This attractively rustic village house is located on the southern edge of one of Spain's prettiest and most picturesque pueblo blancos. In a quiet street (there's no passing traffic) at the very foot of Gaucín village, it has an unrivalled vantage point and the views from here are truly spectacular, over the wide valley of the Rio Genal below, the craggy mountains of the Serranía de Ronda rising up steeply all around, and beyond to the Rock of Gibraltar with the Rif Mountains of Morocco clearly visible across the shimmering Mediterranean Sea.
Little garden areas and flowering shrubs and trees all around and about the cottage just add to what is already a magnificently colourful scene.
Yet from here it's just a short stroll, albeit a little uphill, to the centre of the village with its little shops, tapas bars, restaurants (ranging from wholesome local cooking to sophisticated ‘haute-cuisine'), tennis courts and an excellent municipal swimming pool (open in July and August).
The antique front door opens to a hallway with both bedrooms leading off. It's a great advantage to have the bedrooms on the ground floor in Andalucía as this is always the coolest part of the house and will guarantee you a comfortable night's sleep even on the hottest nights of summer. Marble floors and properly thick, traditional walls add to the cool, calm ambience. Heating panels, electric blankets (and the well insulated walls) keep it cosy in winter. An attractive bathroom completes the distribution on this floor.
Stairs lead up to the spacious living / dining room which occupies the whole of the first floor with the kitchen leading off at one end (note that the stairways here are not guarded, so are not ideal for small children or anyone with wobbly legs).
The genuinely rustic theme and simple, country-cottage style is continued here, with Moroccan rugs and old artifacts, a rocking chair and other traditional furnishings casually distributed and attractively set off against the white walls, terracotta floor tiles and beamed ceilings. A wood burning stove (logs are provided) and a DVD / CD player add to the pleasures of winter evenings here.
South facing, the room takes full advantage of the magnificent view, with two large arched windows opening onto a private, sunny balcony with an uninterrupted view over the valley and the sea to Africa. Here you can take the sun from dawn to dusk but if this gets a bit too much, the retractable canopy can be drawn down to provide shade.
The tiled, traditional kitchen is decently equipped (cooker & hob, microwave, fridge/freezer, washing machine etc) and with plenty of space and good views, a pleasurable place to cook in. The larder is usually stocked with essentials and a welcome pack is provided for your arrival.
The small studio / sun lounge on the second floor is simply furnished and decorated in Moroccan style. It enjoys plenty of light . . . and the wonderful views, of course! An ideal spot to take an afternoon siesta or to watch the colours of the mountains subtly changing as the sun goes down. From here, glass doors open to a furnished roof terrace, prettily planted with geraniums and other shrubs, another lovely space to relax in the sunshine, revel in the views, or to enjoy an al fresco meal.
As the English owners say, "this has been our home in Spain for the past ten years. We appreciate the friendliness and simple, rustic lifestyle of our Spanish neighbours and we hope that guests staying here will find it equally rewarding".
