Mountain villa with gardens, pool and dramatic views, Alpujarras

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Rustical´s review                                                  See prices

What a place to wake up and breathe in the fresh air! From a privileged position, 1,600 metres above sea level, this newly built Alpujarra cortijo looks up to the 3,000 metre-plus summits of Sierra Nevada and down the valley to the semi-tropical coast of the Mediterranean.

It’s wonderfully peaceful and yet Capileira village (1,435 m and population 570 (see detailed map) with its shops, cafés, bars and restaurants is only 5 minutes down the mountain road.

has been listed as one the most beautiful villages of Spain and when you get there it is easy to understand why. It has a captivating labyrinth of entwined streets lined with old whitewashed houses, plant-filled balconies and healthyspring water fountains. Its position dominating the Poqueira Gorge is tremendous: views and scenery are simply breathtaking. The backdrop is the Sierra Nevada, its peaks snowy in winter.

A façade of local stone allows the house to integrate modestly into the mountain landscape, a traditional simplicity decorated by evergreen oak forest and the snowy Sierra Nevada peaks. The building has three floors, with a bedroom on each of them. The swimming pool just above the house and its large sun terrace is a heavenly spot during hotter months. There are other cortijos dotted around the area, but this villa enjoys plenty of privacy and tranquillity.

The South African owners have been busy changing what was always a good quality, well-finished villa in traditional style – but a little bland – into what is now is an inviting, colourful holiday home, adding flowering plants, shrubs and climbers outside, and enlivening the interior with lamps, rugs and pictures.

The cortijo was built with comfort and luminosity in mind, making the most of the surrounding mountain countryside with which the villa communicates.

Open plan kitchen and living areas, illuminated with natural light, are spacious and perfectly equipped to cook a variety of meals and seat six people comfortably. The living room has an open fireplace for cold nights (and days in winter). Doors open from here to a circular, stone-paved, covered terrace. This furnished outdoor spot is an intimate place to enjoy any time of day, with direct access to gardens, pool and market garden – guests are invited to help themselves (with moderation) to seasonal vegetables.

The three bedrooms are distributed one to each of the three floors. Note that the ground-floor double-bedded room is perfectly adequate but by far the simplest, lacking the wardrobe space and terraces of the others. It does have the advantage of being on the same floor as the kitchen (also a bathroom) and the living room, from which a second, south-facing terrace leads off. This terrace is large, furnished and the views are truly dramatic, impressive.

The other two rooms, one up, one down from the main floor, are also double-bedded. They are both en-suite, very well-appointed, bright and restful. The upstairs room, which has an attractively tiled shower room, has French windows that open to a wide terrace with stunning views of the surrounding mountains and the valley.

The downstairs bedroom has a large bathroom and gives similarly onto a terrace with views, covered and furnished this time, with its own small fountain. A delightful spot first thing in the morning.

The property’s fittings and fixtures are of a high standard, and include central heating, wifi internet, dishwasher and (important!) quality mattresses.

As for the summer pool, it has to have one of the best views in Spain! And it’s a good size for proper swims.

This area of La Alpujarra is deservedly famed for its walking opportunities and there are excellent stables close to the cortijo, too. You can hike up Mulhacen (Spain’s highest mountain) or take a circular route around the Poqueira gorge, crossing the river by two different bridges (timing it perhaps to get a bus back up the hill from Pampaneira or Bubión). The soft, warm countryside of La Taha is just over a ridge that you can walk over by following a forestry track through the pines.

Favourite day trips by car are to villages in the eastern Alpujarras, Granada and the incomparable Alhambra palaces, and beaches on the Costa Tropical. A tarmac track from the main road down to Orgiva goes up to O Sel Lin (“place of light” in Tibetan) Buddhist Centre.

The access to the house is via a slightly bumpy track, a little steep in places, but perfectly manageable in an ordinary car.

Facilities:
Private pool, 12 metres long; large private gardens with vegetable garden; wifi internet broadband connection; satellite TV; fully equipped kitchen with dishwasher; central heating; DVD; barbecue; garden / terrace furniture; all linen provided.

Distribution:
On three floors
Ground floor: reception leading to all open plan kitchen / dining / living room with doors opening to two terraces; shower room; small double bedroom
First floor: double bedroom with en suite bathroom (shower) doors opening to private terrace
Lower floor: double bedroom with en suite bathroom (shower & bath).

Notes:
-There are several drops around pool area and children should be monitored in the outdoor areas.

Location:
Located in mountainous countryside, with a good measure of privacy, and overlooking the village of Capileira.

Capileira (bars, restaurants, supermarket, pharmacy, bank)	8 mins
National Park	4 km
Orgiva (most facilities)	40 mins
Tropical coast (beaches, seaside restaurants)	1 hr 20 mins
Granada	1 hr 25 mins
Granada Airport	1 hr 40 mins
Malaga Airport	2 hrs 40 mins

NOTES ON AVAILABILITY FOR THIS PROPERTY:

Changeover day: Normally Saturday in High Season. Security deposit: Not required. Daily prices apply to off-peak stays of minimum 4 days.