style, ambience and nature's splendour

Property Summary

One of five villas on a private estate, it sleeps 4 Two bedrooms (one double, one twin bedded) Two shared swimming pools (one 11 m x 4.5 / 5.0 m, the other circular, 10 m in diameter) Located in open countryside, 5 km from Casares in the Ronda Mountains region in the Province of Málaga Price (for the property) per week : from £800 to £1,490 Click here for full details

Surrounded by a vast bowl of incomparable mountain majesty, this is one of the most envious and beautiful settings in all Andalucía. Here, in the midst of glorious countryside, yet just twenty minutes away from Mediterranean beaches, is where renowned architect, Aubrey David, built his own, very special, home.

Now retired, but always active, he has converted this magnificent estate into five unique self-catering villas with either one or two bedrooms. Everything is of the highest quality. Each of the villas have open fireplaces, air conditioning, central heating, satellite television, safety deposit boxes, bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, fully equipped kitchens, car parking and private patios.

They are set at a discrete distance from each other, surrounded, as everything is here, by wonderful nature. There are seemingly acres of space in which to lose yourselves so there is no sense at all of being in a complex.

There are two beautiful, spring-fed, filtered swimming pools, (both open throughout the year), one revelling in full Andalusian sunshine from dawn until dusk, the other secluded by trees and natural shade. And a sauna too.

El Cortijo

This two bedroomed villa comprises the original living room, dining room, bar and kitchen, offering an unbelievable amount of living space.

"El Cortijo" is of style and ambience befitting the home of an accomplished architect, perhaps exemplified by the high timber-beamed cathedral roof and windows. Any gourmet chef would be proud of the kitchen here, complete with dishwasher, and plenty of space and facilities to cook up a banquet.

This is the only villa with a bar area and is ideal for entertaining. It has a very large and spacious living / dining and kitchen area with breathtaking views to the countryside. It opens onto a a south facing terrace under a pergola shaded by grapevines, perfect for dining al fresco.

The master bedroom is on the ground floor and has an open fireplace on its natural stone wall. Opening off this bedroom is a bathroom with separate shower. An attractive stairway leads up to the second, first floor bedroom where french doors open onto a balcony with a lovely view over the valley. The en-suite bathroom, from which you can enjoy beautiful views over the mountains, has a bath only, separate W.C. and bidet.

It would take wild horses to drag most people away from this rural paradise. But anyone who wants to see a little more of Andalucía will be spoiled for choice here. Some of the prettiest and least commercialised beaches on the Mediterranean Sea are literally "just down the road". So, head for the beach, hire a boat and set sail or just enjoy that special "costa" atmosphere from a restaurant at one of the marinas. There are excellent golf courses too.

If you follow the little country road up through the wonderful countryside you will soon arrive at the delightful village of Casares, perched, seemingly precariously, on its steep and dramatic rocky outcrop. It's a lovely place. So, too, a little further away is Gaucín, the other white village in this region which has rightly earned plaudits for its charm and quality of life. And, of course, there's Ronda, Gibraltar, Jerez, Estepona, Marbella …

Take to the countryside and walk to rarely visited Roman baths, hike up Estepona mountain (keeping an eye out for the rare pinsapo pine and cabra hispanica) or wander through fields of spring wild flowers.

Whatever your preference, here you are ideally situated between the sea and the sierras, the perfect place to enjoy the very best of Andalucía.