Perfectly private Ronda villa on hillside above a turquoise lake

El Gastor, Ronda Mountains, Andalucia Property Ref: RD30

3 Bedrooms
Sleeps 6
Pool Pool
Property Ref: RD30

Very private Andalucia holiday villa with a large swimming pool. In a secluded hillside spot, overlooking Zahara lake. Ronda is 30 minutes. Sleeps 6.

Booking information for RD30

The pool is open from the beginning of April to the end of October.
Check-in time: from 15:00h to 22:00h; Check-out time: 10:00h
Pets may be permitted on previous request. Special restrictions normally apply. Please ask us.

Changeover day RD30

The changeover day is Saturday during the main summer season and flexible at other times.

+ Booking information and changeover day for RD30

From €120 per night

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Adults (16+ years)

Children (3-15 years)

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Children must be accompanied by adults

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Summary

Very private Andalucia holiday villa with a large swimming pool. In a secluded hillside spot, overlooking Zahara lake. Ronda is 30 minutes. Sleeps 6.

Facilities

3 Bedrooms
2 Bathrooms
Sleeps 6

Enjoyment
WiFi Internet; Satellite / Android TV (limited channels only in English); DVD; CD/radio; 6 sunloungers; Pergola; Private swimming pool (10 m x 5 m, 1.2 – 2 m deep, with ladder and steps at shallow end); Table tennis; Barbecue (except summer months: see Notes below); Portable electric hot griddle.

Self-catering
4-ring vitroceramic hob; Electric oven; Dishwasher; Microwave; Coffee maker; Kettle; Toaster; Juicer; Fridge-freezer.

Practicalities
Washing machine; Iron & board; Hairdryer; Fans; Glass-fronted fireplace with hot air turbines (a reasonable amount of firewood included); Radiators; First aid kit; Cot and highchair (on request); Terrace and garden furniture; All bedding and towels provided, including pool towels; Private parking.

Notes on Facilities
Please note that barbecues are only permitted from October to May at this dry location owing to forestry regulations. A portable electric hot griddle is provided instead.
The pool filter operates on a timer and the owner will not normally need to intrude on your privacy for maintenance.

Layout

All on one floor
Open-plan living and dining room with kitchen; Bedroom 1: Double bed with en suite bathroom (walk-in shower & WC); Bedroom 2: Double bed; Bedroom 3: Twin beds; Bathroom (shower over full bathtub, two washbasins, WC & bidet).

Exterior
Furnished, covered porch terrace and pool area; Swings and table tennis; Private parking.

+ Full facilities detail

Overview

Outside the small white village of El Gastor, by the good country road that runs between Ronda and Sevilla, a track rises up to a secluded villa that looks down not onto the village, but a vast lake, and beyond that to the mountains of Grazalema Natural Park.

You are completely private here. It’s just right both for couples seeking the calm of complete intimacy, and families who want outdoor areas for children to play. The villa is all on one floor with no steps, so suitable for little ones: you simply need to keep an eye on the pool (easily observed from the house), as it’s not gated.

The hillside location is sunny, warm and open to a wide blue Andalusian sky crossed by birds migrating to and from Africa.

From ample private parking, you enter the single-storey villa from under a broad porch; this acts as a shaded terrace overlooking the generously-sized pool. It has a ceramic-tiled table and six chairs for outdoor dining.

The living room is high-ceilinged and open-plan with kitchen and dining areas. It's simple and functional, with a large, wrap-round, black leather sofa, solid wooden dining table, plenty of crockery and kitchen appliances. The floor is cool terracotta to complement the typically warm air temperarure.

There are three pleasant and ample bedrooms decorated in cheerful Mediterranean colours, with windows that have shutters, blinds and curtains.

The main bathroom is large and very complete, the wall half-tiled in blue-and-white, a round window to let in natural light and double wash basins.

It’s a well-cared-for holiday home, a very good mid-range but not a luxurious villa, and we warmed to the genuine country atmosphere. We noted one or two nice touches, such as the regulated lighting in living room and main bedroom, swimming pool illumination and the wealth of local information (in English) in the house book.

Hot water (a huge 300 litres) is provided by solar panels and there’s a mains water heater as back-up just in case.

Outside is the swimming pool to enjoy and a rounded hillside planted with olive trees to ramble. It’s fine for children to go and explore, bear in mind that this isn’t a lawned, imitation-English garden estate but an authentic Ronda landscape which you share with occasional rabbits, partridges with their chicks scooting after them in springtime, and eagles overhead.

