Villa Description
This rural house, which shares a hillside spot with two or three neighbouring properties, is set in the peaceful heartland of Andalucía’s olive oil country. The pace of life here is slow and the people are warm and friendly. The house that sits beside this one is not a rental property, it is owned by a middle aged couple who only use the house occasionally, their outdoor living space facing the other way.
The property is not far from the sleepy little village of Ermita Nueva (1.4 km) which has a bar, a bakery and a small supermarket. The interior is decorated in a traditional style with antique ceramic artefacts and brass ornaments. The cosy, cottage feel is emphasised by the exposed ceiling beams and the open, brick fireplace in the living room.
The doorway from the conservatory opens directly into the living room which has a two-seater sofa, wall-mounted Samsung TV and a circular dining table for four. Set in the wall is a tiny little sink (now decorated with traditional Spanish plates) an interesting relic from older, rustic times.
The living room leads directly to the kitchen with its whitewashed walls and farmhouse-style brick floor. The sloping ceiling is higher than in the living room and all around the room, at ceiling level is attractively arranged decorative china, giving antique character to the clutter-free kitchen. The kitchen has a four-ring gas hob with electric oven, fridge freezer and dishwasher. The worktops are smart granite and there is plenty of space to prepare food.
From the living room there are two steps up to a little landing (which takes you up eight stairs to the master bedroom) and then two steps down from this landing is the ground floor bedroom. The house can sleep four guests, two in the double master bedroom upstairs and two in the ground floor twin-bedded room.
The drive north from Granada towards the province of Jaen brings you to the vast expanses of olive tree estates. This is olive oil country and the experience of authentic, rural Andalusia. Here you'll see olive mills, sleepy hamlets and village dogs dozing in the sun.
The house is easy to find and easy to get to. Most of the journey from Granada is on the (usually not busy at all) N432 towards the medieval fortress town of Alcalá La Real. The village of Ermita Nueva is clearly marked. To get to the house from the village, a tarmac road takes you a kilometre followed by a decent, easily driveable dirt road for half a kilometre. As you take the last half kilometre up, you'll see the superb views of fields and olive groves stretching away into the distance.
Every room in the house has windows facing this marvellous vista. But even better is looking at this view from the front of the house, from the swimming pool.
The lovely blue pool has shallow steps for easy access into the water or for just sitting on, cooling down without the full body dip. A useful small iron table and two chairs are close by for putting jugs of cold drinks on or having a snack in the shade. The four sun-beds come with comfy mattresses so all you have to do is lie back and snooze, soaking up the sunshine with a splash in the pool every now and then. Close your eyes and you may hear the faint whirr of a tractor in the distance, the piping of little birds and the buzzing of honeybees - and occasionally a local neighbour going about their daily business.
The front of the house has a furnished conservatory room which looks out directly to the wide, pool terrace. It is south-facing so you are treated to a full day's sunshine. The conservatory has four cane armchairs, a dining table and four chairs for eating meals in an indoor but outdoor setting. The conservatory has glass sliding doors on all three sides which can be opened to let a cool breeze blow through in the summer, but keeps out any wind during chillier times of the year.
Behind the house is a sloping grassy area, with a few small trees (almonds and encinas) providing some shade in the heat of the day. Perhaps take a picnic blanket out there with a book, lie still, look up at the blue sky and listen to the birds.
Upstairs is the spacious master bedroom which, with its en suite bathroom, takes up the whole of the top floor. The style of this bedroom is very open and airy with a high, sloping ceiling and exposed beams. The bed is a large double and from it you can see the path of the moon, from its rising, moving across the sky throughout the whole night.
The bedroom has four large windows; two are south-facing and look out to the Sierra Nevada mountains and the pool terrace below, two face the back of the house with its sloping, grassy terrace. There are two bedside cabinets, an armchair and round, occasional table. The en suite bathroom has a walk-in shower, basin and wc, as well as a large closet room.
The ground floor bedroom is a twin-bedded room. One large window looks out to the pool terrace and the mountains beyond, the other large window looks out to the side of the house. It has a large, walk-in closet as well as a chest of drawers. The decor in this room is as for a rural cottage, with a low ceiling, visible beams and traditional Spanish bedsteads of a wooden barley-twist design. It has an en suite bathroom with a walk-in shower, basin and wc. The large mirror in the bathroom is lit by the natural light of a window.
Although this house is for those who want rest and quiet relaxation by the pool, there are some interesting day trips to be had. Today, this spot is a peaceful haven but it was quite a different story 700 years ago. The tussle between Moorish and Christian forces have left places to see which are reminders of those times. The town of Alcalá La Real with its arabic fortress is only 5kms away. Similarly, the pretty town of Montefrío (30 minutes’ drive) had a strategic castle, replaced by a church in the 15th century. Montefrío is also well known for its trout, cooked simply and fresh.
Priego de Córdoba is about 40 minutes’ drive away and is well worth a visit, for its flower-filled old quarter, medieval fortress, baroque church and fountain. Year after year, olive oil from Priego de Córdoba wins first prize in international awards. Look for the PDO - protected designation of origin label - a worthwhile souvenir to take home.
These sights aren’t on the usual tourists’ list, they show an authentic and undiscovered side of Spain’s rich past. Of course, there is also the famous city of Granada itself, the grand jewel, it just can’t be missed. Granada is only 45 minutes’ drive away.
Villa Details
Weather permitting, the swimming pool will be open throughout the year (although, because it's not heated, the normal swimming season is from May to September, inclusive).
Rentals for this property normally run from Saturday to Saturday in high season.
The last photo in the More Villa Photos (below) shows the Coviran supermarket where guests are met on arrival.
Prices are inclusive of firewood.
Prices are inclusive of a basic welcome pack on your arrival.
*There is an additional charge of 60€ per week for winter heating from October until March inclusive.
There is also a local hairdresser who can come to the property if required.
Villa Prices
2019 Season Dates | Sleeping 2 per week |
Sleeping 3/4 per week |
---|---|---|
5th January to 22nd March | 910 € | 980 € |
23rd March to 5th April | 1,040 € | 1,240 € |
6th April to 7th June | 910 € | 980 € |
8th June to 6th September | 1,040 € | 1,240 € |
7th September to 13th December | 910 € | 980 € |
14th December to 3rd January 2019 | 1,040 € | 1,240 € |
2020 Season Dates | Sleeping 2 per week |
Sleeping 3/4 per week |
---|---|---|
Prices Pending | --- | --- |
Prices are inclusive of firewood in winter.
For bookings between October and March inclusive, there is an additional surcharge for heating of 60€ per week.
A 250 Euro security deposit is required on each booking. This is held against your credit or debit card and will be cancelled one week after your holiday, subject to any reductions for breakages or damage. See Terms and Conditions for full details.
Villa Availability
Villa Location
1.5 km above the small village of Ermita Nueva (basic facilities); 5 km from Alcalá La Real (all facilities) in El Poniente Granadino region (Province of Jaén).
Montefrio 30 mins; Priego de Córdoba 40 mins.
Granada 45 mins; Jaén 1 hr.
Sierra Nevada Ski Resort 1¼ hrs; Salobreña (and Mediterranean beaches 1½ hrs).
Granada 45 mins; Málaga 2 hrs; Sevilla 3 hrs.
See our Links Page for web sites of airlines traveling to Andalucia from the UK.
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