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Property |
Location |
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La Almuna |
Gaucin, Andalucia, Spain |
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One-off feature |
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An enchanting farmhouse which oozes rustic charm, La Almuna is hidden in the hills between Jimena de la Frontera and Gaucin, on an old smugglers’ route. Enjoy stunning views from the house and terrace all the way to the Rif mountains of Morocco and soak up the blissful peace and quiet. A gem of a find. |
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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 / Family / Sports & activity |
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Bedrooms:
| 8 |
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Guests:
| 16 |
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Catering:
| self-catering |
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General Info |
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Characterful and secluded, yet not isolated, the cortijo is set on a private working farm of some 300 acres. The house offers newly renovated accommodation which is light, airy and deliciously comfortable for up to 16 people. There are endless breath-taking views from the house, terrace and pool area across the rock and straits of Gibraltar to the mountains of Morocco. Guests have exclusive use of the garden and pool and access to a shared tennis court. Below the house, wander through the orange groves or lie gazing at the horses that graze below. The farm, which brims with flora and fauna, offers wonderful walking, riding, and bird watching countryside. This is a fantastic family house. Riding can be arranged from the stables except July & August. |
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Details on the area surrounding the property/accommodation |
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La Almuna nestles in the hills below Gaucin, one of the many beautiful ‘Pueblos blancos’, on a 300 acre private farm of exceptional beauty. This area is renowned for its wonderful walking, riding, and bird watching opportunities. Explore the cork forests in the natural Los Alcornacales Park or take a scenic drive through the Serrania de Ronda. Historic Ronda (35 minutes drive away) or a beautiful train journey from San Pablo. Ronda is a must, set on home to the oldest Roman bullring, fantastic tapas bars Prehistoric painted caves to explore, and Roman ruins at Ronda Viejo. |
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Getting there & away/local amenities |
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Getting There:
| A car is more or less essential for travelling throughout rural Andalucia. There are airports at Gibraltar (45 minutes), Malaga (90 minutes), Madrid (7 hours) or Barcelona (8 hours). For specific driving directions from your port of arrival, please contact the owner. |
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Nearest airports:
| Gibraltar (Gib) 38 km |
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Nearest train station:
| San Pablo de Buceite 7 km |
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Nearest ferry terminal:
| Algeciras |
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Nearest bus stop:
| Gaucin |
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Car Hire:
| Advised |
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Nearest restaurant:
| Estacion San Pablo de Buceite |
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Nearest beach:
| Sabanillas or Torreguardiaro |
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Nearest shop:
| San Pablo de Buceite or Gaucin |
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Nearest market:
| Sabinillas |
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More Info |
Owner Info |
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Name |
Diana Paget |
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Contact Phone No. |
0034 600 48 48 90 / 0034 952 151 200 |
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Accommodation details |
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Activities Nearby |
Beach within 30km / Birdwatching / Cycling / Golf within 30km / Horse Riding / Tennis / Therapies / Walking
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Interior Facilities |
Cot / Highchair / Dishwasher / DVD player / Internet Access / Linen provided / Log Fire / Maid Service / Television / Washing Machine
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Interior Details |
La Almuna comprises an 8 bedroom; 5 bathroom house. The Main house and cottage were refurbished in 2011 and offer all the comforts of a home away from home with a lived-in country ambience. The rooms are arranged around a central cobbled courtyard planted with citrus trees, Rosa banksia, Hibiscus & roses. You enter the main house through French doors directly into the beamed Kitchen which is open plan, fully equipped with dishwasher, fridge, freezer, 6 ring gas hob,electric oven & microwave. There is a dining room with oak table and seating for 10 in front of a fireplace. The conservatory is set off the kitchen. A wonderful sunroom in winter & the glass is removed in the summer. Relax here in the sofas & chairs to watch the sunset or eat at the marble table which can seat 16 +. The beamed high-ceilinged sitting room has huge hearth, comfy sofas and chairs and large bookcase. There are 7 double bedrooms and one twin.
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Exterior Facilities |
BBQ / Courtyard / Garden / Parking / Swimming Pool / Tennis Court / Terrace
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Exterior Details |
La Almuña’s circular drive has private parking many vehicles (enough for a wedding party), and almond, citrus, and flowering trees adorn the drive and lead to the cobblestone courtyard, which separates the two houses. After stepping through a classic, pueblo-style archway, you can make your way across the stables to the outdoor swimming pool. The swimming pool offers majestic views of the Andalucían countryside, along with sun-loungers for reading or sun bathing and a cabana for those well-deserved afternoon cocktails. La Almuña is surrounded by luxuriant gardens which roll down to the fertile fields of the working farm. Walking around the Main House you will find a large, stone terrace with plenty of outdoor seating and a BBQ area. You will find a plethora of shaded areas or there is lots of seating out in the Spanish sunshine. The extensive citrus groves and working farm can be seen from the terrace.
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Further Details |
La Almuña is the perfect place for a relaxing holiday as well as an ideal location for running activity courses and retreats away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Host your wedding, anniversary, or birthday party while taking in the picturesque landscapes. Enjoy your honeymoon in an idyllic rural setting with the calming sounds of birds chirping and the refreshing scents of wild herbs wafting through the property. Diana lives on the farm and can arrange a chef to cook delicious breakfasts and other meals upon request using fresh ingredients from the farm and its organic vegetable gardens. We offer a wide selection of classic novels, as well as modern fiction, for your reading pleasure, set amongst recently restored antique furniture and family heirlooms. You can relax by the fire with a good book and a glass of wine while watching the sunset across the Andalucían hilltops in the distance. A DVD and CD player are available in the lounge area, along with WiFi.
