Splendid traditional Andalucia villa with pool and Bronze Age caves

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Rustical´s review                                                  See prices

Combining traditional décor and style with full holiday amenities, here we have genuine Andalucia at its most satisfying.

To begin with, the location is excellent: set within Montes de Malaga Natural Park, all on its own, with 360⁰ views of Mediterranean forest and the mountains of El Torcal. Not too long a track (just 2 km), just 15 minutes from good restaurants in Casabermeja and an easy drive from Malaga beaches and airport.

The villa is set in a huge private estate of hills and caves that children will love to explore.

Second on our list of ticked boxes: the villa is beautifully fitted and comfortably furnished in traditional farmhouse style. Bedrooms are spacious, beds are king or queen-size and linen is quality cotton. All bedrooms have a private bathroom. Kitchen facilities are very complete, too.

We say “villa” in the singular, although if there are more than six people, you get an additional property alongside the main villa. You are guaranteed complete privacy whether you take one house or both, as they are never rented separately to different parties.

The main farmhouse (with 3 bedrooms) can be rented on its own (except in High Season when the property is offered as a whole), in which case the other house remains closed and unoccupied.

Or the adjoining casita (with 2 bedrooms) can be added to the main house to sleep up to 10 people. This casita is not rented separately: it's simply a continuation of the villa accommodation.

When the two houses are combined, there is dining room for 9 adults to eat together either inside or out on the terrace. The main house has enough plates, glasses and cutlery for everyone; you might simply need to bring a chair from the other house.

And the casita has a fully equipped kitchen for independent dining.

Next on our list of likes is the swimming pool. It’s gated in case you come with young children and it has a broad sun terrace with lovely views of Axarquia countryside. There’s a pool shower and sunbeds are provided. On a clear day, you can make out the snowy peaks of Sierra Nevada from here.

The converted property was once was a respectable 18th century Axarquia winery and you will find the large old earthenware wine vessels incorporated into the design. Thick stone walls keep the interiors fresh even at the height of the Andalucian summer. It must have been a wonderful place to work, pressing the well-sunned local grapes into the typically sweet Malaga wines and sherries in this blissfully peaceful natural setting.

Terraces on either end of the villa provide all-round enjoyment of the gentle hills of protected the Natural Parklands. The hillside reaches down to the Guadalmedina river. Two rare local features stand out here to make this place very special.

One is the virgin Mediterranean forest, which contains all the major autochthonous varieties of tree and plant, notably the wild olive. There are no pathways, no cleared picnic spots, just wild woodlands, home to rabbit, mongoose, hedgehog and a wealth of birdlife.

Ornithologists may spot up to 40 species in the spring, and others in the autumn and winter.

The other feature is the series of caves, or to be correct, hollows and shelters carved by wind action over the millennia, to be found within the boundaries of your villa’s private estate. Daubed on the walls in red pigment are Bronze Age figures, both zoomorphic and schematic.

Although catalogued and partly conceded into the trust of the Andalucia authorities, the caves are to all extents and purposes private to the villa. The owner is not of a mind to fence off the boundless acres of the hillside that go with the property, so an occasional walker with enough curiosity might make their way to the caves, but generally speaking they are pretty much all yours.

Local Casabermeja (population 3,500), founded itself in the Bronze Age, is these days a small, quiet Andalusian town. Here you can eat out at restaurants that specialize in fish, grilled steak or traditional stews. Outside at the villa, there’s an unusual, wood-fired Moorish oven which guests may try out if they wish. It’s quite an art, so a little impractical, but they say that roasts come out exquisitely delicious. This oven is, of course, supplementary to normal kitchen facilities.

Since forestry regulations have restricted barbecue use to winter months in recent years, the owner has thought to provide an electric griddle for outdoor use, which serves much the same purpose.

A leisurely drive will take you to fascinating El Torcal for well-marked paths through the magical rock formations (an interesting spot for a picnic), and to beaches of the Costa del Sol for sea and sand.

Facilities
Main farmhouse (3 bedrooms sleeping 6 people, 200 m²)
4-ring vitroceramic hob & electric oven; microwave; toaster; juicer; kettle; coffee machine and Italian coffee maker; fridge freezer; dishwasher; washing machine; iron & board; TV (Spanish channels only); DVD; CD/radio; good mobile signal; open fireplace in living room and 2 bedrooms; oil-fired central heating (included in price); hairdryer; private, gated swimming pool (8 m x 4 m, 1.40 – 1.80 m deep, with ladder); furnished terraces; electric barbecue griddle and Mozarabic wood oven; barbecue in winter months only; sunshade and sunloungers; all linen provided, including some pool towels; private parking.

Adjoining Casita (2 additional bedrooms to increase capacity up to 10 people, 110 m²)
4-ring vitroceramic hob & small oven; microwave; toaster; juicer; kettle; coffee machine and Italian coffee maker; small fridge; shared use of Main farmhouse’s washing machine in utility room; TV (Spanish channels only); DVD; CD/radio; good mobile signal; open fireplace in 1 bedroom; oil-fired central heating (included in price); hairdryer; shared used of all outdoor facilities with Main farmhouse; all linen provided, including some pool towels; private parking.

Distribution
Main Farmhouse, on two floors
Ground floor: living room with open fireplace; kitchen; bedroom with double bed (1.50 m wide); bathroom/WC (shower over full tub); furnished terraces at front and rear.
First floor: bedroom with double bed (1.80 m wide), open fireplace and ensuite bathroom/WC (shower over full tub); bedroom with twin beds (0.90 m wide), open fireplace and ensuite bathroom/WC (shower over full tub).

Adjoining Casita, on two floors
Ground floor: living/dining room with open fireplace and kitchen area; bedroom with twin beds (0.90 m wide), open fireplace and ensuite bathroom/WC (shower over full tub); furnished terrace.
First floor: bedroom with double bed (1.80 m wide) and ensuite bathroom/WC (shower over full tub); bedroom with double bed (1.50 m wide) and ensuite bathroom/WC (shower over full tub).

Exterior: private, gated swimming pool area; furnished terraces; extensive hillside grounds incorporating caves; private parking.

Notes:
-The swimming pool is open from 1st April to 31st October every year, weather permitting
-Although the property is generally suitable for small children, there is a short drop from one terrace which you may want to block off with bench seats.
-Prices include central heating, if required.


Location and Distances
Set within Montes de Malaga Natural Park, secluded countryside location at the end of a good 2 km track.

Casabermeja (most facilities, including good restaurants)	15 mins
Colmenar	20 mins
Antequera	30 mins
Malaga Airport	35 mins
Malaga beaches	40 mins
El Torcal Natural Park (signposted walks)	40 mins

Booking information for this property
Changeover day is usually a Saturday (from May to October).
When the property is booked for 6 people or less at the lower price, the additional villa accommodation is left closed and unoccupied.

Prices and dates