Great character and sublime countryside
Secluded and peaceful, this holiday villa has tremendous character as well as one of the most beautiful countryside locations in all Spain ...
"What an amazing finca this is! We loved every second of our stay here. Celebrating a 40th birthday with our best friends in this beautiful location was a dream come true! The villa, garden, cats, dogs, foxes, horses and donkeys… we will miss them all."
"We have spent three magnificent weeks in your beautiful house in the middle of nature. Far away from our busy lives in Paris. We have discovered an amazing region thanks to you."
"We have spent two amazing weeks in ZC68. Super property in a delightful environment. Our five kids have really enjoyed the pool and the rest of the estate. Very charming owners."
"We al loved so much the house and the tranquil surroundings. Listening to goats bells is like stepping back in time."
"And we came back! We stayed another three weeks in your marvellous house and had the opportunity to see other beautiful places and at the same time revisiting spots we loved! We feel so at ease in such a lovely space! We are grateful to spend these quality days together in such a pure surrounding."
"What a fantastic experience! It was like living in a small castle. Thank you very much for making our stay most enjoyable… flowers, fruits, etc."
"We’ve had a wonderful week in this rural idyll. We will miss the birdsong, the cries of the peacocks and the goat bells. It’s been a complete antidote to London. The chance to stay in this beautiful villa in such unspoilt surroundings is appreciated."
"A most enjoyable stay in an idyllic villa. The isolation is a plus. We have really appreciated the rural pace as well as the bucolic orchestra (goats, cattle, donkeys)"
"Charming privacy, private beauty, sense of ‘duende’, sensitivity of the nature and Andalucia. Never ending pleasure. Special thanks for creating and keeping this opportunity"
"If there’s a place on earth which resembles heaven this might be it. It was a fantastic experience and pure joy to be able to spend three weeks at your Paradise! Hopefully we can come back one day."
Bedrooms
Three in the main house (2 doubles, 1 twin bedded).
Two (one double, one twin) in the annexe (for larger parties).
Pool
Private swimming pool
10 m x 6 m; 2.4 m - 1.0 m deep.
Location
9 km from Cortes in the Ronda Mountains region (Province of Málaga).
Price
sleeping 6 : from 2,210 € to 2,840 € per week.
7/8 : 2,600 € to 3,230 €
9/10 : 2,990 € to 3,630 €
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Villa Description
Spectacular setting
Deep within the forested hillsides of a 500 acre private estate, all around is joyous countryside and magnificent scenery.
A little country lane winds gently down the hill from the Gaucín to Ronda road, descending deep into the beautiful and very serene Guadiaro Valley.
It's a wonderful part of rural Andalucía, between the Alcornocales Natural Park and the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, with the spectacular backdrop of the Serranía de Ronda mountains all around.
Deep in these gloriously forested hillsides, a kilometre from the little village of La Cañada del Real Tesoro (also known as Estacion de Cortes, where the wonderfully scenic Ronda-Algeciras railway stops), you will find the entrance to this superb estate. It comprises more than 200 hectares (500 acres) of joyous countryside, rich in flora, wildlife and stunning beauty.
It's a great location with plenty of nature to explore and enjoy all around. Organic vegetable gardens, fruit, walnut and ancient oak trees, little streams and waterfalls, this is the Spanish landscape at its best.
Full of character
Inside it's an eclectic, some might say eccentric, mix of styles - somewhere between antique Spanish and the mid-sixities - with a bit of Asia thrown in.
Everywhere the views are magnificent, with the attractive pueblo of Cortes de la Frontera glistening white on the other side of the valley, the Sierra de Libar rising up to 2,100 metres beyond.
The surrounding terrain of the estate itself and the Sierra de Grazalema beyond provide plenty of opportunities for lovely walks amid spectacular scenery.
Befitting such a spectacular location, this refurbished, three bedroomed country villa (which is accessed by a 3½ km countryside track) offers good quality accommodation in a magnificent setting. Constructed of natural stone with its imposing tower clearly visible on approach, it's a unique building.
With its huge, circular sun terrace at the front, a lovely 10 m x 6 m swimming pool to the side and sublime countryside all around, this is a property which offers a truly original holiday experience.
Something different
With its exposed ancient stonework, vaulted ceiling and minstrel's gallery, the huge entrance hall sets the tone.
