Property Description
This lovely villa epitomizes all that we expect from a perfect Andalusian holiday retreat: a spacious and well appointed country house, beautiful gardens, a fabulous pool and stunning views over some of the most pleasing countryside anywhere in Spain.
It resides in complete privacy on a wooded hillside of wild olives and Spanish oaks, seven kilometres to the south of Gaucín village.
Set within its own five acres of gardens and grounds, it's the most serene and peaceful setting imaginable. Views are far and wide across the hills and dales of Los Alcornocales Natural Park (named after its handsome and beautifully kept cork forests, the largest in Europe). It's a picture-postcard landscape which extends all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. Beyond, the peaks of Africa and Europe merge under a deep blue sky. It's very beautiful, a panorama which comforts the soul …
One which is enhanced by the really lovely - and very extensive - gardens here. Huge palm trees stand guard over wide swathes of immaculately kept lawns which extend down the slopes and around the pool on the terrace below. There is a wonderful array of flowers, tropical plants and splendid, mature trees. A huge bougainvillea clambers gorgeously up and over the colonnaded terrace of the villa. Handsome orange and lemon groves extend along the terrace beyond the pool.
There are shady spots and sunny ones, little pathways which will take you to secluded areas of tranquility; plenty of places for children to safely explore and play in the two acres of gardens.
And, oh, what a pool! It's huge, something like 13 m x 6 m (it's a free-form, irregular shape), located at the bottom of the gently sloping gardens just below the house, surrounded by wide lawns. Its azure blue waters (which can be heated) contrast gloriously with the verdant greenery all around and are utterly irresistible!
There are plenty of sun loungers and chairs surrounding the pool, the sun shines down from dawn until dusk, some dappled shade is provided by a massive palm tree. Stunning at night, too, when the underwater and garden lighting comes into its own, a thousand stars twinkling up above.
The villa doesn't disappoint, either … easily accessed from the excellently maintained estate track which leads down to the country road connecting Jimena de la Frontera and Gaucín, a short private driveway leads up to a large parking area at the side of the house. More gates open to an attractively cobbled, wide and welcoming entrance courtyard (which also doubles up as a shady sitting area). There's garage parking here, too, with space for two cars.
It's a big and generously proportioned house, cool and elegant with high ceilings and tiled floors, its style and ambience almost colonial.
The living room is comfortably furnished and relaxing. Windows on both sides offer serene garden views and bathe the room with soft, dappled light. Plump sofas and armchairs provide restful respite from the summer sunshine outside and cosy comfort in front of the log fire in winter months. Original paintings and classy furnishings complete a calm and tranquil room.
The satellite TV receives freeview programmes (BBC, ITV etc) as well as Spanish stations and there's DVD, a portable CD player and WiFi internet connection. The conveniently placed drinks fridge comes in handy, too!
French windows open to the lovely, shaded terrace outside which looks out to the glorious gardens beyond.
An archway from the living room leads through to the roomy, well appointed kitchen / dining room. Its not modern "designer-chic" and doesn't try to be, but it offers both space and practicality. With an electric oven and a second, eye-level grill / oven, a 4-ring gas hob, large fridge / freezer, microwave, juicer, magimix blender and dishwasher, it's an easy kitchen to work in. It's light and bright with lots of worktop space.
At one end of the room, separated by a wooden bar top, there's a large, wooden dining table which comfortably seats 10; at the other end, double doors open to the terrace - so it's equally well placed for preparing al fresco meals outdoors.
And we are sure you will have many … the wide, colonnaded terrace just outside is a delightfully shady spot. Draped with vivid bougainvillea and looking out across the beautiful gardens and the magnificent views beyond, it's a lovely setting for outdoor meals. There's a big marble table (seating 12) at one end, a portable barbecue and lots of space for more casual gatherings.
At the other end of the living room, a short corridor leads to two twin bedrooms which share a bathroom between them. Both are very pretty, good sized rooms with ceiling fans; one opens to the cobbled entrance courtyard, the other to the main terrace and gardens. The big marble bathroom which they share is equally attractive, with a shower over the bath tub and double wash basins.
There are two more fabulous bedrooms upstairs, the huge master suite and another twin bedded room which can be made up as a double if preferred.
The master bedroom (with queen-sized double bed) is enormous, very spacious indeed. Sets of double doors open to a balcony with lovely garden views on one side; to an amazing upper terrace on another side. From this higher elevation the views are incredible, over the lawns, pool and gardens below to the surrounding countryside and far, far away.
In the mid-distance you see the white villages of San Pablo de Buceite and, further on, Jimena de la Frontera, surrounded by mile upon mile of sublime countryside. The craggy rock face of Gibraltar stands proud, guarding the Straits, the sea shimmering in the sunshine, teasing glimpses of the Moroccan coastline beyond. Just wait until you see the sunsets from here!
At the other end of the master bedroom there's an attractive dressing area with access to its sizeable, en-suite marble bathroom (double basins, shower over bath tub and walk-in shower) and to another terrace at the back, from which you can nip down to the gardens and pool if you wish.
The other upstairs bedroom isn't bad either! The twin beds are pushed together as a double but there's masses of room if you prefer them separated. This room also has access to the upper terrace and to a smaller, private side terrace as well. Like the master bedroom, it has an en-suite marble bathroom (double basins, shower over bath tub and walk-in shower); both have ceiling fans.
The fifth bedroom suite is in the gardens just below and to the side of the main house. Overlooking the orange groves immediately below it, this makes excellent accommodation for grandparents or teenagers who want a little independence and space of their own. Twin bedded, it is neat, tidy and attractive with a free standing fan and a good sized en-suite bathroom (shower over bath tub and walk-in shower) alongside.
