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Review submitted by Peter from Stockton on Tees (Submitted: 27 Oct 2012)
Overall the cave was as advertised but unfortunately the water heater did not work. The local rep. checked the water heater and got it to fire up with several water taps running but it did not work at any other time. This meant that my wife and I had to have cold showers etc. during our stay.
Also the cave had a strong Sulpher smell mainly in the main bedroom. The mattress in the main bedroom had very little padding and the springs in the mattress made sleeping uncomfortable.
Owner reply:
Mattress has been replaced. Sorry, we only know when people tell us. The boiler is fixed. It was alright all Summer. It was just one of those things, which is really annoying especially for a short stay, which this was. As for the sulphur smell, I am at a loss. It is the first time I have heard this one. the only thing I can think of is that we had some paint and plaster work done and there may have been some smells from the new paint etc.
Review submitted by Ms R Deane from Manchester (Submitted: 14 Jan 2012)
Tucked away under the main road is this very rural holiday cave, nestling between the goats, olive groves and almond orchards in the distance, and opposite a tiny traditional cave with ponies.
The cave has everything you will need to relax and for rainy days you are even provided with a selec tion of DVDs, CDs and books. The last time I came here I found the rooms a cool retreat from the searing heat of the southern facing terrace, but if you prefer to stay outside, the pool will keep you cool. In the summer I spent my time relaxing by the pool and reading, cooling off with an occasional swim, but this year I (it can get frosty in January) I moved an armchair into the dining room and snuggled up with my books next to the wood burner, but soon had to move back into the sitting room because it was so hot!
The bathroom is large but basic, with a shower, bidet, loo, wash-basin, and shares the space with a washing machine: very useful!
I loved this place so much in the summer I came back and found different delights in the winter. It is not a villa, but is very cosy and tranquil the village is remote but offers everything you need within walking distance. I will definitely be coming back.
Review not verified by RentalSystems* (Submitted: 24 Sep 2011)
Just returned today from a wonderful time in your cave house. Caroline and I will be definitely returning and will contact you as soon as we have dates. The house location was perfect. Peace, a few squawking hens and a budding brass player practising in the house above were all part of the experience. The surrounding area and beyond is incredible and there is so much more to see. The townspeople were all very friendly, especially at the supermarket. In fact everywhere we went, people were welcoming and kind. Mario was very helpful and understanding, epsecially getting the pool cleaned so promptly.
Adrian Bramley - Poole
Review submitted by Christine from Hythe (Submitted: 23 Sep 2011)
The property was slightly "faded" compared to the photos. The drive is VERY steep with a sharp turn and as our choice of car was for travel from Madrid and therefore on the larger side, this was a problem.
On arrival there were a number of dead bulbs and no spares available. We asked for replacements but they were never delivered.
Also, on our arrival. there was virtually no gas, just enough to cook a couple of meals which meant we had no hot water. We contacted the caretaker by phone who told us how to obtain a replacement bottle from their father and the cost this would be. As we had arrived late on a Sat and this was a bank holiday week end it was quite stressful.
The pool we were told would be cleaned every four days, by the caretaker, but it was closer to once a week and was thus often murky.
Some of the kitchen utensils had been left very unclean and had mould in them.
Ceiling paint fell off daily and large amounts too.
Beds were noisy .and one was nearly collapsed .
Lack of internal doors meant that once one of us had gone to bed the others had to be quiet too.
Apart from this, we had a pleasant time but i doubt we will return.
Owner reply:
(1)The property was painted totally bright white in the months before this, after the pictures were taken, you will need sunglasses !!
(2) We have had a Citroen Picasso and not had any problem and delivery vans bring furniture! Plenty of room for turning at bottom of hill, we advise backing into drive. As for steep, you need to experience some more of Spain!
(3) We leave bulbs out, there are some in the living room draw (which can get used up), there were also some in the hall trunk when we arrived two weeks after this.
(4) Gas bottles and costs are the guests responsibility. This is stated in the instructions, with where to exchange the bottles. Any garage will change them and they are open all year.
(5) We've just been there a week, the pool was fine. Mario had been before we even got out of bed (please see email review above received week after).
(6) Beds and Plaster. The price of being a renter I'm afraid. Sometimes damage not obvious till we get there. Beds replaced for more solid ones in 2012 and plaster restored.