It's a villa full of character. One enters the grounds through security gates (keeping the estate entirely private). Inside, original stonework is exposed, offset by solid oak furniture, artwork, carpets imported from India, and eclectic finishes to create an interesting Spanish / Asian ambience.
The main house has three bedrooms. Just to the side, a new annexe has been added with two beautifully crafted and furnished 4 poster bedroom suites, enabling parties of up to ten people to be comfortably accommodated.
There is garage parking (the garage even features a Roman oven) and steps lead up from here to to the huge sun terrace above, with its Moroccan table and chairs and extensive views.
The massive wooden front doors of the main house open through to an interesting and very extensive entrance hall. With a vaulted ceiling and a minstrel gallery it sets the tone of the place.
To the left this leads through to the first sitting room, an unusual but attractive living space with its high arched ceiling and wooden-beams. Walls are painted with powder blue lime wash.
Comfortable and serene, the room is furnished with sofas and an armchair distributed around a coffee table. A large glass window at the end looks out to the pool and countryside beyond.
Like times gone by
In the traditional Spanish way of things, the interior of the old house is cool and tranquil. The summer heat doesn't penetrate its metre thick walls.
Straight ahead from the hall is the second, larger living room with its L-shaped sofa and a coffee table around the open fireplace. Under its timber beamed ceiling it's quite a dark room, decorated in earthy colours, rather rustic and old fashioned, both in its style and furnishings. But there is a DVD and music system and the old TV (which appears in our photos) has now been replaced by a modern plasma screen.
At one end doors lead through to the pool and gardens; at the other end it opens through to the kitchen which in turn opens through to the dining area (which can also be accessed to the right of the entrance hallway).
The kitchen, albeit in a rather "mid-sixties" style, is decently equipped with an oven, and ceramic hob, a microwave and dishwasher. The fridge/freezer and washing machine are situated in the larder alongside.
As good as it gets
The pool and it's wide, lawned surround is delightful with nothing but glorious countryside, golden sunshine and blue skies to keep you company.
The three bedrooms of the main house are upstairs, each of them with splendid views. Two are double bedded and there is one twin (with the two beds pushed together). Each bedroom has an en-suite shower room. There is also access to the little lawned garden and barbecue area behind the house from this floor.
The pool and it's wide, grassy surround is delightful, with sunloungers on the grass under little palm sunshades.
Add the comforting sound of water cascading gently through the rocks on the bank above the pool, glorious countryside all around and some of Andalucia's famous sunshine and blue skies and this is just about as good as it gets!
Just to the side of the house, the two recently constructed bedroom suites are roomy and spacious with lots of plants to lend character to their traditional styling (see photo opposite).
Both have four poster beds (one is a double, the other has twin beds pushed together) and sitting areas with sofas and easy chairs.
Please note that these are not made available for smaller groups (paying the six person price).
One of the great short rail journeys
Why not explore some of Andalucía's best and most dramatic countryside on the fabulous train which stops at nearby Estacion de Cortes?
Basic provisions can be purchased in La Cañada del Real Tesoro, just four kilometres away. Cortes de la Frontera, nine kilometres away, has a greater range of bars and restaurants and is well worth a visit. The charming and unspoilt village of Gaucín is fifteen minutes by car, with its excellent selection of restaurants, tapas bars, tennis courts and, of course, all the customary local traditions of an Andalusian 'pueblo'.
There are several excellent day-trip destinations: to the historic towns of Ronda, Jerez de la Frontera and Cádiz, each of them offering good shopping and fine restaurants as well as lots of history and architecture of great beauty. Each has its own unique atmosphere.
There are charming villages too, Arcos de la Frontera, Grazalema and Jimena de la Frontera to name but a few. For those who want a day on the beach, Mediterranean resorts are just an hour's drive to the south while the white Atlantic beaches of the Costa de la Luz are ninety minutes away.
And for something a little out of the ordinary, why not explore a little of Andalucía on the fabulous train which stops at nearby Estacion de Cortes?
One of Europe’s great short rail journeys, this 50-mile stretch through the Ronda mountains runs through a landscape which offers constantly plunging and spectacular views. The single track line is so steep (by rail standards) that sand must be deposited onto the rails when wet to avoid slippage. There are four trains running daily between Algeciras on the coast up to Ronda, stopping at little hill town pueblos - San Roque, Castellar, Jimena, Gaucin, Cortes and Benaojan - along the way. It's a remarkable and wonderful way to see some of Andalucía's best and most dramatic countryside.
