Splendid isolation, a genuine Spanish country home
At the edge of the Grazalema Park, surrounded by gently undulating hills
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Villa Description
Magnificent! House-party perfection
In the "deep south" of Spain.
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The sleepy town of Puerto Serrano lies at the edge of the Grazalema mountains, surrounded by gently undulating hills dotted with olive groves and oak forest which run east towards Ronda. To the village's west a patchwork of fields of wheat, sunflowers and cotton add further southern allure: you could only be in the deep south of Spain.
This Cortijo feels just as authentically andaluz, a modern take on the traditional cortijo theme with bedrooms and living spaces wrapped around a flagged, inner courtyard, its windows and pillars picked out in the traditional, sandy-coloured albero tones and with a roof topped with earthy-brown pantiles. This is a big, big house with a footprint of 600 square metres whilst five metre-high ceilings in its sitting/dining room and kitchen add further to that glorious sense of space.
Authentic Andalucia living inside and out
Leaving the tourist-beaten trail way behind.
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With the main house sleeping 16 in comfort, it is perfect for a convivial get-together with a large group of friends or for a number of families wishing to holiday together. Built as a family home on an isolated ridgetop high above the Río Guadalete and the Vía Verde (a cycle path laid down along an abandoned railway line) which both cut an arc across the house's 200 hectare estate.
Arriving at the house you really feel you're leaving the tourist-beaten trail way behind as you follow a quiet country road flanked by towering agaves and prickly pear out from Puerto Serrano then on up towards the house. Horses graze beneath almond and olive trees, bee-eaters hover above sandy banks whilst the day we visited a pair of eagles circled in the sky above.
With as bucolic a setting as this you may find that you put plans to explore the surrounding towns and villages on a back burner.
Splendid and varied landscape
This is an area rich in history and local traditions.
Pushing aside its high, antique entrance door and entering a huge entrance hall that runs the length of the buildings façade, this is a house that feels Andalusian to the core. Decorated with antique dressers, oil paintings, engravings of the bullfight, writing tables, hunting trophies, tapestries and other family heirlooms, a low-slung Mexican table, woven mats and lanterns from Morocco along with a collection of English hunting prints add a cosmopolitan note to what otherwise feels like a cornucopia of all things Spanish.
You won't find yourself tripping over your fellow guests. At centre stage its all-in-one dining room and drawing room measures in at more than one hundred square metres. Its high, wood-beamed ceiling, brick-tiled floor (it once lay in a bodega in Jerez) and grilled windows are faithful to the southern farmhouse vernacular whilst huge, fixed panes of glass - they frame the rolling countryside that lies to the north and east of the house - are more innovative, bringing what's outside inside, and help make this room truly special.
Casablanca fans cool the air - there's also airconditioning even though you won't really need it - whilst if you're staying in the cooler months a high hearth flanked by three sofas makes for a perfect spot for hunkering down with a book. High French windows that lead out to the vast, garden-facing terrace where you're bound to be tempted to eat most of your meals alfresco.
To one side of this huge, light-filled room you'll find two more sofas and easy chairs facing a large, corner television whilst this main living space is plenty large enough for a rustic-style dining table that can seat up to 10: if required there's space aplenty to add a second table.
The vast kitchen would easily be large enough to host a cookery class, and comes fully equipped for the prepping all your in-house meals. A long run of marble-topped units wraps around three sides of the kitchen, providing a big run of surface where two or three people could work together without rubbing shoulders - and that's without making use of the marble-topped island table which stands at the room's centre.
There's a big, 5 burner gas hob above an equally large electric oven with an additional gas hob and another induction plate to either side. Twin fridge freezers are a huge plus for larger groups, especially those with kids ploughing through soft drinks, and there's a chest freezer in the adjacent laundry room where you'll also find a wine cooler.
The kitchen has all the gadgets you could possibly need along with stacks of crockery and cutlery, bread baskets, jugs, trays - you name it – There's a round dining table in one corner for a quick snack or to sit with a cup of tea.
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Pool, alfresco diners, a game of petanque
Glorious sense of space...
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A broad sweep of turfed lawn, dotted with ornamental olives, encompasses three sides of the house. It would be great for any type of ball game whilst being perfect for toddlers taking their first steps. At the front of the house grass gives way to gravel: ideal for a game of pétanque.
