Facts
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Villa
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4 bedrooms
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Sleeps 10
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2 bathrooms
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120 m² living area
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200 m² terrace area
Services
The villa although only built about 7 years ago has recently been completely refurbished and extended. It is set in a plot of 3.5 acres, although only part of this is accessible to guests, it does mean that the neighbours are not right on top of you. The villa when built, had full central air conditioning (superior to individual units and fans) installed within the walls and cools all rooms. This is essential during the summer months as it gets very hot, especially at night. This enables you to sleep comfortably. There is a master bedroom with king size bed and en-suite bathroom, consisting of w/c, bath with shower over, separate shower cubicle, bidet and washbasin. The second bedroom has a double bed. The third twin bedroom consists of 2 single beds and the children’s room has 2 sets of bunk beds, one of which has a double bed on the base. The main bathroom has a w/c, bath with shower over and washbasin. There is a living room and a modern kitchen with dining table.
Each of the double bedrooms have hairdryers and the villa is equipped with plenty of towels for all guests in the bathrooms. We also supply sufficient poolside towels for use outside. An iron and ironing board are also provided as well as a travel cot and highchair for a baby.
The modern fully fitted kitchen is equipped with a washing machine, dishwasher, fridge freezer, microwave, toaster, kettle, ceramic hob and fan assisted oven. There are plentiful glasses (included crystal wine) crockery and cutlery for 11 guests. A large selection of utensils, pots and pans are also supplied.
The comfortable lounge consists of 2 settees and has a large flat screen TV (with sky free view), a hifi unit that also connects to sky for hifi sound and also enables you to listen to the British radio stations throughout the villa and the patio areas.
The overall impression of the house interior is light and open, with its high ceilings, neutral coloured internal walls and traditional square windows with exterior bars, originally to keep the Moors out, but nowadays just for decoration. The floors are fully tiled and the house has been finished with some attractive and artistic touches using traditional decorative tiling. The design of the house and covered patio areas makes it a cool refuge from the midday sun in July and August.
The very private and non overlooked pool is 8.5m x 4.5m, ranging from 3 to 6 feet in depth. The extensive large 200m2 patio area has plenty of room for sunbathing on the multi position loungers. The outside also has a very large covered patio area 14m x 4 m and a large 4.5m x 4m covered kitchen area which consists of an outside sink, double gas burner and fridge, ideal to cook with the family and keep your ice cold drinks close at hand. Located at the far end of the patio are a toilet with washbasin, and an external cold water shower, ideal to cool yourself off during the hot summer days. There are 2 tables, 12 chairs and a stone barbeque on the patio. In the warm summer months this is a great place for all your meals.
There are numerous small supermarkets in the village of Colmenar and several large supermarkets in the larger towns of Antequerra, Velez and Malaga.
The Eroski supermarket at the modern El Ingenio shopping center in Velez-Malaga is a 30 minute drive away. This really does have everything, including a cinema/movie theatre that has some films in English. Opposite the shopping centre is a water park.
We provide our guests with detailed written information on the house, the village and the surrounding area, with many suggestions on how you can enjoy your stay. There are guide books and maps at the house that you may find useful.
The pool is maintained on a twice weekly basis and additional cleaning / linen changes are available, at additional cost, if required.
The Local Area
The villa is set within the Axarquia region, which is slightly set back from the coast and consists of rolling hills, stunning scenery and lakes with pretty white villages dotted around. There are fine beaches and a variety of tourist attractions within easy reach by car at the coast, but the Axarquia is a relatively tranquil area where it is easy to relax and/or explore at a slow pace. This is the REAL SPAIN, not the tourist traps on the coast. If you are looking for nightclubs, English bars, heavy traffic and 1,000’s of other tourists, this is definitely not the place for you. Thanks to the excellent road network, it is also possible in a series of day trips, to explore the major attractions in southern Andalucia.
There are numerous local restaurants and hotels in the town of Colmenar and other fantastic restaurants a little further afield in the adjacent villages. There are a variety of bars serving tapas as well as good coffee. There is however a small Irish bar complete with Guinness, popular with the local British expats and tourists. We provide you with recommendations for restaurants via a notice board at the villa.
There are two banks with cash machines in the town centre.
While several British families have villas within the vicinity not many people in the town and local villages can converse in English, although foreigners are always made to feel very welcome and the restaurant staff always appreciate someone trying to speak Spanish. There are fiestas in the local villages during the summer. These are great fun for both adults and children to watch if you are there while they are on.
Activities
Excellent swimming beaches at the quieter town of Torre del Mar are 45 minutes away by car.
A car is absolutely necessary and easy to rent at Malaga Airport. There are many car hire firms and we can recommend our favorites on request. Driving in this part of Spain is not hard, the roads are generally in excellent condition and places are clearly signposted. In the house we provide a range of books, maps and suggestions for both driving and daytrip tours.
The fascinating city of Granada and its magnificent Alhambra is approx 1½ hours away by car by motorway or slightly longer via an attractive, alternative route on smaller roads. Seville, another key attraction, is 2 hours away. The city centre of Malaga is an underrated attraction and well worth a visit, especially the new Picasso museum (reservations recommended and essential in summer) and the ancient castle (free entry on a Sunday after 2pm). Malaga, Seville and Granada each have the sophisticated shops associated with major cities generally set in American style Mall formats. Smaller towns well worth a visit include Antequerra, Nerja, Almunecar and Marbella. Many of the nearby villages are also worth going to especially the hilltop village of Comares (easily spotted from the villa).
The nearest golf course is about 30 minutes away by car.
The View
The Villa is called Casa Mirador "The house with the view" and it really lives up to this name. On a clear day you can see for more than 50 miles and the mountains at sunrise and sunset are truely spectacular.
At dusk watch the villages in the distance start to twinkle as their lights come on and then the stars come out overhead one by one until you can see the Milky Way with the naked eye.