Morning sun on a beachside top floor

A 10-square-metre terrace catches the morning sun directly off the living-dining room. This 2 bedroom top floor apartment in San Pedro de Alcántara sits on the beachside of the main coast road, between the town and Puerto Banús, where the seafront boardwalk and shops are reached on foot. Being on the top level means no footsteps from neighbours overhead.

The terrace and what the community includes

Ten square metres of outdoor space gives enough room for a table and four chairs without crowding the doors back into the living room. Morning light suits breakfast outside and leaves the terrace shaded and cooler during the hottest hours of a summer afternoon. Downstairs, the private gated community holds a communal pool, communal gardens and paddle tennis courts. Having courts on site saves booking elsewhere, though a buyer should check at viewing how close the apartment sits to the courts and the pool to judge daytime noise. A parking space is included with the property, which matters near the beach where street parking fills up quickly in high season.

Built area and room layout

The built area is 78 square metres, divided between a combined living-dining room, two bedrooms and one bathroom. Sharing a single bathroom between two bedrooms is the main practical trade-off in a flat of this size; it works well for a couple using the second room for guests or a study, and requires a bit more coordination when four people stay at once. Air conditioning is installed, which is necessary on a top floor where the roof absorbs heat through July and August.

Walking times and local access

A 2 bedroom top floor apartment in San Pedro de Alcántara on the beachside lets you leave the car parked for most daily errands. The beach, the promenade, restaurants and local shops are a few minutes' walk away, and the centre of San Pedro is about a 10-minute walk inland. When you do drive, Puerto Banús takes about 5 minutes and Marbella is around 10 minutes along the coast road.