I greatly enjoyed staying at Jose Manuel and Helene's apartment!
I like to stay in authentic places and neighborhoods, and this location was perfect for that. I got to practice my Spanish with some locals and neighbors, enjoyed local restaurants, etc.
The apartment is renovated and extremely well kept. Cleanliness is very important to me and this may have been THE cleanest Airbnb I've ever stayed in. Very happy with that! The kitchen is well equipped and I loved the shower as well. I didn't use the A/C much as it was early October (perfectly pleasant weather by the way), but it's quite a sophisticated system that worked well. I slept well in the very comfortable main bed, and (since I like to sleep in) I was happy with the black-out blinds. Appreciated not having to travel with heavy beach towels as there are some at the apartment.
Communication with Jose Manuel was a breeze. He was very fast and detailed in responding to my messages and questions. He also gave me great insider suggestions on restaurants in Malaga and the surrounding neighborhoods and checked in with me to make sure everything went well.
I'm very glad I decided to stay in El Palo as it was central to the places I was planning to visit: only 15-20 minutes on the bus to downtown Malaga (bus stop on the main road just around the corner) and 10-15 minutes on the bus (3-minute walk to bus stop) to the beaches of La Cala del Moral and Rincón de la Victoria. The smaller beach of El Palo (and restaurants) is just down the street.
I will certainly recommend this apartment to friends and relatives visiting the Malaga area and looking for a good mix of city and beach experiences.