This typical Andalucian cortijo (gentleman's farmhouse) has been beautifully renovated and is situated in a finca (farm) of 38 acres of olive, almond and fig groves, as well as vineyards. It is in eastern Andalucia in the province of Almeria, just five minutes drive off the main Granada motorway. Surrounded by mountains and hills known as the Los Velez region, the views are stunning, a perfect base for walking, cycling, climbing, horse riding, bird watching, painting and sight seeing. There are lovely beaches on the coast just 40 minutes away. Or just enjoy the large pool (10x6 mtrs), with its patios and pergola, a lovely oasis of tranquillity. If you want a relaxing holiday, away from the crowds on the coast, we offer really comfortable self-catering accommodation. All you need for a good breakfast is provided and meals are available on request (wonderful Spanish and Mediterranean cooking!). You can also help with fruit picking on the farm ( grape picking and wine making in September and October) and be rewarded with free meals!

 

The self-catering accommodation in this renovated cortjio retains many original Spanish features. The owners live in a separate apartment but are there to provide meals if required, they specialise in Mediterranean cooking, using home grown herbs - their paellas and Morroccan dishes are particularly recommended! The house is suitable either for a couple wanting a romantic break, a family or two, or a group, sleeping a maximum of 11. All rooms have central heating, should you come in the colder months and all are furnished beautifully. You will find all you need for a good breakfast provided in your kitchenette. You can wonder round the orchards and collect your own fruit and nuts. There are several excellent restaurants in Velez Rubio and Velez Blanco, attractive small towns 7-10 minutes drive away. Lunches (tapas) and picnics are also available on request.

Downstairs has one bedroom with very large lounge/diner, kitchenette and shower-room. It has a private access and patio with amazing views over the mountains and hills. If you are an artist you might not move very far! At night you look over the valley towards Velez Blanco and the C16th castle palace whose lights give a romantic touch. The bedroom has an emperor-sized bed that can be split into a twin if required. The tall ceiling lounge is very light and sunny, with very comfortable double sofa bed. There is also Sat TV.

Upstairs, which is accessed by two external staircases, there are two to three large bedrooms. Two have big private terraces and steps down to the pool, one having a double bed with huge en-suite bathroom, the other has twin beds and an adjacent shower-room. An extra single bed can be put in there if needed. There is third bedroom which can double up as another lounge/diner as it has a kitchenette. It has an extremely comfortable 5ft double sofa bed and is en-suite, having access to the shower-room via its second door, so potentially upstairs sleeps seven.

If you are a small party requiring just one or two bedrooms, we might ask you if you wouldn't mind having either upstairs or downstairs accommodation, as there is kitchenette/lounge/diner on both and the floor you don't use could be let out to others. This only applies in peak season and possibly mid-season, like half terms! At the moment we would ask you to share for the dates between 29 July - 15 August where we can take max of 7 or 8 people, then 24 - 30 August only 5 people.
 

Almeria has 2 national parks, all in close vicinity. To the north is Sierra de Maria which is mountainous and forested - there are 25 fascinating Neolithic cave painting sites. To the south is Cabo de Gata, the most south-eastern part of Spain, with its beautiful unspoilt beaches (1 hr away) - Laurence of Arabia was partly filmed there. Then there is Tabernas, Europe's only desert, where several famous spaghetti westerns were filmed and you can visit Mini Hollywood to see the sets. Velez Rubio and Velez Blanco (7-10 mins) are very picturesque small towns and have many interesting places to visit, like museums, cave paintings nearby, a lovely C18th baroque cathedral and a beautiful renaissance castle palace. This was built in the C16th on the site of an old Moorish fort (the Moors were defeated in C15th). There is some wonderful baroque and Velez architecture and of course the markets are colourful and a good place to buy food. There are safe and clean beaches right along the Almeria coast, the nearest being 35 minutes away. Aguilas, Mojacar and Bedar are attractive small towns to visit. If you want to play golf there is the Desert Springs course (35 mins) however soon there will be a course 3 mins away! If you feel like a bit of city life, Lorca, Murcia and Almeria aren't too far, being largely unspoilt with great castles and forts as well as McDonalds for the kids! If you enjoy cycling you can hire bikes in the town; the mountain biking in this area is fantastic. If you bring your 4x4 try some exciting off-road driving and explore the real Spain! Of course there is good horse riding too. Evidently there is paragliding and microlighting but haven't seen anyone in action yet - have seen some great eagles and other beautiful birds though! If you are into wild flowers there is an amazing variety, especially in the spring. Of course there is Granada with its famous Alhambra palace just up the road (1.5 hrs away). In winter you can go skiing on the Sierra Nevada! - 1.5 hrs.

