Accessed by a quiet country lane, this superb villa is just ten minutes west of Ronda in the beautiful Llano de la Cruz valley. To one side are spectacular views of the Sierra de Ronda and to the other a beautiful vista of fertile, undulating farmland. It's a delightful property, perfect for a small family or for two couples traveling together.
One of three luxury villas on a wonderful, 3½ acre countryside estate, this is, like the others, completely private and self-contained with its own entrance, driveway, gardens and swimming pool. In such pretty surroundings, a relaxing holiday is never going to be a problem here!
Features of the estate include extensive landscaped gardens, mature orchards of olive and citrus, walnut and almond, quince and medlar, as well as a beautifully maintained garden surrounding each villa. There is also a vegetable garden, fish pond and a fountain. Apart from the occasional passing of a small-gauge railway which runs close by, there's nothing here to disturb the countryside peace and harmony.
Completely hidden by graceful trees, foliage and fencing, the villa looks out onto its own landscaped and carefully maintained, lawned garden. This is a real delight, with mature olive trees and colourful shrubs providing beautiful contrast to the extensive lawn.
A pretty, covered terrace runs the length of the house looking out to the garden and to the lovely 8 m x 4 m swimming pool at its far end. Soaking up the Mediterranean sunshine, taking a refreshing dip or two in the pool, reading a book under the dappled shade of an old olive tree, lounging on the terrace with a gin and tonic close to hand, this is what a holiday is all about!
Inside, the villa is spacious and tastefully decorated. All on one level, the sitting room / diner is a large, light and airy space, attractively furnished, with views across the garden to the pool. French doors open to the terrace. The house has electric night storage radiators and an open fireplace to keep you snug in winter (and there are very attractive rates for winter bookings of a month or more, see prices below); all rooms have overhead fans to keep you cool in summer. Other facilities include a TV (for DVD and video playback), a music system and an extensive video and DVD library.
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The well proportioned, fully fitted kitchen has all mod-cons including a four hob burner, electric oven, microwave and washing machine. But, if you don't feel like cooking, you don't have to! The English owner, who lives in one of the other villas on the Estate, is a marvelous chef with a passion and skill with food second to none. She offers a mouth-watering menu of delights both for lunch and dinner, served of course at your convenience in your own villa. Not to be missed!
The two large bedrooms (one double and one twin bedded) each have their own en-suite shower room. They are stylishly and thoughtfully furnished and, with their duvets and electric blankets, each offers warmth as well as comfort.
Nearby Ronda is a lovely town, Hemingway's favourite in all Spain. Brimming with history and interest, a visit to its famous bridge and bullring, reputedly the oldest in the country, is a must. An ancient hill town, it straddles the extraordinary Tajo Gorge that plunges to a depth of more than 150 metres.
The oldest part of the town, the original citadel fortress of the Moors, lies to the east of gorge, a labyrinth of winding streets with ancient mansion houses, churches and enchanting little squares. There are breathtaking vistas from many of the bars and restaurants out across the gorge to the surrounding mountains.
The newer part of the town began to grow when the famous bridge was finally completed at the end of the 19th century. This is a bustling area of small shops, bars and restaurants and the site of Andalucia's most famous bullring.
To the west of the town is the Grazalema National Park, a really beautiful mountainous area, home to some of the most diverse flora and fauna in Spain. A series of pretty, traditional pueblos blancos are all within easy driving distance. To the east is the pristine Sierra de la Nieves National Park, recently declared a Unesco Biosphere Reserve. The walking and birdwatching here are amongst the best in Europe.
So, there's plenty to do around and about. Quite apart from the wonderful countryside all around and the natural treasure-trove of the nearby National Parks, it's also an ideal location for exploring much of the best that Andalucía has to offer. Grazalema and the other delightful 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.
Wherever you go, you will delight in returning to the peace and tranquility which surrounds this lovely holiday villa.
For two or more families wishing to holiday together but wanting a degree of independence from one another, the property can also be rented in conjunction with one of the other villas on the estate. For details of the villa sleeping six (three bedrooms) click here and for the villa sleeping 10 (five bedrooms) click here.
