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Property |
Location |
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Dar Hajra |
Ronda, Andalucia, Spain |
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One-off feature |
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One of Andalucia’s most spectacular rental properties, sculpted around a rocky crag in a forest of the Grazalema park. The views are inspirational, the infinity pool amazing, and the house has been decorated with great style. You’ll find no more romantic a hideaway: this is a place to let your spirit soar. |
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Property Info |
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Accommodation Type:
| House / Villa |
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Property Setting:
| Mountainous / Village / Rural |
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Holiday Type:
| Relaxing / Culture |
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Bedrooms:
| 2 |
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Guests:
| 4 |
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Catering:
| self-catering |
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General Info |
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Dar Hajra is hidden away in a stand of pine forest just above the undiscovered ‘white village’ of Montecorto, 15 kilometers to west of Ronda. From the house’s rocky perch you are treated to a stunning, wrap-around view of the peaks of the Grazalema National Park. You reach the house via a track which arcs up through the forest to a mountain spring. From here a path flanked by rosemary, lavendar, honeysuckle and mint climbs up to the house’s main entrance. It looks deceptively traditional from the outside. Once you pass through the door you’ll probably simply gasp ‘wow!’ This is a house where fantasy came first in the design brief. The house has a huge, superbly equipped kitchen, wifi internet (with a desk top iMac if you travel without your laptop) and one of the most beautiful plunge pools in Andalucía. One Off Places guests also receive a welcome bottle of cava + a copy of 'Walking in Andalucía' - written by the property owner. |
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Details on the area surrounding the property/accommodation |
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Ronda is just a quarter of an hour from the village and is famous for the extraordinary gorge that cuts between the old and new quarters. There are masses of excellent restaurants close by including the Michelin-starred ‘Tragabuches’ in Ronda. The local villages have friendly tapas bars where you can try the local wine. Montecorto is a quiet village with two restaurants, a number of bars, several small shops and very friendly locals. Wander down from Dar Hajra through narrow streets to buy fresh bread, fish and vegetables then stop at Pepe’s huerta on the way back up to buy fresh, seasonal organic fruit and veggies. The Grazalema Park begins, literally, on Dar Hajra’s doorstep. This is one of the most beautiful tracks of mountain in Europe, with an astonishingly diverse flora and fauna. There are a dozen vineyards all within easy driving distance of the house. Seville, Granada, Jerez and the beaches of the Costa del Sol are all within easy reach. |
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Getting there & away/local amenities |
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Getting There:
| Jerez is the nearest airport, a 1 hour drive away. Sevilla (90 mins), Málaga (90 mins) and Gibraltar (120 mins) are all easily accessible from El Tejar. To drive to Montecorto from Bilbao and Santander takes a full day ie approx 10 hours driving time. |
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Nearest airports:
| Jerez 1 hour drive |
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Nearest ferry terminal:
| Malaga |
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Car Hire:
| Advised |
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Nearest restaurant:
| Montecorto |
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Nearest beach:
| 1 hour drive |
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Nearest shop:
| Montecorto |
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More Info |
Owner Info |
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Name |
Guy Hunter-Watts |
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Contact Phone No. |
00 34 616 057 184 |
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Accommodation details |
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Activities Nearby |
Birdwatching / Cycling / Golf within 30km / Walking
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Interior Facilities |
Air Con / Cot / Highchair / Dishwasher / DVD player / Internet Access / Linen provided / Log Fire / Television / Washing Machine
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Interior Details |
The kitchen/diner is as spectacular as the rest of the house with a large stainless steel fridge, black slate floors and everything you need to self-cater in style. There are masses of herbs and spices. A good bottle of red wine will be awaiting you as well as a bottle of cava in the fridge. There are two bedrooms. The larger has a king size double bed and walk-in wardrobe. At the very top of the house, reached by a staircase that winds between the rocks, is a second bedroom with access to a large roof terrace. All bedding is of the best quality. The bathroom is another flight of fantasy with large round tub sculpted between the rocks and an enormous shower rose. Run a bath, pour in the essential oils, light a candle: there’s plenty of room for two. NB Special offer between Sept 2011 & March 2012.
