Grace, light and elegance are just some of the words which spring to mind when describing this lovely, comfortable home in the hills of rural Andalucía ...
We really enjoyed our stay "The view from the front verandah is stunning with the Sierra Nevada in the distance, olive groves in the foreground".
This is a beautiful villa in a lovely Andalusian setting, a real home created with care and passion by its English owners.
Superbly situated on the hillside in its own two acres of grounds, a kilometre above the little hamlet of Ermita Nueva, all is peace and tranquillity here. There are no near neighbours at all, just joyous countryside as far as the eye can see.
Views are far and wide, across the patchwork of fields in the valley below to the mountain ranges of Jaén and Granada beyond, culminating in the dramatic, snow-capped peaks of Sierra Nevada. So, so peaceful, it’s a view which is impossible to ever tire of.
The villa is every bit as beautiful as the view. It's immaculately furnished, full of warmth and charm.
There’s something very soothing about looking over mile upon mile of olive groves under an azure blue sky. This is rural Spain at its very best, a part of the country where life is still lived at an appropriately slow and relaxing pace.
The villa is every bit as beautiful as the view. It’s immaculately furnished, full of warmth and charm.
Fully equipped with everything you would expect in such a desirable home, it’s also spacious, warm, friendly and very comfortable. The owner lives here when it’s not rented out and everything is of the highest quality.
One enters to a magnificent and very spacious kitchen / dining room with marble work surfaces – and a marble-topped dining table too. It’s classy, clean and uncluttered, a superbly crafted kitchen. Very well equipped, a kitchen where you will be happily creative.
"The house itself was very comfortable and beautifully furnished. All in all the week could not have been better".
Tableware is displayed in a lovely glass fronted cabinet and a colourful collection of ceramic plates runs right around the room above attractively tiled walls.
Doors open on to a long, covered veranda with very comfortable wicker terrace furniture and a glass topped table for dining alfresco.
It’s impossible not to feel completely relaxed here, gazing over the olive groves and cornfields in the mid-distance to the magnificent sweep of mountains beyond. Some consider it an even better vista in winter (and spring) when the far distant Sierra Nevada mountains are covered in a thick blanket of gleaming snow, a radiant blue sky overhead.
This terrace is also accessed from the living room which is just sublime, a graceful and utterly charming room.
Sunny and colourful, very relaxing, it is classically furnished with great elegance and comfort.
Thick walls and double glazing keep it beautifully cool in summer, warm and cosy in winter. And just to make absolutely sure, there’s central heating throughout, as well as the cheering open fireplace around which the sofas are arranged.
To the side of the house the big pool terrace, equipped with sunloungers, is a wonderful, south-facing sun trap. The swimming pool beckons you in.
Both bedrooms lead off the living room. Hand carved doors open to two beautiful double bedrooms.
Both have TV and gorgeous en-suite bathrooms, one with a shower over the bath tub, the other with shower only. Both have fitted wardrobes.
To the side of the house a big pool terrace, equipped with sunloungers, is a wonderful, south-facing sun trap and, as elsewhere on the property, is completely private. The azure-blue waters of the swimming pool beckon you in for a refreshing dip.
On the other side is a huge garage and courtyard reached by a short driveway which leads up from the little country road that meanders gently through the hillsides above the village.
Still an agricultural area - famous for its delicious, plump cherries as well as its olives - the people here are friendly and lifestyles unhurried.
Ermita Nueva is a charming rural hamlet famous for its delicious, plump cherries as well as its olives. Still an agricultural area, the people here are friendly and the lifestyle remains unhurried.
As yet, few tourists have found their way to this part of Andalucía and welcomes are warm and genuine. The village boasts a little (but very well stocked) supermarket, a bakery and a bar.
Just below the village lies the old Granada to Córdoba road, so from here it’s very easy to visit either of these great cities. Granada is just 40 kilometres to the south (little more than half an hour away by car), with Córdoba some 120 kilometres to the northwest.
Granada is, of course, a must-see city. A city of classical beauty and incredible herritage, the jewel in the Spanish Crown.
Just below the village lies the old Granada to Córdoba road, so from here it's easy to visit either of these great, historic cities.
The mesmerising Alhambra Palace and its exquisite gardens; the narrow, cobbled streets and beautiful walled gardens of the ancient Arab quarter, El Albaicín; the magnificent Renaissance Cathedral; the caves of Sacramonte, nostalgic legacy of the gypsies.
Córdoba too, is another wonderful place to visit. Once the largest city in the world, the thriving capital of Al-Andalus, the Moorish kingdom in Spain, it’s very picturesque and the Mezquita is one of only a handful of man-made places in the world which literally takes your breath away.
There are some fantastic places to visit around and about, too: Montefrío and the surrounding rural beauty of the Poniente Granadino lies to the southwest of the house, a region which leads naturally on to the Subbética de Córdoba, another lovely area of pretty villages set amongst rolling hills and small mountains.
Priego de Córdoba (30 minutes away), is delightful, a perfect example of Andalucía at its most refined and authentic. A dignified, convivial provincial town with a beautiful historic centre and more than its fair share of marvellous baroque churches.
Just five kilometres from here is Alcalá La Real, a Moorish fortress town dominated by its magnificent 15th Century hilltop castle. These days it’s a more work-a-day, unpretentious and authentically Spanish market town, with a handful of quite decent (and very reasonable) restaurants.
A lovely and very peaceful home in a very pretty part of Andalucía, this is a great place to come home to after a day out exploring the great historic cities and countryside joys all around.
Clients had this to say, “We really enjoyed our stay. The view from the front verandah is stunning with the Sierra Nevada in the distance, olive groves in the foreground. Many a pleasant evening was spent here. The house itself was very comfortable and beautifully furnished”.
“All in all the week could not have been better. We would certainly recommend it”.
All the facts and features about this villa
Weather permitting, the swimming pool will be open throughout the year (although, because it’s not heated, the normal swimming season is from May to September, inclusive).
Rentals for this property normally run from Saturday to Saturday in high season.
Prices of firewood 100€ a week. Central heating on request.
Central heating available on request, charged in advance:
200 Euros cover that you could put on at your discretion
100 Euros to come 2 hours in the morning (7-9am) and 2 hours in the evening (5-7pm)
RB/VTAR/JA/00706
| 2024 Season Dates | Sleeping 2 per week | Sleeping 3/4 per week |
|---|---|---|
| 6th January to 22nd March | 815 € | 1,015 € |
| 23rd March to 28th June | 1,015 € | 1,225 € |
| 29th June to 6th September | 1,290 € | 1,415 € |
| 7th September to 25th October | 1,015 € | 1,225 € |
| 26th October to 13th December | 815 € | 1,015 € |
| 14th December to 3rd January 2025 | 1,015 € | 1,225 € |
| 2025 Season Dates | Week | Fortnight |
|---|---|---|
| Prices Pending | — | — |
1 km above the small village of Ermita Nueva (basic facilities); 5 km from Alcalá La Real (all facilities) in El Poniente Granadino region (Province of Jaén).
