Adrian Grade 4.3 out of 5 Stars
Overview
The Secrets Bahía Real is a 5-star with an all-inclusive option that is located in the Corralejo area of Fuerteventura. The resort has 242 rooms, which is actually a really nice size. It’s not too big that the resort is overwhelming and there are enough people around that there is a buzz about the place.
The resort went through extensive renovations in 2021 and there is a lovely premium feel throughout the resort. The aesthetic throughout was a luxury and it really feels all of the 5-stars that it is rated.
This resort was previously the Gran Hotel Atlantis Bahía Real before it was rebranded as a Secrets resort. Our review is based on a visit to the resort at the end of 2022.
Location
The resort is located a 45-minute drive from Fuerteventura Airport and is just on the outskirts of the main area of Corralejo.
What we really liked about the location is that it is within walking distance of the town of Corralejo. It was far enough away that the resort felt pretty chilled out.
There are some great restaurants and a nice bar scene on the main strip. So, if you’re looking to venture out of the resort some of the evenings. The town is around a 15-minute walk away or a short taxi ride.
The only disadvantage to the location is that if you’re on the beach it can get quite windy, but with the pools located in the courtyard you won’t feel any of the wind.
Top Tips
- One of the great things about the Canary Islands is that there is a year-round sun. So, if you are looking for a winter break. A getaway to the Canaries is a must.
- Although the wind is usually quite strong in the area and it means that the beach at times can get a bit blustery. The positive is that Corralejo is a great spot for surfing and windsurfing. There are loads of surf rental spots and places that do lessons. So, if you’re looking for some activities. There are tons of options.
- The lobby bar was our favorite spot to hang out in the evenings when we stayed at the resort. The bar area is really nicely decorated and there is a great terrace with some picturesque views of the local islands. There is usually music in the evenings with a piano. There are also snacks that are available at the lobby bar.
- The Secrets does have a great app that you can use for a number of things. We ordered room service through it a few times and it came promptly. All the resort information can be found on it, so be sure to download it.
- There is a range of packages available at the Secrets. If you don’t go for the all-inclusive package the cost of the food and drink at the resort is quite expensive. In fairness, it is a 5-star resort, so expect to pay a premium vs local restaurants and bars.
Check-In
The check-in was really convenient, we were greeted with a glass of Cava and our bags were whisked from us. There was no queue at the check-in desks and we were taken through the process in a matter of minutes.
The staff definitely could have given us more information about the resort, but we were happy to get to our room as quickly as possible. If you have a car there is valet parking that is free of charge.
Is this a family-friendly resort?
The Secrets is an adults-only brand, so if you are traveling as a family, this is not the resort for you. There are a good few options in the Corralejo area if you are looking for a family-friendly resort then we recommend checking out the Barceló Corralejo Sands. Located right off the main street in Corralejo, this is a great resort and has a ton of amenities for families
Amenities
The amenities are quite good when you look at the baseline elements like the Spa, gym, and pools. All of these are of a superb standard. When it comes to the ancillary amenities that you get at other luxury all-inclusive resorts. The Secrets is a little bit lacking. We would have liked to have seen a wider entertainment schedule and more amenities for sports and games.
Pools
The pool area is located in a massive courtyard area. There are three pools and it’s a really impressive area. It’s the small touches that this resort really hits out of the park. The sun beds here are super thick and comfortable, it almost feels like a memory foam mattress, which is super lux. There are also loads available, so getting one won’t be too difficult at any time of the day.
Gym
The gym facilities here are top-notch. Located on the same level as the beach. The gym has some stunning views of the neighboring islands and ocean. With floor-to-ceiling glass, a lot of the cardio machines look outside and it makes for a special view during your workout.
The gym is a pretty decent size given the volume of rooms at the Bahia Real. There are treadmills, ellipticals, peloton-like bikes, a machine, and a free weights area. All of the equipment is technogym and brand new. It’s a great facility.
Things to do during the day
There is a range of fitness classes on offer throughout the day. In the mornings there are yoga and pilates which take place in the spa area. There are also activities like French boules, salsa, and aqua gym on offer throughout the week too.
Things to do during the night
In the evenings the entertainment is pretty laid back it solely comprises music in two of the bars. There are no themed shows or silent discos like you will find in resorts in Mexico.
If you’re looking for something to do in the evenings we recommend popping into Corralejo town and specifically the music square where there is live music and a great atmosphere every night. There are a ton of bars and restaurants where you can perch yourself and take in the live music.
Does Secrets Bahía Real have a swimmable beach?
There is a beach at the Secrets, but sadly it is not swimmable directly from the sand. There is a dock where you can swim, but it’s not as nice as swimming directly from the sand. The beach is also quite rocky and is not totally covered in sand. That being said it’s still a nice spot to chill out for the day or a few hours.
It’s relatively private with minimal footfall and there is a nice amount of sun loungers and cabanas on offer. It can get windy here, but there are wind blockers on some of the sun beds.