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Exterior Facilities |
Balcony / BBQ / Garden / Parking / Swimming Pool / Terrace
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Exterior Details |
At one end of this villa in Andalucia is the infinity edge plunge pool whose waters seem to merge with the sky. Just beyond the pool a path winds up to a spectacular solarium. Each window of the house brings in a different part of the stunning view southwards, including those of the study.
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Further Details |
The mountainside has been wrapped into the fabric of the building and the rock strata add a stunning decorative element - Dar Hajra means ‘House of the Rocks’ in arabic. A pyramidal atrium is the visual axis around which the open-plan lounge/diner/kitchen turns: sunlight floods in during the day and you look up to starry skies at night. Three huge drop-arched windows lead out to the terrace. The villa contains hundreds of reference books including those written by Dar Hajra’s owner. There’s a huge collection of Cds (flamenco, blues, jazz, classical, world, folk) and DVDs, as well as a computer with free 24 hour Internet connection and satellite TV. What a change from a resort style villa in Andalucia!
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Conditions of
Rental |
The cost of weekly rental includes 1 hour of daily cleaning help, if you would like it. Rentals run from Saturday to Saturday. There is a 10% reduction on weekly rentals for any stay of 2 or more weeks.
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Other Information |
Babysitting available / Cook available / Ideal for honeymoons
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What visitors have said about Dar Hajra |
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Dar Hajra is approached via a fairly circuitous route through the pine forest, but when you arrive, what a reward!
You really do feel you are on top of the world in this very special property, which even exceeded the tempting description. The unique design creates an impression that the house has grown organically from the rock face, which is an integral part of most rooms - including the incredible bathroom! The clever use of light and space is fully complemented by the comfortable and carefully chosen furnishings- all incredibly clean and well kept. We particularly loved the ethnic influences.
The terrace was to die for! The designer infinity pool, the second comfortable seating and dining area, and the most spectacular views made it very difficult to tear ourselves away, particularly as we were working our way through the amazing music selection. Watching the sunset with a glass of Rioja was very special, not to mention romantic!
We loved the village. The people were so friendly, and we found the shops had just about everything we needed. We even found oysters in the fish shop! (weekends only). We enjoyed our sessions in the bars and the simple but good food at Bar Piscina. We really did feel we were part of the real Spain - far from the crowds and commercialism of “the costa”.
We were spoilt for choice regarding trips out, but particularly enjoyed visits to the Roman theatre and the Caves of Pileta and, of course, Ronda with so much to see, from Arab Baths to Moorish palaces and views from the incredible gorge.
This was one of our best holidays and we can’t wait to return in cooler months to explore the very beautiful Grazalema Natural Parc. We were inspired by the owner’s book “Walking in Andalucia” and intend to make good use of it on our next visit!
We will certainly recommend Dar Hajra to friends, whether for chilling out in summer, or walking in cooler months through the most magnificent scenery. It would also be a perfect place for a honeymoon!
Oscar & Dolly, UK, Jul 2009 
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My boyfriend and I have now stayed at Dar Hajra four times and will be returning later this spring. I think this is the most beautiful house that I've ever seen - it has been built round huge rocks which have been beautifully integrated into the design of the house - it reminded me of a house that we saw in the States designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The bathroom is amazing and the bedroom really romantic - kind of Moroccan in style with rugs, wallhangings and rich colours. There's an amazing collection or CDs and DVDs, internet and a really cool infinity edge pool but what we love most of all is just chilling out on the terrace looking out to the Ronda Mountains.
We feel like we're on a honeymoon every time that we stay and it is perfectly secluded.
If you stay we recommend that you visit the Tragabuches restaurant in Ronda which has a Michelin star - we had one of our best ever meals there.
And also be sure to buy fresh organic fruit and veggies from Pepe who has a farm within walking distance of the house.
Virgie, Oxford, Nov 2009
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Test one - name, location and date.
Tabitha Symonds, Netherton, Jan 2010
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