Rustic accommodation in “Driving over lemons” country, Alpujarras

See all:  Villas in Alpujarras  <Villas in Andalucia  <Villas in Spain

Rustical´s review                                                See prices

ZA34(1) Romero Apartment

If you really want to get off the beaten track and end up in the genuine wilds of La Alpujarra, this is it. As you arrive, you can see on the other side of the river the farmhouse owned by Chris Stewart where “Driving over lemons” and his other whimsical stories about life in La Alpujarra take place. You can rent this or the other holiday casita and share the vast pool and outdoor areas, or enjoy complete exclusivity for a supplement.

Some Andalusian rental homes have been done up so much that they are indistinguishable from English country houses, complete with chintz, lace, double-glazing and Laura Ashley. Not here! This is the real thing when it comes to the rustic Alpujarra experience.

That doesn’t mean rough-and-ready: this eco-accommodation won the Times Travel Green Space Award for the Best Play to Stay in Europe 2008. It does mean ecological simplicity, solar-power and frill-free living. Oh, and a massive, filtered swimming pool (the pump is powered by a generator).

The property is owned by an English couple who have been living in the craggy wilderness for many a year. They have renovated this independent apartment that runs along the bottom of their own home, and the separate cottage below, for couples who want to hear bees gathering thyme pollen for honey and the clonk of goat bells, the river below and very little else.

The Times Travel Award judge described the setting as “epic”, the bed “deliciously comfortable”, while the kitchens are “low key” and “clearly more for summer living (when you spend little time indoors).”


Romero (Rosemary) Apartment, named for the profusion of the herb growing in the environs, is set well above the cottage with its own entrance and exterior spaces. If you prefer not to share the outdoor areas and pool with another couple, then take advantage of the special offer price which keeps the other cottage closed and unoccupied while you are there.

It's hardly a necessity, as the finca is extensive and the accommodation well separated to provide a considerable measure of privacy. The apartment has its own access to the swimming pool which itself, at a huge 15 by 8 metres, is large enough for two couples to occupy without even hearing each other’s conversations.

The apartment has a long and spacious living room. It forms a significant part of the original farmhouse; walls are thick and uneven and the ceiling is a typical cane-and-woodbeam job. At one end is a furnished kitchen area: simple enough and no electrical items, of course, but you can cook perfectly well on the hob and there’s a gas-powered fridge.

At the other end of the long main room is a comfortable sofa and wicker chairs where colourful rugs decorate the terracotta-tile floor. For cold months, there’s a woodburner, but the Orgiva area is very warm and it's more likely to be heat that you experience here. It can get pretty hot in the summer and all windows are covered in netting to keep out insects.

There's a spacious double bedroom with a handsome kingsize bed, hand-made from eucalyptus. The shower room is also large.

From the bedroom, doors open to a very intimate corner where you can sit and sunbathe or enjoy the views down to the extensive olive groves and semi-wild land belonging to the property and the Gualdafeo river. Outside, at the front and also with views, is a broad private space, covered by a vine and provided with two comfortable sunloungers.

Shared exterior areas are planted with jasmine, lavender, canna lilies and herbs, oleander and broom. Grey water from the accommodation is used for watering the flower gardens.

An open courtyard leads across to the swimming pool area, which is shared with a maximum of one other couple (if at all). The pool really is immense and it’s deep, too: 3 metres at one end. There’s a poolside shower and sunloungers can be left in the sun or placed in the shade of an olive or lemon tree. At night time, solar lights mark each exterior step, and full moon illuminates the entire landscape.

Steps go down to the river and the 18 hectares of hillside belonging to the property, where you are free to roam.

Solar power permits more than adequate halogen lighting and it can recharge phones and camera batteries, but no hairdryers or laptops, please. All water needs are met by a healthy natural spring. A washing machine is available (no charge) and if internet is an urgent requirement, you may ask the owners for use of their connection – but this is essentially a retreat for people who intend to disconnect and relax, for reading and board games or exploring the land around.

The nearest restaurants and services are in Orgiva, 20 minutes away. Popular excursions are to Granada or beaches on the coast (both 1 hour).

Facilities (Romero Apartment)
4-ring hob; gas-powered fridge; solar-powered lighting; washing machine on request; swimming pool (15 m x 8 m, 1.5 – 3.0 m deep); sunloungers; pool shower; furnished shaded area; barbecue; woodburner; all linen provided (pool towels also available at 5 € per week).

Distribution
All on one floor: open plan living / dining room / kitchen; one double-bedded room; shower room/WC; private internal corner patio with views.
Exterior: covered, furnished porch; shared lawned garden and pool area.

Notes:
-The swimming pool will be open from 02 April – 29 October, weather permitting.

Location and Distances
On rugged mountainside looking down on Guadalfeo River, 8 km from Orgiva. The 3 km track to the property is fairly bumpy, and the entrance drive is decidely steep, but it is manageable in a normal car.


A short Orgiva video

Orgiva (most facilities)	8 km
Granada (and Alhambra)	1 hr
Costa Tropical (beaches)	1 hr
Granada Airport	1 hr 15 mins
Malaga Airport	2 hrs 15 mins
Almeria Airport	2 hrs 30 mins

Booking information for this property
*When Romero Apartment is booked with exclusivity, the other one-bed casita is closed and unoccupied, giving you private use of the swimming pool and outdoor areas.

Prices and dates