Villa Description
A beautiful old farmhouse in a lovely rural location, now converted into a delightfully intimate country house holiday rental property of excellent quality.
The cortijo has a wonderfully peaceful atmosphere, it's as if the antique furnishings have the ability to slow down time itself. Throughout, decoration and furnishings are tastefully in keeping with the romantic tradition of this fine old house.
There is a large sitting room downstairs where the original tiled floor and beamed ceiling have been retained, an attractive mix of rustic decor, original paintings and period furniture. The windows frame picturesque scenes of the gardens and the valley below.
Leading off the salon is the dining room with the fireplace and an art deco dining table seating up to 10 persons and a modern, well equipped kitchen,opening on to the rear patio.
The bedrooms are located on the first floor, individually decorated in soft pastel colours and some with their original high, beamed ceilings. All have en-suite bath or shower rooms in delicate Granada tiles.
The Blue room is decorated in French powder blue and has twin beds which can be joined. The windows over look the pool on one side and the olive groves on the other.
The Rose room is twin bedded and has splended views of the village and hills beyond.
The Ochre room has antique twin beds and a spacious sitting area and has views of the terrace and orange groves below.
The double bedded Yellow room has a beamed ceiling and overlooks the rose filled patio below. An adjoining sitting room alongside (where an extra single bed can be accommodated, if required) makes this an ideal family suite.
One guest's comment was, "Light colours on the walls balance the dark impact of the old wooden beams. Airy rooms, flowers and the use of crisp fabrics and delicious bedlinen induce a lovely colonial atmosphere".
The wide, cobbled terrace at the front offers a cool, tranquil sitting area under the shade of the magnificent, gargantuan and very old Aleppo pine tree which rises high, high above the old farmhouse. Not only is it a magnificent tree, it also casts delightful, dappled shade over the terrace.
Just one of many superb outside spaces here, this is a great place to take drinks and tapas in the evening, watching the sun sinking slowly over distant mountains, casting its beautiful evening rays over the village in the valley below.
There are very pretty gardens too, which include a secluded, flower-filled furnished patio immediately behind the house which is a perfect spot to take your meals al fresco.
Here, an enormous glass table (it can seat 12) sits in a pergola bedecked with beautiful yellow roses which clamber all over. There's a barbecue alongside and other casual seating too in this lovely patio, full of mature flowering shrubs and colourful pot plants.
The mature gardens all around have been extended and developed. A short walk away from the house along the garden path, there is a romantic garden around the gazebo (another lovely feature here, beautifully decorative and furnished with table and chairs) replete with thyme, rosemary, scented roses and jasmin.
On a different level there's a grassy area around the pool with cypress trees, myrtle and lavender.
The swimming pool (gated and heated by solar panels) is a delightful spot with its lawned surround and vistas over the joyous countryside beyond. Stairs lead down to orange and lemon groves and a vegetable patch with courgettes and pumpkins.
The pool is overlooked by the property immediately behind but this small apartment has the same owners as the rental house. It is where they (a lovely Spanish / Scottish couple) move to when their main residence is rented. They do, of course, keep a proper and appropriate distance, happy to be of assistance but observing guests privacy at all times.
Views, of the little village of Albuñuelas in the river valley below, the surrounding groves of oranges and lemons, almonds and olives, and to the pine-covered mountains beyond are superb.
It's just a short stroll from here to Albuñuelas, a traditional little 'pueblo' with a population of just over 1,000 inhabitants.
Nestling into the hillside above the gorge of the Rio Santo - it enjoys a spectacular position at the head of the Lecrin Valley.
La Sierra de Albuñuelas rises up behind to 1.426 metres. The campesinos will be seen farming the surrounding terraces, as often as not with their mules in tow. The main crops here are citrus and semi tropical fruit, olives and almonds.
The name of the village derives from an Arab word meaning abundance - a fitting superlative for the surrounding orchards heavily laden with oranges, lemons, medlars, pomegranates, persimmons, custard apples, avocados and vines weighed down with grapes.
Some of the most dramatic views to be had anywhere in the valley are to be found here - bordered by the Sierra de Albuñuelas (where fugitives lived after the Spanish Civil War) and the Sierra de Guajar - with wonderful vistas across to the Alpujarras and the Sierra Nevada.
The land is replete with pines, olive trees, wild flowers, aromatic plants and natural springs. Thanks to its lush vegetation, the area is also a natural reserve for birds and animals such as pheasant and doves, rabbit, wild boar, deer and mountain goats.
