Facts
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Villa
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5 bedrooms
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Sleeps 10
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4 bathrooms
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220 m² living area
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150 m² terrace area
Services
Set on the outskirts of a peaceful traditional village overlooking olive groves and with spectacular views of the mountains, this is a large 5 bedroom refurbished village house with a good-sized private pool and an attractive garden. A comfortable family home, it offers the opportunity for a relaxing, self-contained holiday with a wealth of other cultural and recreational possibilities.
The house has been designed as A FAMILY HOME not as a sterile holiday let. So, it is welcoming, has considerable character and charm and has been built with love. It is ideal both for 'hanging out' and relaxing or as base for wider exploration of the area and has worked well for large family holidays as well as for disparate groups of friends and couples. It is obviously entirely suitable, and agreeable, for children of all ages.
Although many will want to come to the area in the warmer months, the house also makes A GOOD WINTER BASE for Sierra Nevada skiing (the Sol y Nieve skiing resort is 45 minutes away) and winter walking, with central heating throughout and a welcoming wood burning stove in the living room.
BEDROOMS are largely on the ground floor; all the bedrooms have comfortable beds imported from the UK. There are also a couple of Z beds for those who might wish to sleep on the roof during the summer months.
The main communal body of the house is open plan, with a double living room, a dining room and a large working kitchen. There is also a spacious study with an extensive library.
The house has 3 OUTSIDE terraces with spectacular views on all sides. Its prime attraction, however, is the enclosed, spacious and attractive outside area with a garden surrounding a 8m x 5m private pool, with a cool covered area for al fresco dining, able to seat 12 -14 people. There are plenty of loungers, an outside fridge-freezer, a sink, an outdoor shower and a barbeque. It is the perfect place to commune, entertain or sit in splendid isolation.
There are all the FACILITIES that you would expect: TV, DVD and CD player, an ipod dock, games; it also has an impressive library.
THE VILLAGE OF PINOS DEL VALLE is located in a fertile valley with more than 12 neighbouring villages providing a range of dining/drinking options. The Lecrin valley, of which Pinos is the highest point, is located on the edge of the Alpujarras, and provides almost immediate access to some of the finest walking country in southern Spain; there are loads of maps and guides in the house study to assist you. It should be said, though, that July and August are too hot for all day hikes. Spring and autumn are ideal. For the less adventurous just walk out the front door and follow your nose in any direction through the orange groves. Idyllic. There is also a thoroughly worthwhile walk to the shrine that sits above Pinos that takes a total of 90 minutes.
This area is on the edge of 'Driving Over Lemons' territory and though the traditional ways are beginning to die, you'll still get a pretty good feel for the 'real' Spain - daily life, sleepy afternoons, lively evenings, especially at fiesta time. In the village itself, there is a Coviran supermarket, a number of small and idiosyncratic convenience stores, a bakery, two pharmacists and a bar with the finest view (and the finest, coldest beer) in the valley. Listen out, too, for the twice weekly fish and fruit vans.
THE COSTA TROPICAL is a half hour drive away. Once you hit the coast the choice of beaches is myriad, from full blown resort to isolated coves. Beaches tend to be matters of personal taste, so I’d be hesitant to recommend anywhere specific. That said, Salobrena, with its attractive Moorish castle is easy to reach if pretty touristy; we tend to favour la Velilla near Almunecar, which is predominantly Spanish in flavour, unlike much of the coast. Almunecar beach has a water slide park.
CAR HIRE is absolutely essential. Parking is not a problem.
AIRPORTS. Granada airport (for Ryanair and Iberia flights) is approximately 40 minutes away. Malaga airport (for all major carriers) is an easy 75 minute drive along the new coastal motorway. Almeria airport, a two hour journey, is another possibility.
The Santa Clara GOLF course near Granada is about 20 minutes drive away.
The wonderful CITY OF GRANADA is about 25 minutes drive away. Although rightly famed for the unmissable Alhambra - if you come here and don’t visit the Alhambra you are mad! - Granada is a lively city of considerable historical importance with all the modern facilities you would expect, excellent shopping and some of the finest tapas in Andalucia. Well worth exploring.
Cordoba, with its fabulous Mesquita, is a two and a half hour drive away; Sevilla (very hot in summer!) an hour more. Cadiz is five hours drive but worth the effort. Africa is a day trip from Tarifa or Algeciras.
Also worth a mention: the hot springs at Alhama de Granada; the waterfalls at ‘Junta de dos Rios’ near Otivar on the old Granada road; lake Bermejales; the Albaycin quarter in Granada; Ubeda and Baeza (2 Renaissance jewels, half an hour north east of Jaen); the trio of Alpujarran villages (an hour's drive away) of Pampaneira, Capilleira and Bubion just north of Orgiva.