From the moment you arrive, you know you are somewhere very special. Previous guests agree … "To be entirely selfish, we would like to keep it all for ourselves!" said one. Another, on their fifth visit, said "we look forward so much to the tranquility and peace of the house and its position. We spend our days by the pool in the delightful gardens, among the orange and lemon trees. We have children of all ages and they have all found plenty to do. We all love the area and the incredible views. The tennis court is great, too".
Yes, there's a tennis court, five minutes walk away. It's not private to the house but shared with the other villas on this huge and very exclusive estate (in total it comprises 12 properties which, collectively, share 500 acres of glorious mountain terrain between them, each having its own very sizeable private grounds set within it). Not too many of them use the tennis courts so it's usually easy to get a game (you will need to bring your own rackets and balls).
To the south, the little country road winds gently down to San Pablo and then on to Jimena de la Frontera, one of Andalucía's most delightful pueblos with Gibraltar, the Mediterranean Sea and Morocco not far beyond. To the north it takes a stunning route over the mountains to Ronda, passing by Gaucín on the way.
These local villages and little towns - Gaucín and Jimena de la Frontera in particular - are very pretty and well worth visiting. Nearby Gaucín (seven kilometres away) is one of the classic white villages of Spain and has just about all the facilities you will need - small shops, a chemist, banks and, of course, several bars and restaurants. And, as everywhere in Andalucía, more than its fair share of fiestas, traditional Saints days and processions, each an excuse for merrymaking and dancing.
There is a very good restaurant in little San Pablo de Buceite as well, actually on the railway station platform. Talking of stations, a trip on the narrow gauge railway shouldn't be missed either, it's an amazing journey through the really dramatic countryside which runs between Ronda and the coast. Others speak highly of the restaurant at the station of Jimena so you could turn it into a gastronomic experience as well as a sightseeing one!
This part of Andalucia is a paradise for walking, exploring, riding and bird watching. There is beautiful countryside in every direction. It is also an ideal base for day trips to wonderful towns like Ronda, Jerez, Cadiz and Sevilla. There are delightful little villages to explore, Mediterranean beaches are half an hours drive away; the Atlantic coast with its fine white sand and famous wind surfing is one and a half hours drive.
Seeing is believing! This villa is idyllic, as peaceful and as beautiful as can be. As we said at the beginning, everything a holiday villa in Spain should be …
Contact Us
Would you like to book this property? Any questions? We are here to help
00 34 958 763 381
Property Details
Ground Floor :
Living Room with access to the terrace and gardens
Kiitchen / dining room with access to the terrace and gardens
2 bedrooms :
(1) twin bedded with access to the terrace and gardens
(2) twin bedded with access to the entrance courtyard
Bathroom with shower over bath tub
Furnished, covered dining terrace
Entrance courtyard
Gardens and Grounds
First Floor :
2 bedrooms :
(3) Master double bedroom (queen-sized bed) with dressing area and en suite bathroom (walk-in shower and shower over bath tub); access to the upper terrace and also to a rear terrace
(4) twin bedded (beds pushed together) with en suite bathroom (walk-in shower and shower over bath tub); access to the upper terrace and also to a private side terrace.
Garden Bedroom :
1 bedroom :
(5) twin bedroom with en suite bathroom (walk-in shower and shower over bath tub) and access to the gardens
Facilities
Satellite TV (Freeview programmes, BBC, ITV etc & Spanish programmes) • DVD • CD / Radio • WiFi Internet (bring your own laptop) • Telephone
Open fireplace in the living room • Electric radiators in the bedrooms • Ceiling fans in the four main house bedrooms • Free standing fan in the Garden bedroom
Electric Oven • Eye-level grill / oven • Gas hob (4 rings) • Microwave • Fridge / Freezer • 2nd Fridge • Dishwasher • Toaster • Juicer • Kettle • Food processor • Coffee pot • Cooking utensils • Cutlery • Crockery
Washing Machine • Iron & board
All linen is provided (including pool towels) • Hairdryers • Cot & Highchair available (on request)
Filtered swimming pool (irregular shape, approx. 13 m x 6 m, 0.9 m - 1.8 m deep) with underwater lighting. The pool can be heated for a supplement (see note below)
Pool terrace • 2 acres of gardens • Estate grounds • Sunbeds • Outdoor dining and garden furniture • Barbecue • Parking (for 4 cars) • Garage (for 2 cars) • Fenced grounds
Shared use (with neighbouring villas) of the communal tennis court (please bring your own rackets and balls
Notes
The swimming pool, which can be heated, is open throughout the year
Heating for the pool is on request, charged at £30 per day. We recommend that you request its heating for at least two days in advance of your holiday to bring it to a comfortable temperature ready for your arrival
If requested, heating is provided for 100 pounds per week (payable on arrival)
Prices are inclusive of maid service (2 hours, twice a week)
A weekly change of bed linen and towels plus cleaning is included for rentals of more than one week
A welcome pack is provided on arrival
Additional services (cooking / extra cleaning / baby sitting etc can be arranged on request (payable locally)
Rentals for this property normally run from Friday to Friday in summer
Location
In open countryside, 7 km from Gaucin (most facilities), 7 km from San Pablo de Buceite (basic facilities); Jimena de la Frontera (all facilities) 25 mins
Ronda 45 mins; Marbella 45 mins; Gibraltar 1 hr; Málaga 1¼ hrs; Jerez 2 hrs; Sevilla 2½ hrs
See the location map above
Airports
Gibraltar 1 hr; Málaga 1¼ hrs; Jerez 2 hrs; Sevilla 2½ 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 Málaga and other airports in Andalucia. Click here for full details
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About the Ronda Mountains
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