Breathtaking views of sunshine and snow
The views from this holiday home are just stunning. Rippling, silvery olive groves cover the landscape far into the distance. Rising above it all are the magnificent Sierra Nevada mountains - in spring, dazzling white with snow against the blue sky. ...
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Bedrooms
Two Bedromms (One double & one twin bedded).
Pool
Private swimming pool
7m x 3m, 1.4 - 1.7m deep.
Location
In open countryside, 1.5 km above the village of Ermita Nueva in El Poniente Granadino region (Province of Jaén).
Price
Sleeping 2 from 910 € to 1,040 € per week.
Sleeping 4 from 980 € to 1,240 € per week.
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Villa Description
Cottage-style charm
"The view from the front verandah is stunning with the Sierra Nevada in the distance, olive groves in the foreground".
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.
Welcome to Spanish country life, there's no rush ...
... so if you get stuck behind a slow-moving tractor, well, just change down a gear and admire the view.
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 land of olive oil
Here is the sun-warmed face of agricultural Spain, ripening juicy olives and tasty sweet almonds.
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.
Days just made to sleep in the sun
The front of the house is a marvellous place to just relax, sunbathe and drink in the amazing views.
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.
Sunset and moonrise
The flaming sunsets in this part of the province are renowned. The moon's path can be seen from the comfort of your big bed.
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.
Explore this unspoilt, authentic Andalusia
The finest olive oil in the world!
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
The Villa in Detail
All the facts and features about this villa
Distribution
Ground floor
- Kitchen
- Living Room
- Twin bedroom with en-suite bathroom (walk-in shower, wc and basin)
- Conservatory (furnished)
- Pool terrace, gardens and grounds
First floor
- Master bedroom with double king-size bed, en suite bathroom (walk-in shower, wc and basin)
Facilities
Entertainment
- Samsung TV with Spanish programmes only
- CD player
- WiFi internet (bring your own devices)
Amenities
- All bedrooms and living room have mosquito nets in the windows
- Open fireplace in the living room
- *Gas central heating (radiators) throughout. (Available from Late September 2018)
- Washing Machine, Iron & board
- All linen is provided (including pool towels)
- Hairdryer
- Cot & Highchair available (on request). Cot linen is not supplied
Kitchen
- Electric Oven & Gas hob (4 rings)
- Fridge / Freezer
- Dishwasher
- Toaster, Juicer, Kettle, Coffee pot
- Cooking utensils, Cutlery, Crockery
Outdoors
- Filtered swimming pool (7m x 3m, 1.4 - 1.7m deep)
- Sun beds
- Conservatory dining furniture
- Barbecue (charcoal)
- Garden and grounds
- Parking on the property for 2-3 cars
Notes
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
Prices and Seasons
ZM 12
| 2018 Season Dates | Sleeping 2 per week |
Sleeping 3/4 per week |
|---|---|---|
| 6th January to 23rd March | 910 € | 980 € |
| 24th March to 6th April | 1,040 € | 1,240 € |
| 7th April to 8th June | 910 € | 980 € |
| 9th June to 7th September | 1,040 € | 1,240 € |
| 8th September to 14th December | 910 € | 980 € |
| 15th December to 4th January 2019 | 1,040 € | 1,240 € |
ZM 12
| 2019 Season Dates | Sleeping 2 per week |
Sleeping 3/4 per week |
|---|---|---|
| Prices Pending | --- | --- |
Notes
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.
Security Deposit
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
ZM 12
Availability 2018
Please contact us for latest availability and to reserve the villa.
Your browser does not support this calendar (Javascript is not enabled). For availability you can contact us directly via our contact form, email or by phone.
Villa Location
Location Map
In open countryside, 1.5 km above the hamlet of Ermita Nueva (basic facilities) in El Poniente Granadino region (Province of Jaén)
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).
Nearest Airports
Granada 45 mins; Málaga 2 hrs; Sevilla 3 hrs.
See our Links Page for web sites of airlines traveling to Andalucia from the UK.
Around and About
This is an excellent base from which to explore this delightful and very beautiful part of Andalucía.
Excursions
- For shopping and, perhaps, a quick look around, Alcalá La Real is 5 km from here. A Moorish fortress town dominated by its magnificent 15th Century hilltop castle (this is well worth a visit), these days it's a more work-a-day, unpretentious and authentically Spanish market town. It has a handful of quite decent (and very reasonable) restaurants.
- Head west from Alcalá to Priego de Córdoba (40 minutes away), a lovely town which is Andalucía at its most refined and authentic. A dignified, convivial provincial town with a beautiful historic centre and more than its fair share of marvelous baroque churches.
- All around, the spectacular countryside of the Subbética Natural Park, a beautiful land of rugged hills and deep valleys, spectacular scenery and a thriving ecology. A vibrant and vivacious landscape, it is both robust and melodious at one and the same time. Some of Andalucía's most delightful 'pueblos' are to be found here.
- To the south west, this landscape merges into the equally beautiful Poniente Granadino with the small town of Montefrio at it's centre. And mile upon mile of wonderful, peaceful countryside. Time slows down here, for everybody.
- A little more than an half an hour away, Granada is, of course, a must-see city. Soaring high above is the spectacular back drop of the snow-covered Sierra Nevada mountains. And what a city lies below, a city of classical beauty, the jewel in the Spanish Crown.
- The mesmerising Alhambra Palace and its exquisite gardens, one of the world's greatest wonders; the narrow, cobbled streets and beautiful walled gardens of the ancient Arab quarter, El Albaicín; the magnificent Cathedral, just one of many superb examples of Renaissance architecture; the caves of Sacramonte, nostalgic legacy of the gypsies.
- A city which inspired García Lorca, Andalucía's finest poet, it is, above all, a people's city, full of life and colour, energy and fun.
- In the opposite direction, Córdoba too, is a must-see city, once the largest city in the world, the thriving capital of Al-Andalus, the name used to describe Moorish Spain which extended throughout almost all of the Iberian Peninsular.
- In its heyday it was considered the Mecca of the west. The Mesquita of Córdoba is, along with Granada's Alhambra Palace, the finest example of Islamic Art in the western world, the grandest and most beautiful mosque constructed by the Moors in Spain. It's one of only a handful of man-made places in the world which literally takes your breath away.
- Quite apart from the Mesquita, there's much more to discover in Córdoba. It's very picturesque, a town to stroll around. You will come across little squares, peaceful courtyards and balconies overflowing with bougainvilleas. The aroma of lemon blossom, the exuberant colours of the flowers, the cool trickle of a fountain. It's a beautiful town, Córdoba.
Activities
- Walkers will enjoy exploring the olive dotted hillsides and little country lanes around and about on foot.
- On the northern slopes of Sierra Nevada (clearly visible from Ermita Neuva), there is, of course, top class skiing is 1¼ hours drive away.
The Area
El Poniente
The western frontier of "Al-Andalus", the old Moorish Kingdom of Granada, it's a region of great natural charm and welcoming people …
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Alcalá La Real
An authentic, Spanish market town (pop: 21,000) dominated by its very impressive 8th C fortress, the scene of frequent battles between Moors and Christians …