Although the level of the lake reservoir may sometimes vary, the marvellous, truly grand view from on high of the lake – turquoise in the morning light – is a natural wonder that gladdens the heart and eye.

There is a variety of opportunities for eating out in nearby villages. One restaurant with lake-view is to be found in the village you can see on the far side of the lake, under the ruined fortress: Zahara.

From here you can continue to old Grazalema village and the fabulous walking of its Natural Park.

For haute cuisine there’s Ronda, one of Andalucia’s star cities, just 30 minutes away.

Sevilla, Jerez, Cadiz are all day trip options, nearer at hand local activities include wonderful walks, horse riding, canoeing, even paragliding.

Those intent on a beach should bear in mind that this is the Ronda mountain warm interior of Andalucia and you need over an hour to reach Marbella or Estepona beaches. Near Zahara on the lake, though, is a well-maintained bathing spot with facilities for picnicking.

+ Full description

Photos

This holiday home backs onto the hillside in complete privacy

Porch terrace seen from inside the property

Enjoy your holidays in the Ronda mountains

Location

Setting

Sunny hillside high above Lake Zahara and next to Grazalema Natural Park.

Location

At the end of a 2.5 km track, a little bumpy in places but manageable in a normal car, 4 km from El Gastor village (simple shopping and café-bars, simple but good restaurants, banks with ATM, pharmacy).

El Gastor 4 km

Simple shopping, restaurants, banks

Algodonales 20 mins

Zahara 25 mins

Lakeside village

Ronda 30 mins

Historic town

Grazalema Natural Park 30 mins

Walks

Cordoba 2 hrs 15 mins

Historic city

Nearest Airports

Jerez (XRY) 1 hr 15 mins

Sevilla (SVQ) 1 hr 30 mins

Malaga (AGP) 1 hr 45 mins

Gibraltar (GIB) 2 hrs

Granada (GRX) 2 hrs

Prices

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

From	to	Price per week
03 Jan 202403/01/2024	22 Mar 202422/03/2024	€840£718$892AU$1,393CA$1,233
23 Mar 202423/03/2024	05 Apr 202405/04/2024	€1,080£923$1,147AU$1,790CA$1,585
06 Apr 202406/04/2024	20 May 202420/05/2024	€980£837$1,040AU$1,625CA$1,438
21 May 202421/05/2024	30 Jun 202430/06/2024	€1,080£923$1,147AU$1,790CA$1,585
01 Jul 202401/07/2024	01 Sep 202401/09/2024	€1,530£1,307$1,624AU$2,536CA$2,246
02 Sep 202402/09/2024	09 Sep 202409/09/2024	€980£837$1,040AU$1,625CA$1,438
10 Sep 202410/09/2024	14 Oct 202414/10/2024	€880£752$934AU$1,459CA$1,292
15 Oct 202415/10/2024	16 Dec 202416/12/2024	€840£718$892AU$1,393CA$1,233
17 Dec 202417/12/2024	02 Jan 202502/01/2025	€1,080£923$1,147AU$1,790CA$1,585
Special offer: click to view price reduction

From	to	Price per week
03 Jan 202503/01/2025	10 Apr 202510/04/2025	€840£718$892AU$1,393CA$1,233
11 Apr 202511/04/2025	25 Apr 202525/04/2025	€1,080£923$1,147AU$1,790CA$1,585
26 Apr 202526/04/2025	20 May 202520/05/2025	€980£837$1,040AU$1,625CA$1,438
21 May 202521/05/2025	30 Jun 202530/06/2025	€1,080£923$1,147AU$1,790CA$1,585
01 Jul 202501/07/2025	01 Sep 202501/09/2025	€1,530£1,307$1,624AU$2,536CA$2,246
02 Sep 202502/09/2025	09 Sep 202509/09/2025	€980£837$1,040AU$1,625CA$1,438
10 Sep 202510/09/2025	14 Oct 202514/10/2025	€880£752$934AU$1,459CA$1,292
15 Oct 202515/10/2025	16 Dec 202516/12/2025	€840£718$892AU$1,393CA$1,233
17 Dec 202517/12/2025	02 Jan 202602/01/2026	€1,080£923$1,147AU$1,790CA$1,585

Booking information for RD30

The pool is open from the beginning of April to the end of October.
Check-in time: from 15:00h to 22:00h; Check-out time: 10:00h
Pets may be permitted on previous request. Special restrictions normally apply. Please ask us.

