Gaucin holiday villa rental with private pool, walking, beach/lake nearby, log fire, disabled access, balcony/terrace, air con, internet

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Finca las Aguilas (villa)

Home description

Finca las Aguilas is situated in the Parque Natural de Crestellina and is perfect for families or friends seeking total peace but is only 15 minutes from the Mediterranean coast, beaches, outstanding golf courses, riding, sailing and all retail and restaurant experiences! The views from the villa and pool over the mountains and white villages of southern Andalucia are stunning - and the sunsets and sky at night are spectacular.

The villa has been designed to be an all-year round holiday home and to make the most of the wonderful views and, in traditional Andaluz style, it is cool in summer and warm in winter. With al fresco dining areas, verandahs, BBQ, a large pool with shaded pergola and changing room there is always somewhere to sit and relax whilst you plan your next lazy day by the pool - or a trip to Ronda, Morocco, Marbella, Jerez, Seville or Granada.

Finca las Aguilas from pool with Sierra Crestellina above	The Genal Valley and Sierra de Ronda from pool pergola
Sitting room with views to Gaucin and Genal Valley	The west facing verandah with Morrocan day bed and fabulous sunset views

To see more photos please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/79143

The Costa del Sol/Malaga region

The Costa del Sol (coast of sun) offers over 320 days of sun every year. The Costa del Sol itself is a very thin strip of coastal development in which all the main hotels, shops, golf courses, and services are located. Access to all points along the Costa is now very quick and easy along the AP7 motorway. Malaga Airport, although getting busier by the day, is still relatively hassle free, and picking up a car from one of the myriad of hire companies and getting onto the motorway is relatively easy.

The hinterland of the Costa is easily accessible but still remarkably unspoilt with, for example, the peak of Los Reales,5000 feet and the highest point in the Sierra Bermeja, towering immediately behind Estepona yet accessible by car.

Sotogrande at the western end of the Costa and about 15 kms from our villa, is generally the upmarket area with the polo grounds and top golf courses (Valderrama is arguably the best course in Europe), while Puerto Banus and Marbella, 25 kms to the east, have retail experiences to suit the most jaded shopper!

Ronda is a famous and wonderfully preserved town, 35 kms north east of our villa, with a Michelin starred restaurant, while Malaga City is both historically fascinating and boasts a magnificent Picasso Gallery.

A day trip to Gibraltar (40 Kms) is always worthwhile, offering a strange mixture of Morrisons, Marks and Spencers, Boots, Barbary Apes, and a cable car to the top of the Rock with views 12 miles over the Straits to Morocco. (You can also see our plot, if not quite the villa, from the top of the Rock).

Beyond Gibraltar is the wild and undeveloped Costa de Luz . Tarifa is the wind surfing capital of Europe, while just to the north lies Bolon and the perfectly preserved Roman town of Baelo Claudia, a wonderful beach and an excellent chiringuito (beach restaurant). Further north is Jerez, with its wealth of sherry bodegas (again worth visiting) , Cape Trafalgar, and the old city of Cadiz. Coto Donana at the mouth of the Guadalquivir, is the largest National Park in Europe.

Further afield Seville and Granada are both World Heritage Sites. Although manageable in a long day, both are worth an overnight trip

Gaucin area

Casares is the nearest village to Finca las Aguilas. It is a picturesque "pueblo blanco" with a hilltop Moorish castle, narrow streets, and a jumble of white painted houses. There are many little shops, although as most are hidden behind unassuming frontages, it is easy to miss them. Casares is just over the top of Sierra Createllina and therefore out of sight from our property.

Gaucin, on the other hand, while slightly further away, is directly in view 5 kms across the deep and wooded Rio Genal valley. Like Casares it is a "pueblo blanco", with a Moorish hilltop castle. On Easter Day the town has a bull run similar to the famous Pamplona event, and people come from all parts of Andalusia to run with the bulls. Like its neighbour, Genalguacil, Gaucin has a thriving artist community, and is also home to a group of keen walkers who welcome visitors to join them on regular guided walks in the vicinity..

The 150 year old British-built railway between Ronda and Algeciras provides a lovely way of seeing the countryside in this region. One can get on and off at any one of a number of small stations and walk along the river valley to the next station. Several of the old station buildings have been converted into excellent ventas (restaurants) so a walk can be rewarded with a good meal!

