Rural cottage with private pool within a quiet, wooded organic farm

Galaroza, Aracena, Andalucia Property Ref: HA11

2 Bedrooms
Sleeps 4
Pool Pool
Property Ref: HA11

Self-catering rustic cottage 15 mins from Aracena. For country relaxation, outdoor living, swims, rambling and riding. Sleeps 4.

Booking information for HA11

The pool is open from the beginning of June to the end of September.
Check-in time: from 16:00h to 22:00h; Check-out time: 10:30h
Pets may be permitted on previous request. Special restrictions normally apply. Please ask us.

Changeover day HA11

The changeover day has some flexibility.

+ Booking information and changeover day for HA11

€92

per night

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Children (3-15 years)

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Summary

Self-catering rustic cottage 15 mins from Aracena. For country relaxation, outdoor living, swims, rambling and riding. Sleeps 4.

Facilities

2 Bedrooms
1 Bathrooms
Sleeps 4

Enjoyment
Flat screen TV; Radio; Board games; Small private pool (4 m x 2.5 m; 1.20 m deep); Simple terrace furniture; Barbecue (subject to forestry fire-risk restrictions).

Self-catering
3-ring gas hob; Oven; Microwave; Toaster; Coffee maker; Fridge-freezer.

Practicalities
Washing machine; Woodburning stove; Cot (on request); Fan (on request); All bedding & towels provided (except pool towels).

Notes on Facilities
This property does not have central heating.

Layout

Ground floor
Open-plan living / dining room / kitchen; Bathroom (shower over full bathtub); Outside covered porch with fenced off garden.

First floor
Bedroom 1: double bed; Bedroom 2: twin beds (large single beds) which has no door and is open-plan with a small living area.

+ Full facilities detail

Overview

This stone-built cottage in the heartlands of western Andalusia has the simple, rustic charm one associates with genuine country living without luxuries.

It's located within a large organic farm, where it occupies its own undisturbed, forested corner with woods and a small private swimming pool: it's a very tranquil spot.

The owner, a friendly and hospital chap, lives a five-minute walk from the house where he is on hand if needed. He and his family live off organic farming and sell small quantities of lamb, seasonable vegetables and chestnuts.

This location is suitable for nature lovers, for families with energetic children who like to play in the countryside, and couples looking for an unpretentious, homely hide-away. The smallish swimming pool has been integrated within the terrain, 50 metres from the house.

Here you can splash about feeling very much part of the surrounding nature.

The cottage has its own intimate character with wood ceilings and floors and terracotta tiling. It is furnished simply, some original touches in the decoration making the house feel welcoming. Facilities at this sweet property are simple too. Windows fill the upstairs area with light and offer views to lovely countryside.

The house is generally open-plan, and this applies not just downstairs but also to the the twin-bedded area, which is open to a small sitting area at the top of the stairs. The double bedroom next to it is, however, a separate, private room.

The bathroom is downstairs, along with the main room which comprises living and dining areas and kitchen.

By the house entrance is a fenced-off garden area with a shaded, furnished terrace, providing an inviting spot for breakfasts and other outdoor meals with the company of birdsong or the deep silence of the forest.

Two things mark the Sierra de Aracena out from the rest of Andalusia: the good temperatures all year round, and a vibrant nature that one would not normally expect in such sunny climes. It is thickly forested and, while mountainous, it is not rugged. Gentle rambling options abound around its little villages and woodlands. Horse riding is another excellent way of getting to know this area of outstanding beauty.

Spring and autumn are ideal seasons to visit. In spring the whole scene is so overrun with wild flowers in a veritable explosion of colour over the hillsides. And autumn brings a very different crop: this area well-known as the richest in Spain for wild, edible mushrooms.

Summer is all about relaxing in the natural setting and swims.

Cottage HA11 has a woodburning stove here, which probably heats the house well, but that there's no central heating and we'd be wary of suggesting the cottage for winter holidays.

Gourmets shouldn't miss the local, free-range, acorn-fed, Iberian cured ham, one of the world's top delicacies. This beautiful, unspoilt area is home to the semi-wild, roaming pigs and neighbouring Jabugo is famed all over Spain for the quality of its hams.

It always nice to get to know a local village aside from the need for shopping or desire to eat out, and guests will find little Galaroza at walking distance, just over a kilometre away. If you need to connect to internet at some point during your stay, a public centre in Galaroza has WiFi, and Aracena 15 mins away, has café-bars with WiFi.

Aracena town also has shops, terraces to sit out, restaurants a-plenty and even some night liife in its own rural way. Above Aracena is a castle but the most curious highlight is hidden underground: an extensive grotto with stalagtites and stalagmites that all ages will enjoy visiting.