 

The country house comprises 3 bedrooms in total; 1 double, 2 twin and 1 cots, 3 of the bedrooms with en-suite facilities. The property also has 2 double sofa beds. This gives room for up to 11 people. Bed linen and towels are provided for your use.

The country house has 3 bathrooms and 3 WCs for your party's use. Central heating keeps you snug and warm.

The country house has television satellite/cable. The music system will play cassettes, cds, radio. A computer with Internet connection is also available for your use. If you need to keep in contact there is a telephone for incoming and outgoing calls.

There is room for 10 in the living room and 10 in the dining room. To prepare food you will find a cooker, an oven, a fridge, a freezer, a kettle, a toaster. You will also find a dish washer, a washing machine, a clothes drier, an iron and ironing board. The owner has also provided cutlery, crockery, glassware, cooking utensils.

This is a non-smoking country house

Pets are not welcome 

Not suitable for wheelchairs 

The country house is in a very quiet area. It has a private south facing swimming pool, a south facing garden, a south facing patio area, a south facing balcony, panoramic views, interesting views, a barbeque. If you are driving there is private parking with the outside areas of the house having external lighting.

The country house is right beside swimming, walking, cycling, mountain biking.

Close to the country house you will find climbing, flying, horse riding, tennis, a sports center, historic sites, a museum, a theatre/cinema, shopping areas, a restaurant, a food shop.

Within easy reach of the country house you will find a beach, sailing, water skiing, boat hire, wind surfing, fishing, skiing/snowboarding, golf, scuba diving, a zoo, a themepark.

The Christian owners recommend a church to attend on Sunday in Albox.

The country house is....

75 min from Almeria airport.
100 min from Alicante.
100 min from Murcia.
100 min from Granada.

Any day of the week.

Any day of the week.

3 PM

12 AM

D says: "A place of wonderful peace and tranquility which the owners (who live downstairs) relish. Ideal for couples who wish to escape from it all for a few days but families with children may find the quiet atmosphere a little hard to adjust to. We found ourselves whispering! Lack of TV/music in the upstairs appartment is worth bearing in mind (bring plenty to read and a board game) together with the ungated internal staircase which leads to the owners' accomodation below. Lovely views of mountains and olive groves and long walks with hardly a soul or vehicle to be seen."

Owner reply:
We are so sorry the guests felt they had to whisper, we cannot hear a thing upstairs as the walls and doors are so thick in these old houses, we certainly don't mind reasonable noise from families anyway, it's what you expect when sharing a house! Families have always enjoyed the place before, there is TV in downstairs apartment which this family were only deprived of for three nights (advised beforehand and accepted); we did offer a music centre and use of library. We cannot have another TV as it would be immediately above other one and when people use the back terrace in summer the emanating noise if two were going could be quite obtrusive (as generally all windows are open in summer). We do relish peace but it is what our guests want that matters, most come to get away from city life and noise, the description on website says it is a quiet, tranquil place! Unfortunately these guests came when pool was not warm enough for swimming, usually families spend most of their time outside. We have never had a comment that children find the peace hard to adjust to. Some bring their own computer games, I Pods etc. We are sorry these folk found it too quiet, obviously country life is not for them, this is rural Spain and is what most people are attracted to!!! We now have a child gate in place on stairs.


Click here for more reviews...