On the coast there are still many Andalusian festivals such as the Festival of the Virgin, in which large crowds on Estepona seafront watch a Madonna statue carried from fishing boat to fishing boat to bless the fishing. The horse racing along the sands at San Lucar are also a huge event. (Details of any local festivals during the period of your visit can be provided if requested).

How to get there

Finca las Aguilas is situated in the Parque Natural de Crestellina - with all the wild life of the park, the stunning scenery but within very easy reach of all amenities and the wonderful wild life of the Sierra Crestellina, just 15 kms inland from the Mediterranean and with the Rock of Gibraltar and the Morroccan Rif visible from the top of our land. Our nearest large town is Estepona - but Sotogrande, Sabinillas (where we do all our shopping) and Duquesa are within twenty minutes' drive.

Airports: We are one hour from Malaga Airport (all the low cost airlines go there), 30 minutes (driving time - but much longer to get across the border and do all the formalities) from Gibraltar Airport, two and a half hours from Seville Airport, one and three quarter hours from Jerez Airport.... and only 12 kms from the km 142 junction off the AP7 (Autopista de Mediterraneo).

Railways and ferries: we are just over 30 minutes' drive to the wonderful little railway that goes from Algeciras to Ronda - and from Malaga you can be in Madrid in under four hours on the new high speed train link. Ferries to Morrocco leave from Algeciras and Tarifa - the quickest crossing from Tarifa takes 35 minutes.

We are 15 kms (c 10 miles) from the Mediterranean with blue flag beaches and excellent shopping, banks etc at Estepona, Casares, Duquesa and Sotogrande - and world-class golf courses within a twenty minute drive.
The beautiful white villages of Casares (5kms) and Gaucin (8 kms - visible fom the house) are an easy drive - as are many other white villages - eg Jimena de la Frontera, Genalguacil, Benarraba - and Ronda is only 25 miles away.

The well-known world heritage sites of Grenada, Seville, Cadiz and Cordoba can be visited in a (long) day's drive - but it's better to plan an overnight stay. Jerez is just over an hour - and we can recommend an excellent private bodega if you are interested in sherry and wine - as well as flamenco and the excellent sea food restaurants in Sanlucar de Barrameda where they make fino sherry.

Activities near Gaucin

Facilities

Further details indoors:
This villa is fully equipped as a proper home with antique furniture, books, DVDs, CDs, board games, full family TV package (English and Spanish), a well equipped luxury kitchen and all creature comforts.

The dining table seats twelve - and outside you can dine al fresco by the pool or in various shaded areas around the villa to suit the weather and time of day. All bedrooms are en-suite - and all have outdoor balconies or patios to sit and enjoy the views with a morning tea or coffee or an afternoon cooling drink. The three king size double beds can all be split to form twin beds if required.

All rooms have remote-controlled fans and there are portable air con units in the summer (as the house is built in Andaluz style with thick walls and shutters these are rarely required!) - and in winter, the house has under-floor heating, a log fire in the living room and radiators in the bedrooms. You are welcome to enjoy our library of books, our DVDs and our rather eccentric collection of classical (and mainly 1960's) pop CDs. We also supply family board games, chess and playing cards. There is a sound system in the main reception rooms, master bedroom and downstairs verandah - so you can listen to music (or the radio) in any of these rooms.

During the low season (and sometimes during the mid-season) the villa can be rented as a two-bedroom house for up to four adults (and two children/babies under 5 years old sharing the bedrooms with adults) - we simply block off the downstairs bedroom suite. All other facilities of the house are the same as for the three bedroom house.

Further details outdoors:
The villa is set in 2.5 hectares (6 acres) of landscaped and natural garden, including a vegetable and herb garden and fruit trees (you are welcome to pick whatever is in season!). There are five al fresco dining areas so you can find somewhere to sit and relax at all times of day and in all seasons - and the 11m x 5.5 metre pool has its own large terracotta tiled sunbathing area, lawn, hammocks, loungers, shaded pergola and changing room/WC.