Spa
This is another area that you can see received a lot of investment in the recent renovations. This is hands down the best spa we have visited in any of the resorts in the Canary islands. It’s super spacious, clean, and modern. It’s so big that it never feels crowded and there is just a luxurious feel to it.
The treatments are really reasonably priced too. There are a number of specials that were on offer when we visited, but they seem to always have similar types of offers available. For example, for just €79 you can get a 30-minute facial and a 20-minute local massage. That’s serious value and the service is top-notch.
The Service
Impeccable is the only way to describe this resort. There is a great ratio of staff member to guests too, so throughout the resort the service is really prompt. If your sitting by the beach or the pool this is really handy and you will never see the bottom of your glass.
We have to give a specific shout out to Natalia on the concierge team. She was super helpful throughout and no ask was too much. She was really helpful in organzing transportation and days trips throughout our stay.
Cleanliness
The whole resort is incredibly clean. There are a ton of staff that are always buzzing around the resort. So, we rarely saw any rubbish or empties throughout the resort. The housekeeping staff is also really on it here. They came around three times on most dates. One deep clean in the morning and basically two turn-down services in the afternoon and early evening.
Rooms
The room sizes here are all really good. The junior suite which is the most basic is really big. The most important elements of any room are the mattresses and the showers and here at the Secrets, both are extremely good. With the recent refurb as well, everything is in good condition and the design is really nice, so you really can’t go wrong with any of the rooms as they were all redone.
Junior Suite
Coming in at 387ft² these are really well-sized rooms. The decor has some hacienda-style vibes to it and all of the rooms were updated in the renovations in 2021. They look and feel new and there is no wear and tear to the rooms.
It opens out to a nice-sized balcony and whether you have a pool view or an ocean view they are both serious views. They come in a range of views and you can get these suites with preferred club status. Whether you go for the preferred club option or not, they are the same size.
Grand Junior Suite
These are super similar to the Junior suite, so we won’t go into too much detail. The only difference is that the Grand suite is around 100ft² bigger. The terrace area is also bigger, so if you’re looking for more space, these suites are a decent choice.
Presidential Suite
These suites are the prize picks of the resort with some truly stunning views of the ocean, Isla De Lobos and Lazorote. Basically the size of a 4 bedroom house the presidential suites come in at 1800ft². These suites can have up to 4 guests in them, there is a really large living room, dining room, bedroom and bathroom. The furnished balcony is also massive and the perfect place to take in th e views. These suites arent cheap with rooms starting at
Price Range + Packages
This resort is not strictly an all-inclusive option. They do offer bed and breakfast and half board. The bed and breakfast includes exactly what it sounds like. Your room and breakfast at the buffet are covered. The half-board option includes breakfast and dinner in the buffet. Drinks are not included in this package.
What’s included in the all-inclusive package?
Like all AMR collection resorts, their packages are known as “Unlimited Luxury”. This includes all meals, drinks, use of amenities, 4-hour room service, a minibar, and entertainment.
On average the cost of the all-inclusive option and the bed and breakfast option is around €100 a day per person. So it’s quite a decent amount of money. For perspective, if you were to go for dinner for two with a bottle of wine in Corralejo. It will probably cost you €50-€60. If you plan on drinking during the day by the pool, it probably makes sense to go for the all-inclusive option, but if not the bed and breakfast with a mix of paying as you go and eating locally is definitely cheaper.
Is there a Dress Code in Place
All of the restaurants do have a dress code in place, but honestly, the staff is pretty relaxed about it. It’s broken down into the following categories, so to be on the safe side we would recommend packing appropriately just in case.
Formal
- Men: long pants and collared shirts; dress shoes.
- Women: blouses, skirts, slacks or dresses; dress shoes.
Resort Casual
- Men: Bermudas (long shorts or Capri pants), sneakers/tennis shoes, and sandals.No sleeveless shirts.
- Women: Ladies must wear a bathing suit wrap or cover-up.
Food + Restaurant Options
There are 7 restaurants throughout the resort and the best way to describe the offering was consistency. This is one of the best things we look for an all-inclusive resort and this is our top-ranked resort for food in any of the Canary islands. Typically there are two or three restaurants open each day, which we were happy with.
If you are not part of the all-inclusive package the cost of the restaurants is quite high your looking at around €25 for a main course for dinner and around €15-20 for lunch. You can definitely eat for a lot cheaper in the local area. So, we do recommend exploring the local area if you are not part of the all-inclusive package.
One of the other great elements is that all of the restaurants have vegan menus, which you don’t see at many resorts.
Ranking the Restaurants
Ranking the Restaurants
- Ólio
This Mediterranean restaurant is listed as one of the fine dining places in the resort. A lot of the restaurants have a Mediterranean theme, but Ólio was definitely the standout option. The location and lack of views do take away a little when you compare it to the Bay lounge and the Seaside grill, but the food was top-notch.
The standout dishes for us were Monkfish and the Pork suckling, these were both delicious. The service here was also really good, which made the night one to remember.
- Himitsu
This is an Asian fusion spot that has a Teppanyaki option in it. There is also a full a la carte menu which has a great range of dishes. The decor of this spot is really nice and it does not feel like you are in Fuerteventura when you eating here. The sushi dishes here were great. The tuna sashimi was top quality. Himitsu is only open during the Summer months and is a dinner option only.
