Holiday Rental Cottage in Gaucin | Holidays Around Ronda

Property Description

This sweet, custom-built holiday home is in an enviable position at the top end of the village, situated below an impressive wall of rock which rises up, almost vertically, directly behind it. High above, perched on top of this spectacular outcrop sits Gaucín's 12th Century Moorish castle.

Built some distance away from the owners own house (Juan is a lovely man and speaks good English), guests staying in the cottage share the swimming pool, which is situated between the two houses, with him. But, being Spanish, he is not interested in being out in the sun and only uses it when the shadows are down in the evening. So, for the rest of the day, it's all yours!

It's a quiet spot, there are no other houses at this far end of the village. There is a big terrace at the front, shaded by a cane awning and leafy greenery.

There is plenty of space to enjoy the sun too, at the side of the cottage, not to mention the views which extend down to the village and beyond to Gibraltar on the coast and to Africa across the sea. Like most vistas from Gaucín, it's spectacular …

Inside it's homely and comfortable, with warm, bright colours contrasting nicely with the pastel-yellow walls and terracotta floor tiles. The main sitting room / diner / open plan kitchen is light, neatly decorated and well equipped, with an attractive glass-fronted wood burner for winter evenings and a ceiling fan to keep it cool in summer.

Behind are the two bedrooms (one double and one twin) and the bathroom.

The house has its own private entrance at the side of the house, where you can also park, and there is also a little utility room at the rear where the washing machine is installed.

A few metres from the terrace is the lovely pool, which has an irregular, almost round shape, (approximately 8 metres by 5.5 metres). It is positioned to make the best of the views and there is a furnished terrace area where you can relax between dips.

One word of caution, however: there is a steep, unfenced drop on one side of the pool, so don't let the fun and frolics of the children get out of hand. Gates have been installed (see the photo below) to prevent them from running around the edge of the pool so this shouldn't be a problem.

From here, of course, it's just a short stroll to Gaucín's many bars and restaurants. One of the classic white villages of Andalucía, it is spectacularly situated in the mountains behind the Costa del Sol in the Serrania de Ronda.

Gaucín is one of Spain's most beautiful pueblos blancos, spectacularly situated on a mountain ridge, 629 meters above sea level. It's surrounded by beautiful countryside so there's plenty of wonderful walking and wildlife.

There are fabulous views at every turn. Its narrow streets house four little grocery shops and a traditional butcher, an organic food shop, banks (cash points) and a pharmacy. For a village of its size, it has an excellent selection of small restaurants and tapas bars.

Views are breathtaking, over the Genal valley to Gibraltar, the Mediterranean and Morocco. Gaucín is not only very pretty, it is also very well situated. Surrounded by nature reserves like the Sierra de Grazalema, Los Alconorcales and the Sierra de las Nieves, there's wonderful walking and wildlife.

There are lots of fascinating little villages and hilltop towns to explore.

A beautiful 45 minute drive will take you across the mountains to Ronda, brimming with history and interest. Ronda is a lovely town, Hemingway's favourite in all Spain. A visit to its famous bridge and bullring, reputedly the oldest in the country, is a must.

The Mediterranean, with its many beaches, golf courses and lively marinas is less than 30 minutes away. If you wish, visit a different world, just take a boat trip to Tangiers in North Africa!

There's plenty to do in this delightful corner of rural Andalucía.