(7) Internal doors! It is a cave house. Traditionally they don't have doors they have curtains. The walls are very thick 3 or 4 ft. it is probably no worse for noise than a modern house. There is a tunnel between one bedroom and living room, and a thick wall between other bedroom and living room.
Review submitted by Mark from London (Submitted: 24 Oct 2010)
The Cave House is certainly very different! Its very quiet and peaceful and in a small village out of the way (which obviously has pluses and minuses). The swimming pool is particularly good (a very good size for a private swimming pool). We had a great week and very much enjoyed staying there.
Review submitted by Sara from Harpenden (Submitted: 19 Sep 2010)
Stunning views from the cave and total peace and quiet. The goat smells were not an issue but the flies were a pain sometimes. But we felt in control with the fly swat we found. The pool was perfect as it reached 36 degrees in the middle of September!
The area is very remote and the locals speak no English but we got by. The roads were to die for. No traffic, just open roads through the mountains and no potholes! The scenery was breathtaking. Castril is a place to visit with the Gorge Walk and a suspended bridge. it was like another wonder of the world!
The nearby cats were beautiful. They belong to the family near the cave. Some of them were related to Bengals and on the last few nights 4 of them slept in the villa on out beds. Felt sad leaving them behind. There were a lot of dogs and cats in the village and they were all incredibly friendly, not what we expected.
I felt the cave was lacking storage in the kitchen. We had no cupboards to put anything into and as i took a lot of food with me i was having to cram it into odd places. 2 of the 3 coffee machines were broken but i am sure that was an oversight. There was a lot of other peoples food stuff there, half eaten packets of biscuits etc. I didnt feel comfortable with that but maybe that is just me.
Had great nights sleep as you are in blackness and no noise, in fact it was hard to wake up lol
I would go again and have already recommended it to the EasyJet girls who are planning a surprise for a friend.
We had a 12L fiesta which was no good for the drive. Even lorries were overtaking us in the crawler lane, we struggled at times to get over 40mph. Next time i will get something better. Also, the speed camera gadgets on the motorways slow your car down, this coupled with the climbs through the mountains made the drive hard work. Petrol is now nearly as expensive as ours so be warned.
As a woman i moan about things but i enjoyed my holiday and so did my family and would love to go back sometime.
Review submitted by Valerie from Chapel-en-le-Frith (Submitted: 9 Sep 2010)
We loved the cave (watch your heads), you get used to bending!! & Cortes is so friendly, shop in Coviran store, lovely helpful ladies, with our bits of Spanish & their English we always had a good laugh. We enjoyed meals at Tiki Tan Restaurant & Bar, pizzas great. We stayed in the cave for 10 days & loved it, it is equipped with everything you need & has lovely homely touches given by Helen & Barry. Loved seeing or hearing the goats & watching the 2 horses opp. Would recommend to anyone for a quiet retreat or an adventure holiday or both as we had. There is so much in the region to visit, Freila was lovely on Negratin Lake, we swan with the fish & Zujar (along the never ending road, just keep going) until you see a round building - the restaurant, food there worth a try, really nice, after a dip in the thermal baths. Visited Basa, Castril, Quadix & many other towns & the amazing Parcs Natural, stunning views, found a fantastic dam. You need to hire a car to see all these places & find things like we did, drove into the middle of nowhere, found many empty caves, fascinating. We booked car hire from the UK. Also, a definate worthwhile visit to La Alhambra in Granada, the palace & gardens are fantastic. Also, book from UK. We stayed in Cortes end Aug. to beg. Sept. very hot 115 but we all loved it & our teenage boys had a great time. Would love to go back & explore more, so much we still would love to see. A great holiday for all to enjoy as we did. Barry & Helen are very helpful with any questions you have.
Valerie, Robert, Maximilian & Dominic Evans
Review submitted by Sonia from Horsham (Submitted: 19 Aug 2009)
Stayed for 3 weeks in 2007 and fantastic peaceful holiday. Accomodation still excellent with new gazebo, bbq and shower added. Unfortunately the peace and quiet at night was constantly interrupted by a barking dog which shares a concrete courtyard with two horses and was left unattended most nights in the new property across the valley. Barking dogs in rural Spain are part and parcel of life but this one was a bit excessive. Therefore although the property itself is excellent we could not recommend it to a friend. Let us know if the dog goes and we will gladly return some time in the future.