Changeover day RD30

The changeover day is Saturday during the main summer season and flexible at other times.

+ Booking information and changeover day for RD30

Availability

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YOUR REVIEWS

Elizabeth | August | 2023

It was a wonderful stay, just what we expected: a lovely property with a gorgeous pool and views. We'll be back.

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Claire | August | 2023

We stayed 2 weeks in Aug 2023 and have stayed many summers in various places in Andalucia. This villa is both rural and rustic. It’s great for undisturbed peace, relaxation and privacy. Nature lovers will enjoy early mornings watching various birds of prey, foxes and much else from the peace of the patio. Pack some binoculars! As you are very much in the countryside, expect to share the house with smaller wildlife - ants will come and eat any trace of food not cleared up ;-) The rural setting is a completely fabulous opportunity for stargazing- with no light pollution at all, you can spend hours looking at the night sky- download an app so you know what you’re seeing! We saw meteor showers, Starlink satellite trains, and countless shooting stars. We had great evenings in the large outdoor space by the pool lying on loungers looking at the sky! In terms of the villa itself, as our stay coincided with a heatwave where temperatures routinely exceeded 40 degrees on consecutive days, we found that without air con, (like a lot of people in the region I’m sure) we really suffered. The rooms have fans but at these temperatures this only produced a hairdryer effect and the house did not remain cool, even at night. That said, it is very hard to advocate for air con when the view from the villa is described as overlooking the turquoise waters of Lake Zahara. It should be noted that climate change and no rainfall means that there is in fact no view of the lake at all. From the villa, a very small triangle of water is visible and a drive to beautiful Zahara town itself reveals that devastatingly, there is little water remaining. The encroaching tree line down the banks of where water used to be is very apparent. The villa itself is rustic- traditional Spanish in terms of features and design, but we found a little ‘no frills’ in terms of comfort. The kitchen is well equipped but a little tired round the edges and some things are past their best and need replacing… a laundry basket and for a family of 4, more than 7 pegs to hang out washing would be handy. That said it was so hot by the time you got to peg the 7th item, the 1st was dry! Bed linen and towels were clean and changed after a week (though not all were replaced) We did our own washing in between anyway so it was not a problem. A 2 week stay was too long for our teenagers in the heat and they needed more civilisation - trips to Ronda (20 mins) and further afield to Cadiz and coast / beaches satisfied this on various days. Nearer trips to local villages for drinks and tapas provided breaks but temperatures curbed their enthusiasm! The TV was a great distraction for them during hot afternoons-we managed to login to our Amazon account etc. The pool was the saving grace of our stay and is the star of the show here - large, clean and well maintained, it provided respite from blistering sunshine by day and at all hours of the night when no one could sleep! The addition of a large sunshade canopy not in the photos was excellent. Not all lights around the pool area worked. There is plenty of room for Sun loungers and activities- we didn’t use the swings (kids too old) or the table tennis (too hot even at night!) but found this area where the BBQ is to be not very well maintained underfoot and therefore wouldn’t have used it anyway. You need something other than flip flops to walk on it as there are sharp thorny grasses- probably not for toddlers. Though you can’t BBQ in summer due to fire risk, I’m not sure we would have used it given its condition. We managed the road leading to the villa in a Seat Arona SUV with no trouble. The car went notably quicker up the hill when we had just us and no luggage in it ;-) Overall this villa is great for those wanting peace and privacy and is value for money, though we would now consider spending a little more on a villa for a bit more comfort next time. The lack of air con, the almost dried up lake and the August heatwave have made us rethink the sustainability of our holidays and what we will do differently next year. We thought this villa is a great location for nearby walking, hiking etc in a cooler season."

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John | July | 2023

Rustical are very professional, extremely helpful and respond very quickly to any queries."

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Karen | June | 2023

The property was disappointing. We stayed in two of your properties in 2019 and couldn't fault either of them. This one was very much inferior. Whilst the pool and immediate area around it were beautiful, the house and garden were not. The children's play area was not cared for and dangerous. The barbecue was filthy and a health risk. There was thick fat and oil left over from previous people. And the area immediately around it was un-cared for and full of weeds. It did not make a good impression. We arrived to a dark house that had not been aired for some time. Whilst it was mostly clean, there were places that weren’t including the cutlery draw and handles on the dresser. The first impression of the house was certainly not welcoming. The house smelt and we had to buy candles to improve the smell. Maria was helpful during our stay and when we had an issue with a dead rat in the pool. She did get this sorted for us. On that day we left, we said we would leave around 10. Maria was happy with this. At 0945 the cleaners arrived and tried to rush us out. They came into the house before we were ready to leave and emptied bins and moved things before we were actually ready. Whilst taking recycling was our responsibility and we did this every day, they also made us take our own rubbish away! Overall both the poor impression when we arrived and the last memories of being rushed off the premises made a very unwelcoming and poor last memory. ."

