This impressive villa nestles in the hills on an exclusive countryside estate between Gaucin and Jimena de la Frontera in southern Andalucia. Spacious and breezy, it enjoys stunning views across a vast sweep of the Alcornocales Natural Park, the white villages of Jimena de la Frontera and San Pablo de Buceite in the mid-distance with Gibraltar and the mountains of North Africa beyond. These fantastic views will delight the eye throughout your stay.
Completely private and surrounded by its own nine acre estate, it's nevertheless easy to get around and about from here. The villa is accessed by a one kilometre track (in excellent condition) which leads directly off the country road which runs between Gaucín and Jimena. Further south lies the Mediterranean coast, Gibraltar and the ferry to Morocco; to the north, romantic Ronda, the classic pueblos blancos and the incomparable scenery of the Grazalema mountains beckon.
A short driveway leads up from the estate's entrance gates to the house, gleaming white and bright on its hillside slope. There's a parking area to the side and a little lawned garden at the front which welcomes you inside through the lovely old wooden door. The striking, double height entrance hallway (with cloakroom and coat cupboard) is furnished with wall hanging kilims and lit with a huge Moroccan lamp.
It leads through to the back of the house where it opens to a prettily planted, covered terrace with a fountain and comfortable outdoor sofas and chairs. This is a lovely place to relax, looking across the lawned terraces which slope down to the swimming pool below, the views extending far and wide across the forested dales and hillsides which roll serenely across the horizon.
The hallway opens, to the left, to a spacious living room which is comfortably furnished with cheerful red sofas and easy chairs gathered around the fireplace. There's satellite TV, DVD and a music system to keep you entertained. Light floods into this attractive room from windows at both ends. At the rear, doors open to the covered terrace outside.
Beyond the living room at this end of the house (the East Wing) is a very pretty twin bedroom (the beds can be made up as a double if preferred), decorated in pale lemon with green doors and windows. This also has double doors opening to the lawns and the magnificent south facing views. Alongside are its own spacious bathroom and dressing area.
To the right of the hallway is the huge kitchen / dining room with its antique wooden table (with seating for eight) running along its length, a traditional Spanish chandelier overhead. There are splendid views over the cork oak trees and the sheep grazing the fields down below from the double balcony windows. The rustic-style kitchen area, separated off by a bar counter, is also spacious with plenty of marble working surfaces as well as everything you would expect - oven and hob, microwave, dishwasher, food pantry etc.
This room leads through to an equally large covered patio, an airy space to enjoy your meals al fresco, sitting around its marble table. Completely open to the southerly views, steps lead down from the railed terrace to the gardens and the swimming pool below. At the rear of the terrace, a utility room accommodates the washing machine, barbecue and other equipment.
There are two more bedrooms on this lower floor, beyond the patio in the West Wing of the house. Both twin bedded, one has an en-suite shower room, the other has a shower room immediately alongside. They are neat and pleasantly decorated in blue and white and both enjoy attractive views.
The sweeping staircase (from the hallway) with its wrought iron banister leads up to the huge master bedroom suite on the first floor. Here is comfort indeed, with its grand four poster bed, its own covered terrace (with fabulous views), a very spacious dressing area and its massive, marble bathroom with underfloor heating. The bath tub is so big that you need to climb its three steps to get in it!
Manicured gardens lead down the slope to the splendid 12 m x 8 m kidney-shaped swimming pool which enjoys the best of the views out over the rolling Guadiaro valley, famous for its orange groves. Surrounded by a terracotta terrace furnished with sunbeds, here you can enjoy the sunshine from dawn until dusk, or relax under the shade of an old acorn tree if you prefer. Just above the pool there is a picnic / lunch table under another shady tree. There is also an outside shower.
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This is an excellent base from which to explore this delightful part of Andalucia. Excursions can be made to Ronda, famous for the oldest bullring in Spain, the Pileta Cave, the wind-surfing beaches at Tarifa, across the Straits to Tangier in Morocco, or to the many golf courses on the coast including Valderrama at Sotogrande. The local villages and little towns, Gaucín and Jimena de la Frontera in particular, are very pretty and well worth a visit, not least because they have a good selection of bars and restaurants.
Which makes it an ideal holiday villa for both families and for groups of friends. Comfortable, spacious and secluded, it's completely private yet easily accessible.
