Not far from the pretty village of El Gastor and just a half hour's drive from
Ronda, this farmhouse is surrounded by groves of olive and almond trees
and looks out to a wonderful panorama of mountain, forest and fields of wheat.
To the north there are inspirational views up to the 1,000 metre plateau of Acinipo,
where the Roman theatre, hewn out of solid limestone, still stands.
The
farmhouse has been totally renovated and redecorated by its South African owner
and reflects her deep love for her native Africa. Bright colours, masses of paintings,
sculptures and interesting furniture have been beautifully combined to create
a truly remarkable home. The photos on this page were taken in the depths of winter - just imagine what it's like in the summer!
And a home is what it is. The overall feel is friendly, light hearted and colourful.
A large kitchen / dining room, with a long, scrubbed pine table (which can easily
seat a group of eight), opens out at one end to the stunning views, as does the
adjacent sitting room. Here too the style is bright and comfortable.
A snug off to one side has a satellite TV, masses of books and a DVD player with
an interesting collection of recent films. Infact, there are fascinating books
throughout the house as well as photos taken by the owner of her travels in Africa
and India.
There are four bedrooms in total, three in the main house and one in the pool
house. The master bedroom, which also has its own little living room with an open
fireplace, is accessed from the front porch. Here too the decorative feel is jazzy
and light-hearted.
The beds are all new, the mattresses and linen of best quality. All of the bedrooms
have their own bathrooms, two of them with baths, two with shower rooms.
The
pool house, a building inspired by the architecture of African villages, has a
pronounced 'ethnic' style. It has its own kitchen and lounge / diner and an interesting
circular shower room just off from the bedroom.
But perhaps the most memorable feature of the house is its swimming pool, one
of the most exciting in Andalucía. Twelve metres by five, it has an infinity edge
which takes the eye out to the remarkable panorama beyond.
It uses a salt
filtering system and is lined in natural, stone coloured tiles. Surrounded by
massive rocks, it harmonises beautifully with its surroundings. Seeing really
is believing here!
There is a wide, flagged terrace leading down to the pool and a Moroccan style
'chill-out' area with masses of brightly coloured cushions, lounges and a barbecue
just to the side of the poolhouse. This is an great place to be, at any time
of day or night.
Although the house is not connected to mains electricity,
it has a state-of-the-art generator which can be switched on from inside the house.
It also has a top of the range solar heating system. The cooker and fridge are
run on gas (there are masses of spare bottles in the adjacent garage).
Please note that we recommend you hire a 4-wheel drive vehicle (or at least one with a high wheel base) as access to the property is rough and steep in places. El Gastor, the nearest village, is a ten minute drive away. The village has several
bars and restaurants, a number of shops (bakery, butcher's, greengrocers etc.),
and there is also a petrol station. The people of the village are incredibly welcoming
and you are bound to make new friends should you venture out for lunch or dinner.
Quite apart from the wonderful countryside all around and the natural treasure-trove
of the nearby National Park, it's also an ideal location for exploring much of
the best that Andalucía has to offer. Ronda, Grazalema and the other pueblos
blancos of Cádiz province are close at hand, and it's not so far,
either to Sevilla, Gibraltar and the wonderful beaches of both the Atlantic coast
and the Mediterranean Sea.
Ronda is a delight, richly endowed with
a heritage of magnificent buildings. It is perhaps most famous for the dramatic,
plunging river gorge which divides the medieval part of town from the 18th Century
part, and for the extraordinary bridge that spans the dizzy gorge. Coming a close
second is its bullring, the oldest, largest and most beautiful in Spain.