Rustical Update

To follow up on this feedback, we reviewed the photos of this property; the members of our contracting team think they reflect reasonably well on what to expect, for instance, in terms of gardens.

Our team also spoke to the property owner, who assured us there had been guests before, the house was aired and adequately cleaned and disagreed with any smell.

The barbecue is forbidden to be used in Summer because of fire risk. We checked the property page, which says: Please note that barbecues are only permitted from October to May at this dry location owing to forestry regulations. A portable electric hot griddle is provided instead.

Mari Carmen claims that the cleaner may have overlooked cleaning the barbecue as its use is forbidden, but she'll clean this, in any case, to not cause a bad impression.

Mari Carmen will also ask the cleaner to ensure she comes at 10 am and not before, as the check-out time is 10 am and not 09:45 am.

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Stephen | May | 2023

Brilliant property perfect location for all day sun round the pool . clean well equiped and private Host was fantastic made contact as soon as arrived respected our privacy but was on call if needed Overall fantastic place and villa would definitely return thank you for a great holiday"

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Stephen | May | 2023

Fantastic , marvellous, Just about sums up the whole experience Thank you"

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Muzzammil | December | 2022

The property itself was nice, rustic as its name suggests, private indeed with good views. But the road leading to it was not easy at all, not well maintained so this needs to be made clear so that people can take sound decisions before booking."

Rustical Update

We can see on the property page that it says: At the end of a 2.5 km track, a little bumpy in places but manageable in a normal car, 4 km from El Gastor village.

The check-in day is best to arrive in the daytime as it may be a better experience.

Our team has visited this property several times, always with ordinary cars, and we have not reported any problems.

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Sandra | October | 2022

We had a wonderful time. Best bit was the pool which we all loved (even the non swimmer) and the views from the pool. Very well appointed house in splendid rural isolation. Thank you Rustical Travel."

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Richard | July | 2022

House was immaculate on arrival, lovely views, pool and plants well maintained (and unintrusively) throughout. You need a robust vehicle to get up the track on the hill but it’s worth it! Not mentioned anywhere in the publicity is the fantastic stargazing because of very low light pollution and high altitude. Highly recommended"

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Stephen | September | 2019

Your organisation for our trip was very good and advise regarding the local area and directions to the property were excellent. The property was as good as we expected with a fantastic location, superb views and an excellent swimming pool."

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Lisa | August | 2019

Beautiful views, good sized pool, well equipped kitchen. Tricky white road to property. lovely"

Rustical Update

The track to access the property can be a little bumpy in places, but is manageable with an ordinary car.

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Christopher | October | 2018

the property was fantastic, the owner was most helpful and rustically travel were great in their customer service thank you"

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Julian | August | 2018

A comfortable and spacious house with a good sized pool up in the hills and benefitting from a private location. We all enjoyed our stay and would recommend this property to others."

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Evelyn | June | 2016

The house was perfectly situated for an ideal family holiday. We loved discovering the nearby villages, the complete solitude of the home, and the vultures that circled overhead. Our biggest concern in advance was the absence in the air conditioner - turned out there was no need to worry, the house was very well ventilated and the fans served us perfectly. We stayed for two weeks, but could have easily stayed another two and we would not have scratched the surface of things to do."

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Martin | June | 2015

The service and web-site of Rustical Travel was simple and effective. We like and have stayed at the villa before but the views are better now that the vegetation has been lowered. We have stayed in El Gastor for six years on the trot and would gladly use Rustical Travel and this property again. Thank you, Martin."

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Phil | July | 2014

We returned yesterday after an excellent holiday in RD30, which was one of the best properties we have ever stayed in."

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Adrian | July | 2014

We had a lovely time at RD30. Although, your pictures on the website of a artificial grassed area and play house are incorrect, as they are not there. The owner informed me that they have not been there for 5 years, which was a disappointment to our 2 young children. Also, the WIFI was terrible - you struggled to even access facebook. We felt slightly mislead about this also. "

Rustical Update

We confess to not knowing about the playhut having gone. We have removed the photo of the play area and the owner has now added a table tennis instead. We also now warn that the WiFi signal is weak.

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