Review submitted by Jill from Newport (Submitted: 19 Aug 2009)
We had a lovely holiday...the cave was in such an idylic setting with breathtaking views. it was so tranquil and relaxing. We loved watching the goats go out each morning...we really miss hearing the the sound of their little bells clanging. Our only gripe would be the lack of sun loungers and parasols. There were 4 of us but only 2 loungers, (plus a camp bed), and although their were 3 parasol bases, there were no parasols. It didnt spoil our holiday...we just took it in turns to use the loungers, but it would have been nice to have a couple more.
Review not verified by RentalSystems* (Submitted: 15 Aug 2009)
We all fell in love with your cave and the area,thanks very much for sharing it with us.The facilities are fantastic and the pool was just heaven sent in the hot weather.Really sad to leave and we said that one week is not enough ! We did manage to squeeze in a trip to Zujar for a lounge in the thermal baths (and does it make you sleep well !! ) ,a trip to Bazar and as we mentioned we drove to Aquola water park in Granada on sunday ࿑ euros for a family of four) and had tea in Granada before heading back to the airport.
We have so many great memories and look forward to returning someday soon (before we eventually retire out here!)
regards
The Jolly Family, Cambs
Review not verified by RentalSystems* (Submitted: 1 Nov 2008)
Dear Helen and Barry,
Just a quick e-mail to let you know that we had a wonderful time at your fabulous cave house . We settled in very quickly and found the peace and quiet idyllic. We have told all our friends and family about our experience and we hope to return again, maybe earlier in the season next time, so we can enjoy that 'cool pool' !! .
Best wishes
Maxine and Dougie (Oct 08)
Review submitted by Jules, Sonia, Natasha and Thomas from Staffordshire (Submitted: 26 Sep 2008)
We returned for a second visit to the cave, which shows how much we enjoyed staying there. There are several recent improvements, a gazebo and a BBQ, both of which were very useful. The new shower was great too.
Review submitted by Sally from Winchester (Submitted: 10 Aug 2008)
10.8.08
We have just returned from a week in "the cave". What a fantastic rest we have had! Temps were in the late 30s and the cave was a cool respite from the heat. The pool is lovely and cool too. At night, the stars are beautiful and in the day the views are stunning. The cave exceeded all expectations. Thank you for sharing your lovely holiday home with us
Review submitted by Brian from Perth (Submitted: 1 Aug 2008)
Excellent pool and great view. Peaceful location on edge of quiet, friendly village. The interior was on the basic side but OK. Only real gripe was close proximity to shed full of smelly goats (right below the patio) with consequent odours and attendant plague of flies
Owner reply:
To be fair it is a cave house, and it is "rural" Andalucia. Thats what the locals do, goats and olive oil.
Review submitted by Catherine from Wigan (Submitted: 19 May 2008)
My boyfriend and i went to this cave for a relaxing break and we were both extremely happy with what we got - the cave was gorgeous, the pool was great, the views were stunning and the location was really nice - it had everything we needed within walking distance. The people were very friendly and Mario was a great help and very friendly!
We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and have both said that we would like to go back again - i would recommend this place to anyone - it was fab!
I would also like to thank Barry & Helen for being so helpful when booking - they made the whole process very easy and were a pleasure to deal with.
Overall it was a great holiday and we will definately be back some time in the future!
Review submitted by lawrence from belvedere kent (Submitted: 6 May 2008)
well appointed very quiet locals in cortes very friendly also in Benamaurel,tapas generosity amazing which added to the caves enjoyability and reasonable cost made a great weeks holiday
Review submitted by wendy from derby (Submitted: 14 Sep 2007)
what a fantastic way to spend our holiday, we are grateful for the oners in allowing us this unique opportunity to stay in a cave. Wonderful area, peaceful, lovely village life and a local English speaking publican who made equally lovely pizzas. a reccomendation to everyone I know, and we will be returning.
Review submitted by David from Nottingham (Submitted: 5 Aug 2007)
A very pleasant place to stay, especially in the heat!
Review submitted by Sonia and Ian from Horsham (Submitted: 21 Jul 2007)
Lovely cool, well furnished cave house providing almost every extra you could wish, for a care free holiday. Some really nice thoughtful touches to make the perfect holiday. Pool was brilliant for cooling down from the glorious sunshine. Fantastic scenery.
Review submitted by carol from guernsey (Submitted: 13 Apr 2007)
Quite easy to find. Good directions but needed to know that town of Baza was more like 15km away than the five miles quoted!
