
It's not a place to visit if you're looking for excitement. We just want a quiet time, so it suits us perfectly.
It's a proper small town, with proper local residents, school, local shops and bars, as well as holiday homes, rentals and facilities and a few expats.
We would love to see more people staying in El Cotillo, making use of the under-utilised facilities, so the town could actually make some money. There's a lot of traders, in many fields, who are doing a really good job in town, but not reaping the rewards the deserve.
Lots of daytrippers shooting round the back of town to get to the lagoons and not even buying their lunch.
Tradewise, the town probably suffers from being at 'the end of the line', and not getting any through traffic, though that would spoil the special character of the place.
We give El Cotillo 5 stars, simply because it suits us so well. If someone graded it as a resort, comparing it to other holiday destinations it might struggle to get the second star.
Most defintely a place you should experience at some time.
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