Whichever direction you head off to, one thing is for sure: you will be returning to a very enjoyable and relaxing holiday property. One that offers real character amid great natural beauty.
Villa Details
The Villa in Detail
All the facts and features about this villa
Distribution
Ground Floor
- Entrance Hall
- Sitting room
- Living Room
- Kitchen / dining room
- Larder
- Guest Cloakroom
- Front terrace (furnished)
- Garage (under the front terrace)
- Gardens and estate grounds
First Floor
- 3 bedrooms :
- 2 doubles both with en-suite shower rooms
- 1 one twin bedded (beds pushed together) with en-suite shower room
- Access to the back garden of the house
Bedroom Annexe (available for larger groups only)
- 2 bedrooms :
- 1 double with en-suite shower room and a sitting area with sofas etc
- 1 twin (beds pushed together) with en-suite shower room and a sitting area with sofas etc
Facilities
Entertainment
- Satellite TV (UK Channel Information)
This property has channels in English, German, French etc, but due to changes to the UK satellite services currently does not receive UK terrestrial programmes, BBC, ITV etc. We will provide updates if this situation changes. - DVD
- Music System with CD Player
- WiFi Internet (bring your own laptop)
Amenities
- Glass fronted fireplace in the living room
- Central Heating
- Double glazing
- Air Conditioning
- Washing Machine, Iron & board
- All linen is provided (including pool towels)
- Hair dryer
- Cot & Highchair available (on request). Please note that cot linen is not supplied
Kitchen
- Electric oven
- Ceramic hob (4 rings)
- Microwave
- Fridge / freezer
- Dishwasher
- Toaster, Juicer, Kettle, Coffee machine
- Cooking utensils, Cutlery, Crockery
Outdoors
- Filtered swimming pool (10 m x 6 m; 2.4 m - 1.0 m deep) with underwater lighting
- Sun beds, sun shades
- Outdoor dining and garden furniture
- Barbecue
- Night lighting
- Gardens & estate grounds (with estate security gates)
- Garage & outdoor parking
Notes
Weather permitting, the swimming pool will be open throughout the year (although, because it's not heated, the normal swimming season is from late April to September, inclusive)
Clients are welcome to help themselves to fruit and vegetables grown on the Estate
Rentals for this property normally run from Saturday to Saturday in summer
Maid service (2 hours on 2 days per week) is included in the price
A weekly change of linen and towels is included for rentals of more than one week
A welcome pack is included
Villa Prices
Prices and Seasons
ZC 68
| 2023 Season Dates | Sleeping 6 per week |
Sleeping 8 per week |
Sleeping 10 per week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st January to 30th June | 1,840 € | 2,160 € | 2,490 € |
| 1st July to 1st September | 2,360 € | 2,690 € | 3,020 € |
| 2nd September to 22nd December | 1,840 € | 2,160 € | 2,490 € |
| 23rd December to 5th January 2024 | 2,360 € | 2,690 € | 3,020 € |
ZC 68
| 2024 Season Dates | Week | Fortnight |
|---|---|---|
| Prices Pending | --- | --- |
Security Deposit
A 450 Euro security deposit is required on each booking. This is held against your credit or debit card and will be cancelled one week after your holiday, subject to any reductions for breakages or damage. See Terms and Conditions for full details.
Villa Availability
ZC 68
Availability 2023
Please contact us for latest availability and to reserve the villa.
Your browser does not support this calendar (Javascript is not enabled). For availability you can contact us directly via our contact form, email or by phone.
Villa Location
Location Map
In open countryside, 9 km from Cortes de la Frontera (most facilities) in the Ronda Mountains region (Province of Málaga)
Location
In open countryside, accessed by a 3½ km track (in reasonably good condition); 4 km from La Cañada del Real Tesoro (only basic facilities); 9 km from Cortes de la Frontera (most facilities) in the Ronda Mountains region (Province of Málaga).
Gaucin (most facilities) 20 mins; Casares (most facilities) 45 mins
Ronda 45 mins; Estepona 1 hr; Marbella 1¼ hrs; Gibraltar 1½ hrs; Málaga 2 hrs; Tarifa 2 hrs.
