The little country road which winds northwards through the hills from Grazalema
to Lake Zahara and then on to connect with the main A376 Ronda road is one
of the prettiest in Andalucía. The scenery all around is both beautiful
and dramatic as the road descends through the lush valley of the River Guadaleto.
Here, seven kilometres out from the village, this rustic little cottage is situated just a few steps along the little farm lane that runs down from from the roadside. So, it couldn't be easier to
get to and the road is not a problem, there's very little traffic on it and what
there is will be traveling only slowly around the sharp bends.
And what a delightfully sweet cottage it is, as pretty as a picture! Immediately
you arrive here you feel you are properly part of life deep in the Andalusian
countryside.
Inside, the cottage is simply decorated but charming nonetheless, with its original cane and beam ceilings and
tiled floors lending that all important rustic touch. One enters to a roomy living / dining room with a small kitchen corner and beyond
a passageway leads through to two neatly decorated double bedrooms (one can be
converted into a twin, if preferred) and to the bathroom.
Just outside the front door, a table and chairs and bench seating around the little
patio is a perfect place to take your breakfast in the early morning sunshine
or perhaps a cold beer at the end of the day. And just below the house, on the other side of the track, there is
a much larger terrace area where you can enjoy a barbecue, sitting around the
stone table there, under the welcome shade of the leafy trees.
From here,
steps go down to the little swimming pool (7 m x 3.5 m) with its lawned
surround and wonderful views down and across the valley.
There's a multitude of things to do in the area, it's great walking and riding
country, pretty lanes wind (sometimes spectacularly) through the pine covered mountains
to the attractive "pueblos blancos" of Cádiz.
Grazalema is a wonderful - and very pretty - village in a truly sensational setting,
under and surrounded by the craggy limestone peaks of the Sierra de Grazalema.
A National Park, it's a part of Andalucia unlike any other and its rocky, rugged
terrain is both spectacular and beautiful. Other great cities of Andalucía
such as Ronda, Jerez and Cádiz, even Sevilla, are not so far away.
Mind
you, once you have discovered the timeless beauty of this lovely part of rural
Spain, it will take some persuading to get you back on the road! Right here you can stroll down to the river, deep in its shady,
rocky bed. And just to make your visit complete, the owners have created an ecological
garden where you are welcome to help yourselves to the fruit and vegetables.