Mario at the Tiki tan Bar excellent host and dealt with all queries and problems efficently and promptly.
Rather like a camping out experience but a most enjoyable one.
Owner reply:
Have adjusted some of the mileage to places. Have to say we just guessed them initially. Roads are so quiet and easy to drive we under estimated. Sorry.
Review submitted by Elé from Hungerford, Berkshire (Submitted: 7 Apr 2007)
The cave house was very comfortable and we had a great time. The area is beautiful and the locals are friendly. We were well taken care of, with milk and muffins for our arrival. I would love to return and will recommend this property to frends and family.
Review submitted by Eric from Middlesbrough (Submitted: 1 Feb 2007)
Fantastic property, great area and stunning scenery.
The people of Granada are incredibly friendly and very helpful.
Excellent communication from the owners Barry & Helen.
You will not regret your visit to Cueva Rambla.
Eric & Diane Thomas
Review submitted by maxine from bradford west yorkshire (Submitted: 31 Oct 2006)
This is the 2nd time we have been to this property this year.
So you can tell how much we enjoyed it.
Clean and well looked after. The pool is excellent.
We do not speak Spanish, but the locals were so patient with us. We managed just fine.
Great place for a relaxing, laid back holiday.
Good nights out in village (only 5 minutes walk maximum)
Great lake not far away.
Main Baza town only 20 minutes away, where there are loads of shops/supermarkets. (Mercodona being the best if you want English food). There is also a Lidl!
Thought the kids would be a bit bored but they loved it (8 years/13years).
Recommend highly to anyone
Review submitted by Warren & Sue from London (Submitted: 25 Oct 2006)
We very much enjoyed our first stay in a cave house. Everything we needed for a comfortable, self catering holiday was supplied. The cave stayed at a constant 23C which felt like it had air conditioning during the hottest part of the day when it was over 30C outside. The village shops were a short stroll away and provided most of provisions. Mario's bar was a great place to meet local Brits and have drink or a snack/meal. We drove, on average, 80 miles a day to visit local places of interest and just take in the fantastic scenery,etc. The thermal baths are well worth a visit, although we found the best route was via Baza and took about 40 minutes. We had a very relaxing 10 days, it was so peaceful, especially inside the cave house. A great experience which we would do again.
Review submitted by margaret from mallorca baleares (Submitted: 3 Oct 2006)
we found the cave house very comfortable and exceptionally well equiped The owners were very helpful with the information we requested. We were warmly greeted by Natalia and Mario who look after the property .This is a very interesting area and we were reluctant to leave.
Review submitted by Jules, Sonia, Natasha and Thomas from Staffordshire (Submitted: 4 Sep 2006)
We had a great time staying in the cave. The area is rural and not spoilt by tourism; we enjoyed learning some spanish.
The pool was great - the children really enjoyed it. Weather was super, but too hot to stay out after 12 for a few hours, but it was the hotest time of the year!
The municipal pool was also good, large, and child friendly, with some play equipment on site.
We'd recommend the cave for a holiday,
Thanks.
Review not verified by RentalSystems* (Submitted: 17 Aug 2006)
We had a fantastic time in your cave in Cortes de Baza. The swimming pool was lovely and the cave really comfortable and cool. The children enjoyed the novelty of sleeping in their cave bedroom.
Mario and Natalia could not have been more friendly or helpful and we really enjoyed the things to see and do. We found the pool at Orce, an amazing place. Mario sorted out canoeing for us on Lake Negratin which we really enjoyed. We also visited the Alhambra and Castril on market day.
It was a lovely week and we would love to return some time.
With best wishes,
John & Fiona
Review not verified by RentalSystems* (Submitted: 31 Jul 2006)
No problems with the house everything is O.K. We are having a lovely time and the weather is exceptionally good. We have been able to use the pool everyday.
Tha nk you again
Sandra Atkin
Review not verified by RentalSystems* (Submitted: 31 Jul 2006)
Thanks for a great holiday, best holiday ever. We will put the word around, cant wait for next time.
Mario & Natalia brilliant.
Thanks again
Maxine, Chris, Kieran & William.
Review submitted by Nina from Cueva Rambla (Submitted: 28 Jul 2005)
our stay in the cave was a lovely experience and the pool was lovely, it was nice to be able to get to sleep on a night because the cave was so cool