Property Description
This fabulous house is perfectly situated, in a quiet street on the edge of the beautiful village of Alájar. This is as good a holiday location as you will ever find; pretty as a picture postcard, it's a charming village, the jewel of the Sierra de Aracena.
The icing on the cake is that the house enjoys the best of both worlds. Whilst the front opens directly to the village street outside, at the rear its gardens, terraces and pool look out to verdant nature with nothing - and nobody - to spoil the view. Just a stroll away from bars and restaurants, it is nevertheless entirely private, every bit as good as being in the middle of the countryside.
And the house does its splendid location proud, too. A traditional village property which rambles delightfully up and down over four floors, it has been beautifully restored, refurbished and updated by its English owners. The result is wonderful, both inside and out!
A real home (the owners spend about half the year here), they have completely re-styled it with exemplary good taste. Whilst they have remained true to its traditional country-cottage style (its splendid original features have been carefully restored and retained), it is now finished to the very highest standards. With top quality furnishings, including some beautiful pieces imported from Mexico, and fantastic attention to detail, it all adds up to a really compelling and comfortable home.
From the little village street outside (it's easy to park close by) one enters through double wooden doors directly into the "Sala de Entranda", a relaxing living space with its leather sofa and easy chairs gathered around a beautiful, antique wooden coffee table, a superbly carved and crafted Mexican dresser to one side.
As everywhere in the house, there are paintings, prints, artifacts and lots of little details to please the eye.
This is the hub of the house, with stairs leading up to the floors above and other stairs leading down to the lower floor.
Double wooden doors also lead through to the master bedroom suite.
This is a lovely, spacious room with its queen-sized double bed (and neatly canopied mosquito netting) under a wood-beamed ceiling. A dressing room leads off, as does an attractive en-suite, walk-in shower room with an antique wash stand and pretty mosaic tiles in the shower area.
Double doors open to a charming, shaded terrace which looks down over the gardens and swimming pool to the thickly wooded hillsides which rise up immediately beyond. Comfortable rocking chairs and night lighting make this a lovely place just "to be".
A stairway leads down to the garden below.
Returning to the Sala de Entrada, six wide steps lead up to the aptly named "Snug", a very attractive living room, its 3 seater leather sofa and easy chairs gathered around the glass fronted wood burner. A 30" flat screen TV is ideal for playing DVD's (it also receives Spanish TV) and there's a good collection of books, games (both for adults and children) and DVD's. The house has WiFi internet access.
Softly lit, it is delightfully comfortable under its beautiful beamed ceiling and … very snug indeed!
The main bathroom is also on this floor, light, bright and colourful with two wash basins and bathtub (shower over). The washing machine and tumble dryer are housed in a cabinet.
Six more steps take one up to a huge loft bedroom with two double beds at either end of the room, a perfect "den" for older children perhaps, under its fabulous wooden beams which slope dramatically across the room. Light floods in from two sky lights.
Back downstairs again and a few more stairs descend (mind your head!) from the Sala de Entrada to a very tasteful and traditionally furnished double bedroom. One will sleep well here, it's a very relaxing and romantic room under its lovely old wood beams, but please be aware that it's at street level and the bathroom is a couple of short flights of stairs away.
More stairs continue down to the huge kitchen / dining room which looks out to the garden outside. It's another gorgeous room. On one side the dining table comfortably seats eight; on the other side a beautifully crafted country kitchen is superbly equipped with top quality Bosch appliances.
You will dine well here, or if you prefer, outside. Huge glass doors open to a lovely cobbled al-fresco dining courtyard with wooden outdoor dining furniture (which also comfortably seats eight) under a huge parasol.
From here, gates open to the garden spaces beyond, with lots of different, delightful areas to choose from. First comes an attractive sitting area with bench seating, brightly furnished with pretty cushions under another colourful parasol.
A few steps take you down to the lovely pool (7 m x 4 m) and sun terrace. Huge jasmines dispel their heavenly scent, roses and other flowering shrubs clamber up and over old garden walls and surround the pool. Looking out to the hillsides beyond, thickly forested with oak trees, you really feel that you are deep in the countryside here. And remarkably private too, as nearby properties are unoccupied.
There's a small garden bathroom and a pool shower.
To the side of the pool, there's a lawned area, a hammock casually strung up in the trees and another little sitting area under the shade of a huge lemon tree. And, as siesta time approaches, a day bed beckons seductively from under the tranquil, leafy shade of a persimmon tree!