The best views are from the large, covered patio that takes in a broad panorama of the surrounding hills and the Guadalete valley. There's comfy, low slung planters-style garden furniture: you couldn't imagine a nicer spot for alfresco, yet shaded dining. The swimming pool is just out of sight, an irregular kidney shape, surrounded by a big stretch of lawn. Parents with younger kids who are prone to wander will appreciate the fact that that the whole of the pool area is fenced and gated.
Magnificent!
Blue skies and sunshine as far as your eyes can see.
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Bedrooms feature a similar decorative mix as in the communal living spaces with the same terracottaladrillo (wafer brick) floors, framed prints and matching fabrics for bedspreads, curtains, pelmets and - in some rooms - wardrobe doors. All of them have Casablanca-style ceiling fans and electric radiators. Netted windows keep the insects at bay...this is a very well groomed house.
Five of the bedrooms are in the east-facing wing, looking out across the the big stretch of lawn that cradles three sides of the house.
Surrounded by nature and steeped in Local Culture
The pleasure of living in Andalucia.
On the ground floor are four rooms. The first of these, and the one most suitable for kids, has a small dressing room/annex with a large fitted wardrobe and four single pine-framed beds, all in a row. The room has an airy, wheelchair-friendly shower room clad in green and white tiles, some with handpainted pictures of birds that can be seen on the farm, whilst the room's floor and sink top are fashioned in white marble.
The next room along the corridor comes with twin beds backed by painted, antique bedsteads of wrought iron. The room's predominantly green and red colour scheme is mirrored in the plumage of two framed prints of parrots and in the colours of its bathroom which has a tub with a telephone shower and makes use of the same white marble for its sink unit and floor.
The twin room next door is almost identical in layout though this one is decorated in a more delicate, floral fabric. Both rooms have big, walk in wardrobes.
At the end of the corridor is a much larger room - our favourite - with a 1.8m double bed, decorated in a muted, chalky-blue fabric with its bathroom leading off from a small entrance hall.
In the same wing there's one first floor room, a twin with enormous 1.10m beds and a snazzy bathroom clad almost entirely in white marble. And tucked away beneath the stairs leading up to this room you'll find a small cloakroom.
The two remaining bedrooms are on the east side of the house. One is close to the kitchen, a patio-facing twin decorated with a delicate, flowery fabric and a shower room in the same pinky tones. The other, the only other double-bedded room, stands alone in a corner of the patio and is decorated in a bright fuchsia fabric with hand-painted wooden furniture to match. This is the only room which has a freestanding rather than a fitted wardobe whilst its shower room is slightly smaller than that of the other rooms.
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Villa Details
The Villa in Detail
All the facts and features about this villa
Distribution
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Ground floor
- Entrance hall
- Enormous, high-ceilinged living/dining room incorporating TV room to one side
- Huge kitchen with second dining table
- Laundry Room with wine cooler and chest freeze
- WC cloakroom
- 6 bedrooms : 2 doubles, 3 twin bedded and 1 with 4 single beds. All have en-suite, either shower or bath rooms
- Note : In the twin bedrooms bed can be pushed together in, on request
- Various furnished terraces, some shaded
- Gardens and estate grounds (150 Acres)
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First Floor (Tower)
- One twin bedded bedroom with en suite bathroom
Facilities
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Entertainment
- TV in TV lounge to one side of main living space with Spanish TV channels
- WiFi Internet (bring your own laptop)
Amenities
- FIreplace in the living room and kitchen
- Cooling/Heating system in Living room
- Electric radiators (Everywhere else except Living room)
- All bedrooms have Casablanca style fans
- Additional portable fans (available on request)
- Washing Machine, Iron & board
- All linen is provided (including pool towels)
- Cot and highchair (both available on request, please bring your own cot linen)
- All windows have mosquito nets
- Table football and Pool table
Kitchen
- Large electric Oven
- Gas hob (5 rings) plus additional single gas hob
- Single ring electric hob
- Microwave oven
- Fridge/freezer, chest freezer & Bottle cooler
- Dishwasher
- Toaster, Food mixer, Kettle, Cafetière x 2
- Cooking utensils, Cutlery, Crockery
Outdoors
- Outdoor gated/fenced (salt filtered) swimming pool (irregular kidney shaped, 11 m x 6m with entrance steps
- Pool surrounded by lawn
- Sun loungers and garden chairs
- Night lighting around the pool and in entrance courtyard
- Outdoor dining and garden furniture
- Electric Grill (BBQ alternative due to fire restrictions)
- Parking for 10 + cars
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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)
Rentals for this property normally run from Friday to Friday although start and finish dates can be more flexible out of high season
Additional maid service, babysitting, cooking etc. can be arranged on request (payable locally)
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Villa Prices
Prices and Seasons
ZC 80(1)
| 2019 Season Dates | Week | Fortnight |
|---|---|---|
| Prices are the same throughout the year | 3,500 € | 7,000 € |
ZC 80(1)
| 2020 Season Dates | Week | Fortnight |
|---|---|---|
| Prices Pending | --- | --- |
Security Deposit
A 250 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 80(1)
Availability 2020
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, 2.5 km from Puerto Serrano (some facilities) in Los Pueblos Blancos region (Province of Cádiz)
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Location
2.5 km from Puerto Serrano (some facilities); 20 mins from Villamartin (most facilities) in Los Pueblos Blancos region (Province of Cádiz).
