This lovely village house has character, comfort and the best of both worlds - its gardens, terraces and pool look out to glorious, verdant nature with nothing, and nobody, to spoil the view ...
A traditional village property which has been beautifully restored, refurbished and updated by its English owners. The result is wonderful, both inside and out!
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 postcard, the jewel of La 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.
It remains faithful to its traditional country-cottage style (splendid original features have been carefully restored and retained), but is now finished to the very highest standards.
"This house is loved as a holiday let has no right to be - cool and elegant, some fantastically creative flourishes, but comfortable and welcoming all the same".
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, artefacts 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 others leading down to the lower floor.
"We tasted “Real Spain” in more ways than one, and would recommend others do the same".
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.
"As we moved through the house it revealed itself to be tardis-like in the number and variety of rooms and outdoor spaces".
Returning to the Sala de Entrada, six wide steps lead up to the aptly named “Snug”, a very attractive living room, its three 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 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.
"No seaside, but a good sized swimming pool and lovely walks in the woods and over the hills. Cosy bars, cafes and restaurants - and the comforting sound of the Black Pigs snuffling through the cork oak forests".
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.
Dine here, or if you prefer, outside. Huge glass doors open to a lovely cobbled alfresco dining courtyard with wooden outdoor dining furniture (which also comfortably seats eight) under a huge parasol.
From the dining courtyard, 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.
"We had an absolutely wonderful time in Alájar! Loved the accommodation and the countryside was absolutely stunning. Fabulous walking ... "
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!
"We just returned from Spain and wanted to say thank you for a wonderful time. The house and setting were both beautiful. Truly a special place".
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.
Alájar is a delightful little village with white-washed houses and winding, cobbled streets. Bars and restaurants here have both cosiness and character.
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, crisscrossed 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 marvellously 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.
For a complete contrast, there’s marvellous 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.
All the facts and features about this villa
Weather permitting, the swimming pool will be open from May to September
Please, no smoking indoors
Prices are inclusive of central heating costs in winter months
Baby sitting is available on request, payable locally
RB/HU/00323
| 2024 Season Dates | Week | Fortnight |
|---|---|---|
| 8th January to 22nd March | 1,610 € | 3,220 € |
| 23rd March to 21st June | 1,730 € | 3,460 € |
| 22nd June to 6th September | 1,970 € | 3,940 € |
| 7th September to 10th January 2025 | 1,730 € | 3,460 € |
| 2025 Season Dates | Week | Fortnight |
|---|---|---|
| Prices Pending | — | — |
Reached by a 2km country track (easily negotiable in an ordinary car), 7 km from Azuaga (all facilities); 23km from Berlanga.