Jerez 2 hrs; Cádiz 2½ hrs; Sevilla 2½ hrs; Granada 3 hrs; Córdoba 3 hrs.
Nearest Airports
Gibraltar 1½ hrs; Málaga 2 hrs; Jerez 2 hrs; Sevilla 2½ hrs.
See our Links Page for web sites of airlines traveling to Andalucia from the UK.
Around and About
This is an excellent base from which to explore this delightful and very beautiful part of Andalucía.
Excursions
- A beautiful country road winds through the spectacular mountains to Ronda (45 minutes), with its spectacular gorge and Spain's oldest bullring, Hemmingway’s favourite town in all of Spain.
- There are a plethora of beautiful white villages and hilltop towns to explore and enjoy in the magnificent countryside of the Serranía de Ronda – Gaucín, Jimena de la Frontera, Casares and Genalguacil to name but a few.
- Nearby National Parks include the fabulous Los Alcornocales Natural Park and the Grazalema National Park, one of the most beautiful tracks of mountain anywhere in Europe. Jagged peaks, gorges, chasms, faults and caves, underground rivers and deep canyons are interspersed, here and there, by some of the prettiest villages in Spain, Grazalema, Zahara, Setenil and the other famous "pueblos blancos".
- La Costa del Sol with its wealth of sandy beaches, sun, fun and nightlife is an hour away. Resort towns include Estepona (1 hour) and glitzy, glamorous Marbella (1¼ hours).
- Gibraltar, steeped in history, VAT free shops … and plenty of fish & chips is 1½ hours away.
- Tarifa on the southernmost point of Spain is little more than two hours from here. Looking directly across the Straits of Gibraltar to Morocco, Africa is so close you feel that you can almost touch it!
- Beyond lie mile upon mile of magnificent white beaches on Spain's Atlantic coast, La Costa de la Luz.
- A taste of Morocco perhaps? The fast boat from Tarifa to Tangiers takes 35 minutes, so you can be exploring the local souks in just a few hours. Fascinating and colourful, it really is a different world.
- Spain's unique sherry wine region (Jerez and Sanlúcar), is well worth a visit, enhanced no doubt by stopping at one or two of the famous bodegas along the way! Jerez de la Frontera is 2 hours.
- Cádiz (2½ hours) continues to evoke the romance, intrigue and mystery of centuries of trade (some legal, some not so) between Europe, Africa and the Americas.
- One of Europe's most important wetland reserves and bird sanctuaries, the Doñana National Park, is a popular attraction for nature lovers (4 hours). Its enormous variety of bird species include everything from flamingos to imperial eagles.
- Sevilla takes 2½ hours. It is impossible not to be captivated by its exuberant atmosphere: stylish, confident, ancient and proud, yet also convivial, intimate and fun-loving. If you don't know what alegría means, Sevilla is the place to learn!
- The fantastic railway between Algeciras on the coast and Ronda, to the north, stops at the nearby little pueblo of La Cañada del Real Tesoro. One of Europe’s great short railway journeys, running through landscapes which offer constantly plunging and spectacular views, this is a remarkable and wonderful way to see some of Andalucía's best and most dramatic countryside.
- Córdoba and Granada are both 3 hours drive from here
Activities
- There are various guide companies in Ronda offering everything from one day caving adventures to hiking and bicycling trips. Guided and self-guided walking, horse riding, mountain biking and yoga are also available in or around Gaucín.
- Bicycle hire is easily arranged in Ronda. There are excellent cycle ways in the area.
- There is no more thrilling way of viewing the Ronda mountains than from a balloon. End your once-in-a-lifetime flight with a champagne breakfast overlooking Ronda’s old town.
- For golf enthusiasts, there are at least 25 top quality golf courses (including Finca Cortesin, Valderrama, Sotogrande, and San Roque) within an hour's drive.
- On the coast (both the Costa del Sol and the Costa de la Luz) there’s every beach pursuit imaginable, from sailing and windsurfing, diving and snorkelling to whale and dolphin watching.
The Area
Ronda Mountains
The wild and wonderful mountains which surround Ronda are spectacularly beautiful, a taste of much-touted 'Real Spain' …
Read more
Cortes de la Frontera
Between two fabulous natural parks, Cortes has a superb vantage point. Grand 18th century mansions are evidence of its affluence from cork production.