For other days out you might like to try Almonaster la Real for a 10th century mosque that survived the Christian reconquest, And there's a train you can take through the old mines at Rio Tinto.

The border with Portugal is just 40 mins away and famed, vivacious Seville is an hour.

+ Full description

Photos

A simple self catering option in pretty Aracena region

The 4 metre long pool and its natural surrounding

The accommodation is basic and unpretentious

Lounge and bedroom: the house is perfect for couples

Location

Setting

Private estate in the Natural Park of Aracena and Picos de Aroche, a protected area of natural beauty.

Location

Located in open countryside, very close to the village of Galaroza. Access along an uneven country lane and a short track, manageable with an ordinary car with some care.

Galaroza 15 mins walk

Simple shopping, bars, restaurants

Jabugo 5 mins

Famous cured ham

Aracena 15 mins

Market town, grotto, most facilities

Almonaster la Real 20 mins

10th Century mosque

Portugal 45 mins

Rio Tinto Mines 45 mins

Nearest Airports

Seville (SVQ) 1 hr 15 mins

Jerez (XRY) 2 hrs 15 mins

Faro (FAO) , Portugal 2 hrs 30 mins

Prices

Rustical Travel charges in Euros, VAT is included, no surcharges apply.

From	to	Price per week
01 Apr 202401/04/2024	15 Oct 202515/10/2025	€645£555$687AU$1,070CA$945

From	to	Price per week
--	--	Prices pending (*)

(*) Prices pending. Please send enquiry and we will confirm availability and price

Booking information for HA11

The pool is open from the beginning of June to the end of September.
Check-in time: from 16:00h to 22:00h; Check-out time: 10:30h
Pets may be permitted on previous request. Special restrictions normally apply. Please ask us.

Changeover day HA11

The changeover day has some flexibility.

+ Booking information and changeover day for HA11

Availability

Available

Unavailable

Dates on hold

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YOUR REVIEWS

Cath | September | 2019

The property was truly Spanish, built by Pepe the owner, it was rural and rustic but had everything we needed. Situated in the mountains, 600 metres above sea level, within an organic farm, the external temperatures each day were perfect."

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Rob | June | 2018

The location is idyllic for anyone wanting to get away from it all, and we found the owner of the casa, Pepe, a friendly and helpful host together with his daughter, Sylvia, who's studying to be a doctor. Pepe very kindly gave us some eggs and strawberries on our arrival, produce of his smallholding. The casa is very peaceful apart from the noise of the cazadores (hunters) who seemed to be at it from dawn to dusk, shooting wild pigs. Pepe actually speaks good English but appreciated our attempts at Spanish so all was well. The house was designed to keep out the sun's heat, and during our first week it was cold at nights, but Pepe kindly gave us some extra wood for the wood burner which warmed the house up a treat. The second week the weather was so hot we couldn't spend long in the sun so welcomed the shade of the verandah. The house was a little basic in some respects and the lighting in the bathroom was a bit dim, but no real complaints. Warning - there are no egg cups and although we normally take a couple of flat plastic ones with us, we forgot this time but we bought a pair in a ceramics shop in a nearby village, and they doubled up as souvenirs! Maybe it was too early in the season but we found very few places to eat in Galaroza, although the Bar Serrano had excellent food and was really good value for money. We also liked the Mill restaurant in nearby Alajar, great food and really friendly, although it's tucked away up a side street near the town centre. They have a garden for al fresco dining, and the waitress, Pilar, is always cheerful. There are some lovely walks in the area but we weren't going to attempt them in 33 degree heat! Virtually no Brits in this area which is a big plus. The track from the main road to the casa is in good condition although a little uneven and narrow in places, but quite accessible even by large vehicles. We don't think Pepe's guard geese are vicious but we didn't get close enough to find out, they do strut around as if they own the place! He's also got a couple of dogs, Blanca and Socky, and although we're not dog lovers, these are both as daft as brushes and would probably lick you to death! We didn't use the swimming pool as the weather hadn't warmed it up enough but it'll be OK later in the year.Thanks Pepe, we had an enjoyable and relaxing time, sorry we never had a chance to say goodbye but there was nobody around at the time we left"

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Graham | October | 2017

I really enjoyed staying at the property it was just what I was looking for. Very peaceful place to stay, not everyone's choice possibly but for me it was what I expected, Wonderful walking with my dog in this beautiful part of Spain. Marvellous weather a little cool at night but a great wood burning stove to make it cosy.Just perfect! The owner, Pepe was so helpful so relaxed, nothing was a problem.I would love to go back one day!"