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Conditions of
Rental |
A 30% non-refundable deposit is required on booking with the remainder payable 6 weeks prior to arrival. Payments can be made by euro or sterling bank transfers. Also we require a signed rental contract. A 500 euro ‘breakages’ cash deposit is payable on arrival and will be refunded before you leave after the house has been inspected. We rent Friday to Friday. Please arrive after 4pm and depart by 11am. Changeover day in some instances is flexible. Long lets are available November - April at a monthly rate of 1,750 euros plus amenity bills. Short stays are charged at 100 euros per room in non-peak season. A cot and highchair are available. There will be an additional charge in the winter months for electricity and firewood. Bed linens are changed weekly. There is a once weekly maid service inclusive in the rental charge. Extra can be arranged by request. The pool and garden will be tended to by Paco regularly. Catering for meals by request.
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Other Information |
Babysitting available / Child Friendly / Cook available / Ideal for honeymoons / Pet Friendly / Short breaks available / Suitable for weddings
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What visitors have said about La Almuna |
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Blissful serenity at idyllic farmhouse: we are Australians living in Singapore and were eager to explore the Spanish countryside but to try and tear our boys (and probably ourselves in all honesty) away from this piece of paradise was difficult. The kids spent their time between the pool, visiting Diana and her 2 dogs, climbing trees exploring and generally being boys. We managed a few hits on the tennis court. Peace and quiet abounds here. The bed was more like our own. Diana´s hospitality was very generous with a fridge stocked of essentials and several deliveries from the property´s bountiful crops of fruit and veg. We could highly recommend this magical spot. I am hoping one day to return either in the summer where lounging by the pool is gorgeous, taking in the view, or maybe dreamy winter moments spent relaxing in front of a crackling fire soaking up the ambience of the house's rustic country charm where it´s easy to imagine spending the rest of your life away from big city mayhem.
Jacky Rossiter, Edmonton, Canada, Jul 2011 
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Dear Diana, thank you oh so much for sharing your beautiful home with us. It is so beautiful here and we have loved every minute of it. We love your beautiful dogs and have enjoyed all their friendly licks! We hope that we will be able to come back soon, maybe we can come in winter and enjoy all your cosy rooms and that wonderful fire. All our best wishes. Happy days. Eva from South Africa.
Smith Family, Gibraltar, South Africa, Aug 2011
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Diana, this has quite simply turned out to be the happiest holiday we have ever had as a family. Your house is a gem and we long to return for a thousand different and wonderful reasons. You have mad Almuña an incredibly special place which captures the heartbeat of this tremendous country - Spain at its very best. Thank you, with love and very very happy memories. Harry, Cathy, Jack, Alec and Scarlett Birtle.
Harry & Cathy Birtle, Cheltenham Uk, Jul 2011
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We took Diana´s enchanting home as a base for a walking holiday for a group of 40-something-year-olds and it proved to be the perfect combination of location and accommodation.
Diana has clearly done this for a long time and has the knack of allowing us to treat the place like home and so it didn't matter when we arrived or left and we arranged mealtimes to suit the walking itineries. The food from local ingredients was superb & plentiful without over embellishment. Hot water & comfortable beds, stunning views and swimming pool all made the break ideal for us. With great local short walks as well as a terrific base for exploring the cork oaks & olive trees a little further afield. One day we walked to Gaucin for lunch & returned along the Old Smugglers path.
Just right for the airport at Malaga and well away from the coastal strip so we could access Ronda, Grazalema, & the famous white villages. You don´t necessarily need a car as we organised a very good local transport minibus (Diana can put you in touch) which made the walking logistics all the easier.
Harcourt, Somerset, Jun 2011
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My second stay was almost exactly 2 years later & every bit as good. Going back was an inevitability as the warmth and ambience of this very relaxed place honed by Diana and her family over many years is something very difficult to find. Utterly charming with all the usual comforts brought together in an unfussy and tasteful way that is much more a private house than any form of guest house.
Of course the second visit is often telling as expectations & memories are dashed, but not here at Almuña. I noticed fresh bright walls with strong pictures, newly sprung beds and polished floors with lovely rugs, comfy sofas and terrace cushions. It is the sort of place that 16 guests can melt away into their nicely dispersed quarters (lying in the bath looking at the view is a must) or a corner of the garden or up by the pool or down to the orangery or perhaps in cooler times by the open fire having plucked a book from the shelf.
Unpretentious home cooking with veg from the communal patch just 100 yards up the track. Grapefruits appear from the garden for breakfast and Diana will produce the full cooked works it you want it.
Nothing overstated and yet everything you might need on a quiet hill in Andalucia so convenient to the white villages with their tapas bars and interesting history. Away from it all without being isolated and the sort of place to which people do come back as the combination of the ´domus´and the people who run it makes it a special resting place for a week or more and not often found in my experience.
Philip, Devon, May 2011
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Diana, this was the most wonderful place for our family to get together as we do every summer once a year. Thank you for sharing your home with us & for your warm generosity and welcome. We hope to return here and leave with lots of happy memories. All the best Zoe x
Smith Family, Aug 2011
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Thank you Diana for a beautiful time in your beautiful home. Thank you for allowing our little brown dog to stay with your wonderful dogs. Our children have had a magical time here, your home is beautiful & filled with treasures. Happy days. Emma, John Paul, Mala, Amelie & Kabby THANK YOU! X
Smith Family, Aug 2011
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