- Market Cafe
The main buffet at the resort is where breakfast is each morning. It’s also open for dinner, but not for lunch. This buffet is vast and the choice of dishes is also really diverse. The crepes here which are available for both sittings were the bomb.
For dinner, they typically do themed nights with cooking stations. From Asian, Tex-Mex, Spanish, and Italian there’s always something new each night. It’s actually nice to have a range of cuisines throughout the week.
Overall the food standard here was really good, much better than we have experienced at a lot of other buffets.
- Chozo
Another dinner-only option. Chozo is a luxury local Canarian restaurant that does some great local dishes. The beef cheek was the standout dish we had. The goat stew was also delicious. The service was great here and there is a nice atmosphere in the restaurant. It’s categorized as a Gastro bar, so it’s definitely on the more casual side, which we really liked. Of course, you have to try the local Canarian-style potatoes here. They’re delicious.
- Seaside Grill
Serving traditional Mediterranean dishes, this spot has interesting opening hours. It’s open from 11 am to 5.45 pm, so it’s really just a lunch spot. The seaside grill has some serious views out to the ocean and the menu is really nice. Lots of seafood, our favorites were the Cerviche and the Seabass. They also have a good vegan menu here, which is great to see. This is the perfect spot to grab some lunch.
- The Bay Lounge
This is definitely the restaurant with the best views. Located right by the water this spot has some stunning views of Lobos island, nearby Lanzorte, and the beach. The Bay lounge has a nice mix of dishes with an emphasis on seafood. Their seafood risotto was the standout dish and the veal schnitzel was also really well prepared.
Nebbiolo Ristorante
This is the only restaurant we didn’t get a chance to dine in, we actually also heard mixed reviews about Nebbiolo. It’s a traditional Italian place and the menu offering looks decent.
Bars and Drinks Offering
The drinks selection here is really good and the bar tenders are trained really well, so the cocktails they can produce are very impressive. The price for drinks are relatively expensive oif you are not part of the al-inclusive package, but probably what you would expect to pay at a 5-star resort. For example a large beer cost around €4.50 while in a local bar or restaurant it will be €2.
The one thing we do really like about the drinks offering was that if you go for the all-inclusive package, it includes one of the most expansive and best wine lists we have seen. Typically the wine offerings are very limited in most resorts, but not at the Secrets.
There are 4 bars throughout the resort, which given the size of it, isnt a huge amount. The main bars in the evening are the Rendezvous which is the main reception bar and the Rock and ball, which has live music and a DJ at night.
Is the Preffered Club Worth it?
There is a preferred club option. On average the rooms cost around €100 more a night to get preferred club access. There are a number of benefits that you get with the access. Here are our highlights.
Access to the Preferred club lounge
This isnt much of an add on to be honest. The lounge itself is quite small and there is no bar in there, so really there is no reason to go there and we didnt use at all during our stay.
Mini-Bar restocked daily
Honestly this is something that we would have expected in the base all-inclusive package, so we were a little disappointed not to see it included. If you go for the preferred club, this is a solid benefit.
With all these benefits you are probably asking yourself. Is it worth it? For us, its not worth it. Given the significant price increase, but if you have the spare cash, go for it!
Tipping
Tipping in the Canary islands is not as commonplace as it is in resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean. So, there isnt an expectation to tip for drinks. We did tip during out stay, but not to the same volume as those regions. We tipped for all meals and typically when we were ordering drinks by the pool. At the start of each day. We would tip the waiter 5 euro for the day of drinks.
Conclusion
Overall, this is our top choice for a 5-star adults only resort on the Canary islands that has an all-inclusive option. The food is superb, the facilities and resort are luxury and the service was really impeccable. Its definitely the most expensive resort in Fuertevntua, but its worth the premium.
The only drawback was that there were a number of dishes and drinks that werent included in the all-inclusive packages, so its was a little confusing. We wouldnt let this dissuade you though.
If you are looking for a premium adults only experience in Fuerteventua, then look no further then the Secrets.
FAQ’s
Q. Does the Secrets Bahía Real offer a shuttle service from the Airport
A. The Secrets does offer a shuttle service from the airport. The service does come at an additional cost though.You can book the shuttle here – https://secretsbahiareal.com/en/
Q. Is parking available at the resort
A. Yes, parking is available for guest and it is complimentary.
Q. Is Wi-Fi included
A. Yes, Wi-Fi is available to you in your suite as well as throughout the resort. The resort is fairly spaced out, but the Wi-Fi signal is strong throughout. We were easily able to stream Tv shows and take video calls in our room and by the pool. On the beach the signal isnt the best.
Q. What local attractions are there?
A. Fuerteventura is our favorite of the Canary islands. Theres loads of things to do on the island and in the local area. In Corralejo alone there such a wide amount of choice of restaurants and bars. There are also some really nice beaches (that are swimmable) that are close by the resort. For a complete guide of things to do in Corralejo.
