Property Description
This house in a small hill-top village in inland Andalucía is an absolute delight, a very private and comfortable holiday home which offers all the joys and delights of Mediterranean courtyard living - sunlit patios, deeply shaded eating areas, covered walkways and a fountain murmuring under the bougainvillea! It's a villa to relish, relax and unwind in.
As one client said, "I could holiday here for ever!". Not only is it a holiday villa which invites easy living, it's also perfectly situated for exploring all that is best in Andalucía. Lying within the magic triangle of Andalucía’s three great Moorish cities - Córdoba, Sevilla and Granada - and with the Spanish motorway system only three kilometres away, all of Spain’s ancient and exuberant civilisation is close at hand. Córdoba is just 25 minutes away, Sevilla little more than one hour, Málaga and Granada two hours from here.
Completely renovated by its English owners (a former Classic FM broadcaster and his photographer wife), from the outside it looks like any other village house typical of the area. But once inside it opens into a wonderfully large, colonnaded villa built around three sides of a magnificent, solar-heated and safety-gated swimming pool, with pretty gardens at the far end. Completely secluded and private, it has been perfectly designed for outdoor living.
There is an all-day sunlit patio, a large and sunny roof terrace with a shady awning and barbecue, covered colonnades to all the downstairs rooms and a fully-shaded outdoor eating area (around a vast Moroccan table) overlooking the pool. Solar heating extends the swimming season in the pool from early April to late October. The pool can be floodlit by night, a fountain splashes musically, Moroccan lamps light up for supper …
Internally the house is proofed for all weathers: double-glazed and double-walled, it has full air-conditioning for high summer (which also heats the rooms during the short winter). There are ceiling fans in all rooms and a wood burning stove for the seasons in between.
Built around the pool and its colonnaded terraces, one enters the large and fully equipped open-plan kitchen / dining room with its blue Moroccan dining table. The comfortable sitting-room is alongside with TV, DVD and radio with MP3 connectivity. Three of the bedrooms are also on the ground floor, each of them looking out to the pool. Twin-bedded, with wall hangings and covers brought over from Fez, they all have either en-suite bath or shower rooms. A laundry room (with washing machine, tumble dryer and steam iron), and a large garage complete the distribution on this floor.
The master bedroom (also twin bedded with an en-suite bathroom) is upstairs, as is the reading gallery with bookshelves containing some 300 titles, including many of the great Spanish travel classics. A separate staircase goes up to the sun terrace with views across the village, a shaded awning area with sun-loungers, picnic table and chairs, and a deluxe gas barbecue.
Las Pinedas is a small working village on the southern foothills of the Guadalquivir river valley (there is invariably an evening breeze here even on the warmest days). It was founded some 200 years ago as part of the re-colonisation of Andalucía and consists essentially of two parallel streets and a village square (where the house is located, looking across to the Church). One guest summed it up when she wrote, "I loved the village, with its simplicity, friendliness and the lesson it teaches. They know how to live here". It's not classically beautiful but it is certainly a genuinely Andaluz countryside pueblo.
There is a small self-service store in Las Pinedas and one rustic and very authentic bar where the locals congregate in noisy, friendly harmony. Here you can enjoy good, inexpensive traditional Spanish cuisine - the landlord's wife is a wonderful cook; her delicious cooking ranges from aircraft-carrier sized steaks to baby beans with serrano ham.
The local market town is La Carlota, three kilometres away, where all the normal necessities of life can be obtained, including fresh fish, meat and vegetables. There is an excellent emergency medical service here as well as a selection of cafes, tapas bars and restaurants. La Carlota is by-passed by the main Sevilla to Córdoba motorway; a new motorway also now runs most of the way down to Málaga and the Mediterranean coast, and connects with the motorway to Granada along the way.
This motorway will also quickly take you to La Subbética de Córdoba, a truly beautiful part of Andalucia just half an hour's derive from the villa, its craggy mountains and pretty villages a joy to behold and well worth a day's exploring.
The house has been designed with children in mind. The swimming pool is safety-railed and gated and the entire pool is visible from the covered terrace, the patio and from all colonnades. All stairways are gated. There is an Inflatable paddling pool, swimming rings and armbands. A high chair and travel cot are available on request.