It's a great area for walking: and you can walk straight from the back door into the Crestellina Park. Because we are in a regional park the wild life is superb - it really is a nature-lover's heaven. Roe deer, wild boar, ibex (mountain goats), mongoose, foxes are frequently seen from our land and the wild flowers in spring are beautiful. Bird life is superb because we are on the spring and autumn migratory route to and from Africa - honey buzzards, bee eaters and our returning swallows are special favourites. All year you can see the Griffon vultures and eagles soaring above us on the Crestellina or listen to the nightingales in spring and summer.

There are over 20 golf courses within 30 minutes' drive (further details from the owner who is a keen golfer) - and the local beaches at Sabinillas, Duquesa, Estepona and Sotogrande are excellent with good beach restaurants and all facilities for children. You can also enjoy riding, or whale and dolphin watching in the Straits of Gibraltar! And, from the top of our land, you can see Africa (Morocco) and Gibraltar

Rental rates

Prices for group size 8
Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
Mid season	5 Sep 09	31 Oct 09	1750£ 1,591	0-	0-	1 Week
Low season	31 Oct 09	19 Dec 09	1200£ 1,091	0-	0-	1 Week
Christmas 2009	19 Dec 09	3 Jan 10	1750£ 1,591	0-	0-	1 Week
Low season 2010	3 Jan 10	20 Mar 10	1200£ 1,091	0-	0-	1 Week
Mid season 2010	20 Mar 10	26 Jun 10	1800£ 1,636	0-	0-	1 Week
High season 2010	26 Jun 10	4 Sep 10	2500£ 2,273	0-	0-	1 Week
Mid season 2010	4 Sep 10	30 Oct 10	1800£ 1,636	0-	0-	1 Week

Prices for group size 4
Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
Mid season 2 bedrooms	5 Sep 09	31 Oct 09	950£ 864	0-	0-	1 Week
Low season 2 bedrooms	31 Oct 09	19 Dec 09	800£ 727	0-	0-	1 Week
Christmas 2009	19 Dec 09	3 Jan 10	1750£ 1,591	0-	0-	1 Week
Low season 2 bedrooms	3 Jan 10	20 Mar 10	800£ 727	0-	0-	1 Week
Mid season 2 bedrooms	20 Mar 10	26 Jun 10	1200£ 1,091	0-	0-	1 Week

NB: Prices may be subject to change at the advertiser's discretion.

Bookings, by phone or email, will be confirmed by email and secured by a 25% deposit payable in euros within 5 days of acceptance of booking. Full payment required 8 weeks prior to arrival. Payment by bank transfer in GBP (or euro/dollar equivalent). Change-over day is Saturday but different start dates might be possible during the low season. Please ask. Up to three cots and a high chair available at no extra charge. £300 (or euro/dollar equivalent) damage deposit payable on arrival and returned on departure. Rental rates include weekly linen change and weekly house clean, gas, electricity,central heating,and (in winter) an initial supply of logs for the log fire and free wi-fi broadband internet access.

A welcome pack (milk,bread,butter,wine,tea,coffee,eggs, bacon, cold meats, fruit etc) will be provided on arrival (sufficient to cater until you can get to the shops). Special diets catered for if requested. Regular pool cleaning and gardening is also included.Additional maid service/laundry can be organised at a rate of €14 hour paid directly to the maid.

Guestbook for Finca las Aguilas

"What a wonderful,wonderful place...it was far more than we expected..hopefully we will return one day to enjoy the views,the landscape even more than we did this time." December 2008 The de Haan Family, Utrecht , Netherlands
"Thanks for all the hard work you have put in to make your guests,like us, feel so much at home. We enjoyed everything- the finca,the area,the scenery, the vultures, the eagles...positively perfect, and a blissful break" October 2008 The Johnstons, Devon
"What a house-what a location-what a welcome.. We all had a wonderful time. September 2008 The Moloney Family, Ireland
"Most impressed with what you have achieved here. We have rented many villas in Spain and elsewhere but this is probably the best and we have lacked nothing. House,surrounds,pool,outlookand service have been excellent. September 2008 The Roscoes Wales

Availability

See below for next 9 months' availability - to see the next 24 months click here

Send Enquiry

To contact this advertiser please visit: http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/79143

Contact details for the advertiser of home 79143
Name:	Gerald Licence
Mobile:	+34 649 906783
Be aware of time-zones Please mention Holiday Lettings when contacting this advertiser
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Advertiser joined: Feb 2009