Arcos de la Frontera (all facilities) 40 mins; Jerez de la Frontera (all facilities) 1 hr; Ronda (all facilities) 1 hr.
Cádiz 1¼ hrs; Sevilla 1¼ hrs; Tarifa 2¼ hrs; Gibraltar 2¼ hrs; Marbella 2 hrs; Málaga 2¼ hrs.
Costa de la Luz 1¼ hrs; Costa del Sol 2 hrs.
Nearest Airports
Jerez 1¼ hrs; Sevilla 1¼ hrs; Gibraltar 2¼ hrs; Málaga 2¼ 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
- Spain's premier "pueblo blanco", Arcos de la Frontera is absolutely spectacular, perched seemingly precariously on top of a massive sandstone ridge which rises up as though from nowhere. Views from the top are staggering.
- The old part of town is a fascinating mix of Moorish and Renaissance, a maze of steep narrow streets (which in places are little more than two metres wide) and there are arches, churches and history at every turn.
- It's a lively place too with a wealth of bar and night life and some excellent street "espectáculos" in summer, flamenco shows and the like.
- Hemingway's favourite town in all Spain, Ronda, its extraordinary gorge dividing the old and new quarters, is just over an hour away. With its mansion houses, quaint narrow streets, museums and art galleries and Spain's oldest bullring, it is well worth visiting.
- In daylight, we certainly recommend the route via El Bosque which will take you up and over the Grazalema mountain range, passing through pretty Grazalema village on your way.
- It's 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 - the famous "pueblos blancos".
- Houses are meticulously whitewashed to a state of pristine splendour, a dazzling contrast to the brightly coloured flowers which fill the streets and the ochres of their rocky mountain perches. Beautiful villages which demand you to slow down a pace or two.
- For something completely different, Sevilla takes 1½ 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!
- 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 which has also re-invented itself as the birthplace of flamenco is a little more than an hour away.
- Cádiz (1¼ hours) continues to evoke the romance, intrigue and mystery of centuries of trade (some legal, some not so) between Europe, Africa and the Americas.
- Beyond lie mile upon mile of magnificent white beaches on Spain's Atlantic coast, La Costa de la Luz. Just inland from the beaches, Vejer de la Frontera is another, beautiful and immaculately kept "pueblo".
- Córdoba and Granada are further afield, 2¼ hours and 2½ hours drive from here.
Activities
- Arcos de la Frontera now boasts a fabulous golf course. It's very smart indeed!
- There are also wine bodegas to visit, horse riding, walking and bird watching, water sports on its nearby lake and flamenco peñas in or around town.
- There are few better places in Europe than the Sierra de Grazalema to enjoy walking and hiking. You can obtain information on walking routes at the park's visitor's centre, which is in El Bosque. The wonderful terrain is equally facinating for twitchers, especially for spotting the big raptors.
- The adventurous may want to try their hand at hang gliding or paragliding from Sierra de Lijar, at Algodonales, 30 minutes away from here. The village is home to a number of paragliding schools with courses for beginners as well as tandem flights.
The Area
Los Pueblos Blancos
Known in Spain as Los Pueblos Blancos, these classic white villages set in dramatic landscapes are some of Andalucía's most beautiful …
Read more
El Bosque
The gateway to the Grazalema mountains rising up immediately behind, it's a sleepy, picturesque little village, a classic Andaluz country "pueblo" …