Alájar is a delightful little village with white-washed houses and winding, cobbled streets. There are bars and restaurants here which have both cosiness and character. Houses huddle around the village square and its narrow streets radiate outwards from there. Many consider it to be the most beautiful of all the region's villages.
High above the village towers La Peña de Arias Montano, a craggy cliff with the sixteenth century hermitage Nuestra Señora de los Angeles set on its peak.
The name Alájar comes from the Arab word for stone, appropriate as it is this stony peak that dominates the village and presides over the life and doings of its 800 inhabitants. From here the village below shines whitely, like the cut-out silhouette of a giant lizard against the green of the surrounding forests and meadows.
It is an ideal starting point from which to explore this magnificent region. The Parque Natural Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche is an area of outstanding natural beauty, criss-crossed by ancient paths which offer some of the best walking anywhere in Europe.
It's a land of glorious woodlands and far-reaching views, of soft, rolling hillsides and crystal-clear streams. The hills are thickly wooded with sweet chestnut and cork oak, giving the area a marvelously green and verdant feel.
Aracena is only a twenty minute drive along scenic roads. A pretty market town, it is relaxed and friendly like so many here, set on top of the Gruta de las Maravillas (Cave Of Wonders), one of Spain's most impressive caves, and dominated by its splendid Moorish castle on the hilltop above the town.
And even closer are two of the best restaurants to be found anywhere in Southern Spain. We wholeheartedly recommend Restaurante Arrieros in the nearby village of Linares and others speak just as highly of Mariscastaña (open at weekends only) in Castaño del Robledo, another little hamlet just a few kilometres away.
Enjoy the great delicacies of the local pork products, the delicious mushrooms and the goat's cheeses, discover the wonderful countryside, pretty villages and peoples of the Sierra, on foot if you can, or by car.
For a complete contrast, there's marvelous Sevilla, little more than an hour away from here. Cities don't come any more vibrant - or any more beautiful than this one. And, in the opposite direction, there's enchanting, beguiling Portugal, so, so different from Spain.
Wherever you go, whatever you do, you are guaranteed comfort and cheer when you return to this lovely house of character and charm in one of Spain's most beautiful villages.
Contact Us
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00 34 958 763 381
Property Details
Ground Floor :
Entrance Lounge (Sala de Entrada)
Master Bedroom with queen-sized double bed, en-suite walk-in shower room, dressing room and shaded, furnished private terrace (with a stairway down to the gardens)
Double bedroom (a few steps down from the Sala de Entrada)
First Floor :
Living Room (the Snug)
Bathroom (shower over bath tub) / Laundry Room
Loft :
Large bedroom with two double beds
Garden Floor :
Kitchen / Dining Room
Dining Terrace
Pool & Gardens
Pool bathroom / W.C.
Facilities
Spanish TV • DVD • CD Player • Docking station for MP3's with speakers • Collection of books, games and DVD's • WiFi Internet (bring your own laptop)
Glass fronted wood burning stove in the living room • Underfloor central heating throughout • Portable Fans • Fly screens throughout • Mosquito netting over all beds
Electric Oven • Ceramic hob (4 rings) • Microwave • Fridge / freezer • Toaster • Juicer • Kettle • Coffee machine • Blender • Cooking utensils • Cutlery • Crockery
Washing Machine • Tumble dryer • Iron & board
All linen is provided (including pool towels) • Hairdryer • Travel Cot
Gated, filtered swimming pool (7.0 m x 4.0 m, 1.4 m deep)
Pool terrace • Pool shower • Pool cover • Gardens • Sunbeds • Sunshades • Hammock • Barbecue • Outdoor dining and garden furniture • Night lighting
Notes
Weather permitting, the swimming pool will be open from May to September
Prices are inclusive of central heating costs in winter months
Babysitting is available on request, payable locally
Please, no smoking indoors
Rental start and finish days for this property are flexible
Location
In the village of Alajár (basic shopping, bars & restaurants); 10 km from Aracena (all facilities including a big supermarket, restaurants, banks etc)
Sevilla 1¼ hrs; Atlantic Coast 1½ hours
See the location map above
Airports
Sevilla 1½ hrs; Jerez 2½ hrs; Faro (on the Algarve Coast in Portugal) 2½ hrs; Málaga 3½ hrs
See our Links Page for web sites of airlines traveling to Andalucia from the UK.
Car Hire
We offer competitive rates for car hire from Sevilla and other airports in Andalucia. Click here for full details
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About the La Sierra de Aracena
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