Since
acquiring this once-derelict farm in the summer of 2002 the English owners,
together with a team of local builders, have transformed its numerous buildings
into a spacious, stylish, luxurious holiday home.
No expense has been spared and the result is, quite simply … stunning.
Situated about 10 minutes (5 kilometres) north of Ronda, even closer to the little
market town of Arriate, the farm enjoys peaceful seclusion, accessed down
a little single-lane country track.
It nestles on the gentle slopes
of a valley with views over the rolling countryside towards Ronda, and is surrounded
by vines, olives, fig trees, giant palms and a mulberry tree. The south facing, terraced gardens of some five acres, have
both paved and grass areas. There is an abundance of lavender, rosemary and thyme,
a small citrus grove, and assorted fruit trees. A productive vegetable garden
completes the picture. It really is a delightful spot.
The
accommodation comprises the main farmhouse and a variety of fully converted outbuildings
immediately below it. The living and dining rooms, and the kitchen, are all located
in the principal house.
The beautiful, double-height entrance hall has
been converted into a very stylish dining hall. Open from the ground floor to
the roof, it is overlooked by both the sitting room and master bedroom galleries,
which are accessed by the two opposing staircases at one end of the dining hall.
Warmth is generated in winter by open fires and underfloor heating. The dining
table seats fourteen.
Alongside,
the deluxe farmhouse-kitchen is suitably large, and suitably well equipped (it
has, for example, two ovens, two dishwashers, two sinks and even an ice-making
machine). Also on the ground floor there is a separate laundry room (with two
washing machines and two dryers), and a guest W.C.
The ample living room
on the first floor offers plenty of space to relax, read, or entertain. Comfortable
sofas and armchairs are gathered around the big open fireplace. There is Sky satellite
TV, DVD's and videos, board games, cards and books, plus, of course, wonderful,
far-reaching views across the valley.
There
are two bedrooms in the main house. The master bedroom (Bedroom 1) on the first
floor, which also looks out across the hills, has a 5 foot double bed and a roll-top
bath within the room. There is also an en-suite shower room and an ante room with
a single day-bed. A balcony overlooks the rear garden of the house and the smaller
of the Finca's two swimming pools.
Bedroom 2, on the ground floor, is
a double room with two zip-linked beds (so it can be made up as either a double
or a twin) and an en-suite bathroom (with both a bath and separate shower). There
is direct access from the bedroom to the garden.
Here,
as in all the bedrooms, you will savour the luxury
of high quality pocket-sprung English beds and crisp Egyptian cotton sheets, usually
the preserve of five star hotels.
Bedrooms
3 and 4 are located in an annexe opposite the main house. Bedroom 3 is another
double room with twin zip-link beds (which can be joined to make a 6 ft double)
and adjoining shower room. This room has its own front door, a lovely old woodburning
stove, and access to a terrace, shared with Nº 4.
The smallest
of the bedrooms, Nº 4 also has twin zip-link beds (which can be joined to
form a 6 ft double), a shower room and access to the terrace shared with Bedroom
3.
Bedroom 5 is located in a second annexe, a little further down from the main house,
accessed by a stairway. Decorated in Moroccan style, it is a double room with
a 5 ft Indonesian four-poster bed and shower room. The bedroom opens onto a private
terrace and to the gardens below. It can also be accessed through the games room
in the lower house (see below).
Situated beneath the Vine Terrace, Bedroom
6 has a 5 ft double bed and a bathroom with a bath and separate shower. It has
a sitting room with a sofabed and an ornamental balcony overlooking its own private
terrace.
Bedrooms 1, 4 and 6 have air conditioning.
Just across the way from the main house
is the Vine Terrace. One of the many fabulous outdoor spaces here, and conveniently
located close to the main farmhouse kitchen, this long, wide terrace has bench
seating all the way around as well as a large glass-topped table and chairs (seating
12), a built-in barbecue, night lighting, a sink and fridge. Shade is provided
by an ancient vine.
And
there's more ! The lower house and terraces, immediately above the swimming pool,
have been developed into a fabulous "fun" area - with seating and eating
areas, stereo, video and DVD players; it even has home-cinema. There's pool,
football and table-tennis tables and a grassed area is for playing boules, badminton
and other outdoor games.
It also has a fully equipped kitchen and an
additional shower room /W.C. Wide terraces, both open and covered, extend along
its entire length, overlooking the infinity pool and and the gardens beyond. The
dining table here, also seating twelve is another venue ideally suited for al
fresco dining.
There
are two swimming pools. The stunning, thirteen metres x five infinity pool (1.2
m - 2.0 m in depth) is surrounded by a terrace which provides both sunny and shaded
areas for relaxing, lots of sun loungers and other pool furniture. The pool is
filled with fresh water and has a sophisticated filtration system that uses neither
chlorine nor salt.
To the side of the main farmhouse, a second, smaller
but equally inviting, spring-fed alberca pool (7m x 5m, 1.2m-1.5m deep)
offers an alternative for those who prefer a quieter dip in the shade of the palm
trees.
Below
the main pool, the gardens are laid out on a number of terraces which are still
planted with some of the original fruit and walnut trees. It incorporates banks
of lavenders, rosemary and thyme all tended by Miguel, the gardener. He also grows
organic vegetables which, according to season, are made available to guests.
And to wash them down, the property now has a small bodega (wine cellar) filled with Spanish wines and sherries which are available for guests to purchase.
Nearby Ronda is a lovely town, Hemingway's
favourite in all Spain. Brimming with history and interest, a visit to its famous
bridge and bullring, reputedly the oldest in the country, is a must. Even
closer, little Arriate is a relaxed market town, famous throughout Andalucía
for its tapas bars.
A little over an hour's drive through
the spectacular scenery of the Serranía de Ronda will take you to the beaches
of the Costa del Sol. In the opposite direction, stunning Seville is just 2 hours
away.
The lush Grazalema National Park, some of the most wonderful walking
and riding countryside in Spain, is only 15 minutes drive away. Here you will
find some of the most beautiful of the famous "white villages". Elsewhere,
Arcos de la Frontera, Setenil, Gaucín and Casares are all well worth a
visit.