Within or around the village there's a tiny school playground and football pitch, an educational farm to which pupils come from local schools to touch, feed, talk to and learn about farm animals (private visits can be arranged) and various other small farms with muddy cows and cheerful pigs! What was once the village communal wash-place is now ideal for sailing toy boats; an ancient ford beneath a former railway bridge is good for paddling or searching for tadpoles. And there are two well shaded local picnic parks.
Two big attractions in Córdoba for children are the newly opened Ciudad de Ninos (‘Kid’s City’) where they can climb, slide, swing, jump, or simply race around, and the Aquasierra water-park with its slides and rides, outdoor and covered pools … not to mention (for the truly intrepid only) the gut-wrenching drop on the Kamikaze …
For teenagers, the local night-club scene includes a disco in La Carlota with its full complement of flashing lights; more serious attractions are available in the night-clubs of Córdoba (a bus runs each hour from La Carlota to the city). The house offers its own trail bike, a CD/radio compatible with an MP3 player, the usual TV/DVD options and, of course, unlimited opportunities for leisurely lounging in or out of the brilliant Andalusian sunlight.
Maribel, the lovely caretaker (she speaks a little English) will, if you wish, cook you delicious Spanish meals. Many clients, having tried her cooking on their first night, have immediately abandoned their plans for self-catering! Among the numerous accolades to her cooking in the villa guest book, her paella is considered by some to be the best in Spain!
It is also full of wonderful compliments from clients who have really enjoyed their stay here. To quote just one, "we are always in search of the perfect holiday and over the years we have learned that a combination of a house that is as comfortable, or more comfortable, than home is an absolute must; plus proximity to numerous sites equals a perfect holiday. When you add the sun and the pool and your fabulous hospitality - well it just doesn't get any better!"
Contact Us
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00 34 958 763 381
Property Details
Ground Floor :
Entrance lobby
Open-plan kitchen / dining-room
Living room
3 bedrooms : all twin bedded, each with an en-suite bath or shower room
Covered outdoor eating area (overlooking the pool)
Colonnaded terrace to all downstairs rooms
Open patio area with sun-loungers and Moroccan fountain wall-garden
Laundry room
Garage
First Floor :
Master bedroom (twin) with en-suite bathroom
Reading gallery
Separate staircase to part-shaded roof terrace (furnished)
Facilities
Spanish TV • DVD • Stereo radio (with MP3 compatibility) • Library (with approx. 300 titles) • WiFi Internet (bring your own laptop) • Ping Pong table
Wood burning stove in the living room • Air Conditioning / heating units throughout • Ceiling fans in all bedrooms and living rooms • Double glazing
Electric Fan Oven • Ceramic hob (4 rings) • Microwave • Fridge / freezer • Dishwasher • Toaster • Juicer • Kettle • Coffee pot • Cooking utensils • Cutlery • Crockery
Washing Machine • Tumble Dryer • Iron & board
All linen is provided (including pool towels) • Hairdryer • Travel cot & Highchair available (on request)
Solar-heated filtered swimming pool (8 m x 4 m; 1.15 m - 1.60 m deep), railed and gated for child safety
Pool terrace • Night lighting • Garden • Sunbeds • Inflatable paddling pool, swimming rings etc • Pool-side shower room • Barbecue (gas) • Outdoor dining and garden furniture • Garage parking • Car-mountable GPS • Mountain bike
Notes
Weather permitting, the swimming pool is open throughout the year; the recommended swimming season is from April to October, inclusive
A welcome pack of basic provisions (bread, milk, coffee, tea, cheese, bacon, eggs, wine) is provided and is included in the price
Additional Services (by arrangement) Daily cleaning; cooking services (Spanish cookery, from single dishes to entire meals); driver for city visits (by the day or half day); wine cellar visits to Montilla and Jerez can also be arranged
Rentals for this property normally run from Saturday to Saturday
Location
In the village of Las Pinedas (basic facilities); La Carlota (all facilities) 3 km
Córdoba 25 mins, Sevilla 1 hr; Granada 2 hrs; Málaga 2 hrs
See the location map above
Airports
Sevilla 1 hr; Málaga 2 hrs; Granada 2 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
Find Out More
About Córdoba; more about the La Subbética de Córdoba
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