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Irene | September | 2016

We stayed in this property for the second week of our holiday in Andalusia.The area was wonderful with fantastic walks,including one from the book Walking in Andalusia by Guy Hunter-Watts passing very close to this property. The villages and towns of the area are very pretty, we enjoyed taking the bus from Aracena to Seville and there was a great selection of restaurants in the area. The property is situated in a wooded area where birds and butterflies were regularly seen.It is so peaceful, quiet and relaxing,especially when lying in the hammock,reading with a glass of wine. The property is well laid out and we enjoyed the upstairs sitting area in the evenings.The owner Pepe was the perfect host, very helpful but unobtrusive. His gifts of delicious organic tomatoes, figs and honey were very appreciated.The property is rustic and we feel that perhaps some upgrading of kitchen utensils, furnishings and lighting would command a higher letting fee and enhance a lovely holiday experience even further. Thank you to Rustic Travel for all their help and advise and best wishes to our host Pepe and we hope to be back."

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Lesley | June | 2016

We had a wonderful holiday in Pepe's rural cottage in Sierra de Aracena. Pepe gave us an extremely warm welcome with a bottle of wine and a jar of his homemade honey. I would highly recommend this cottage to anyone visiting the area. There are amazing treks around the countryside. I would definitely go back. The cottage is like something out of a fairy tale."

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Mary | April | 2015

Sierra de Aracena is a beautiful area. We loved the walking along the caminos. The views were fantastic and the wild flowers were stunning. Aracena is a lovely town and everything you need is there, especially a good Mercadona for self-caterers. The cottage is in a beautiful secluded location. The owner, Pepe, is very friendly and very kind - he gave us some honey and asparagus from his farm and he gave us firewood for the cold nights. The cottage is quite basic but it has a lovely fairy tale feel about it. One criticism is that it wasn't very clean - some attention needs to be paid to this. Also, the cracked plates should be replaced."

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Tony | September | 2014

Just a quick note to say that we really enjoyed our stay at the cottage. It was a perfect place to ""get away from it all"" and a perfect base for exploring the country around Aracena. The cottage was great and Pepe provided us with a nice selection of organic vegetables and eggs throughout the week which was a real treat to cook with. I would be grateful if you could pass on our thanks to him. Thanks also to all at Rustical Travel for making transaction easy and providing us with extra information. "

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Kristina | August | 2014

I wanted to let you know that we had a wonderful time on our holiday - the HA11 property was incredibly charming and comfortable, and the owner, Pepe, was most accommodating and helpful. There's one thing I need to mention to you, and that is about the directions to the property you sent . You'll need to amend them slightly..."

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Sue | July | 2014

We would like to say a big thank you for all the help Rustical Travel gave us for our recent trip. We loved the location and the local villages and Pepe was just so friendly and helpful whilst discreet enough for us to enjoy the seclusion. The directions worked ok except for the numerous roundabouts on the outskirts of Seville - maybe it would be good just to include a note to that effect as it was quite stressful searching for the appropriate sign. We did use the sat nav as back up too but would certainly NOT have found the casa if Pepe had not come to meet us in the village! We will most certainly recommend your services to our friends and family and we may be back soon! With our best wishes"

Rustical Update

Directions to thois property were modified and updated to make sure the cottage could be found easily.

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Tracey | July | 2014

We had a wonderful holiday. The service from Rustical Travel was excellent, very personal. The cottage was very rustic and exactly what we wanted. Pepe the owner very kind and helpful and he had left wine and honey as welcome gifts. He even came with a wonderful basket of organic vegetables from his farm. We will definitely book with you again ps After we had booked the holiday and then some weeks later talking to a work colleague about where we were going and who with ... ... she too has a house with you guys .. what a small world!"

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Jaak | June | 2014

We had a fabulous time and Pepe was very helpful. We did have a bit of a problem finding the house and had to phone Pepe who came and took us to the property. We discovered that we had actually found it ourselves but as the name on the sign of the property wasn't the same as on your map and directions we were not sure we have found the right place. Nevertheless we all had a wonderful time and thoroughly enjoyed the house and area. Many thanks for all your help and information."

Rustical Update

Directions to this property were modified and updated to make sure the cottage could be found easily.

+ Read more

Peter | June | 2014

A big thankyou from us both, we had a wonderful time (despite Easyjet leaving our bags in the UK). The accomodation was excellent and more than exceeded our expectations. the directions provided were perfect, as was the information for the surrounding area. We will definitely use Rustical Travel again when we next visit Spain, and have recommended you to numerous people. Again, many thanks Peter/Sharon"

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Read our holiday Guide to Andalucia