The streets of Albuñuelas are redolent with the Moorish history of the area. Among the flower draped houses in the narrow cobbled streets you will find the remnants of a 14th century Arab tower, communal stone wash houses and elaborately tiled fountains, as well as a 17th century Archbishop's palace.
Life changes slowly here. The cavernous ground floors of the houses are still used to stable the mules and dogs, along with rabbits, turkeys, chickens and pigs at various times of the year.
The open top floors or 'miradors' are festooned with drying chillies and tomatoes at the end of the summer and hams and chorizo sausages being cured after the matanza - the killing of pigs in January.
These jostle for space with bougainvillea and jasmine tumbling over balustrades. On summer evenings neighbours sit on their doorsteps chatting happily and old men keep alive the craft of esparto grass weaving to make baskets and panniers for the mules.
Two bakeries deliver fresh bread and cakes each day and the fish vendor arrives with the morning's catch of fish, fresh from the Mediterranean.
There are several bars, mostly traditional, local establishments, a couple of small supermarkets, a pharmacy and a local doctor. On the last Thursday morning of each month there is a full street market selling everything from different types of olives to pots and pans. On other Thursdays it's a smaller affair.
All delightfully rural, yet from here it's little more than half an hour to Mediterranean beaches (heading south) and to the magnificent city of Granada, in the opposite direction. The new motorway (which runs from Granada to the coast) will quickly and easily take you in either direction.
The world famous La Alhambra in Granada is a must visit and the city itself is not to be missed, either.
The beaches of Granada's Costa Tropical are, in many ways, more attractive than those of the Costa del Sol further west. The coastline here is much more rugged and this has protected it from excessive tourist development. The pebbly/sand - rather than golden sand - beaches also contribute to keeping the trappings of mass tourism at bay.
There are some wonderful coves and bays to explore as well as the resort towns of Almuñecar (which has an excellent summer jazz festival), fashionable Nerja (which does have beautiful, sandy beaches), Salobreña (the closest of them all, just half an hour away) and, last but not least, La Herradura.
This means "horseshoe" and gets its name from the contours of the beautiful bay which it graces. It's a pretty town, not much more than a fishing village really, but with sufficient concessions to tourism to provide a choice of restaurants, beach bars and night spots.
The beautiful mountain terrain of the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, Las Alpujarras, is another delightful day trip from here. The G7 walking route and horse trekking start from the front door.
The cities of Sevilla and Córdoba are further afield but, now connected to Granada by fast and comparatively empty motorways, still within easy visiting distance.
What can be better than this: a lovely old farmhouse full of character and old fashioned charm, with pretty gardens and delightful views, set in a beautiful rural location half way between Granada and the sea?
Villa Details
Weather permitting, the swimming pool (which has solar heating) will be open from April to mid October, possibly longer
Please, no smoking in the house
Rentals for this property normally run from Saturday to Saturday in peak season but some flexibility may be possible
Prices (below) include two hours maid service each day except Sundays and Bank Holidays
A welcome pack is included in the price
Cooking can be arranged on request (payable locally)
Villa Prices
2020 Season Dates | Week | Fortnight |
---|---|---|
6th January to 3rd April | 2,210 € | 3,980 € |
4th April to 17th April | 2,600 € | 4,680 € |
18th April to 29th May | 2,280 € | 4,100 € |
30th May to 4th September | 2,600 € | 4,680 € |
5th September to 16th October | 2,280 € | 4,100 € |
17th October to 16th December | 2,210 € | 3,980 € |
17th December to 5th January 2021 | 2,600 € | 4,680 € |
2021 Season Dates | Week | Fortnight |
---|---|---|
Prices Pending | --- | --- |
Prices include two hours maid service each day except Sundays and Bank Holidays
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
Villa Location
In open countryside, 300 metres (a 5 minute walk) from Albuñuelas (basic facilities, supermarkets, chemist, restaurants, bars); 15 km from Dúrcal (most facilities) in El Valle de Lecrín region (Province of Granada).
Granada 35 mins.
Salobreña (and beaches) 35 mins; Almuñecar 50 mins; La Herradura 1 hr; Nerja 1¼ hrs.
Granada 45 mins; Málaga 1¾ hrs; Sevilla 3¼ hrs.
See our Links Page for web sites of airlines traveling to Andalucia from the UK.
South from Granada lies a vast and fertile valley encompassed within a bowl of mountains. The Moors named it the Valley of Happiness …
Read more
The name means 'abundance' in Arabic - a fitting superlative for the heavily laden orchards around a village redolent with Moorish history …