Hacienda, Pueblos Blancos, Andalucia, Spain

This beautiful hacienda is available for the following Well Being Breaks

 

Click here for a map of the property's location

For a list of other activities and places to visit in the immediate vicinity, click here

The hacienda is set in the midst of the plains just to the north west of the Grazalema National Park, close to the village of Villamartin in the Pueblos Blancos region of the province of Cadiz.  A short drive away is Arcos de la Frontera, an archetypal “white town” and Ronda, one of the most spectacular cities in Spain.  Slightly further away are the major cities of Seville and Cadiz, while the more adventurous could, for a long day out, even visit Tangiers in Morocco. 

The hacienda is built on three sides of a central courtyard full of roses and bougainvilleas.  It is a very substantial property, ideal for a large group wanting to enjoy a quiet piece of rural Andalucia.

Inside, the property is decorated in an old-style Spanish opulence.  There is plenty of antique furniture, original paintings and rare old books.  The accommodation is split into two wings surrounding the central courtyard, each having a choice of reception rooms and their own kitchen, and the larger of which has its own terrace overlooking the swimming pool.  All the rooms have en suite facilities.  There is plenty of outdoor dining space and places to sit out, so is ideal for those who want to spend much of their time enjoying Andalucia’s famed sunshine (over 300 days a year on average)

Outside there is the swimming pool which looks out across the miles of gently undulating farmland and olive groves that surround the property. 

The property lies at the heart of the Pueblos Blancos (“white villages”) region, some of the most beautiful towns and villages in Southern Spain.  These were usually founded by Berber tribes during the period of the occupation of Spain by the Moors and were built with defence in mind – hence their precarious positions.

Also within a short drive are the two small cities of Arcos de la Frontera and Ronda.  Arcos dates back to pre-Roman times and sits in a spectacular position on top of an impressive sandstone ridge.  Ronda also lies on a massive outcrop, straddling a precipitous limestone cleft which is spanned by the famous “New Bridge”.  It is one of the main centres for bullfighting in Spain.

The major city within easy driving distance is Seville.   This is many peoples’ idea of the “real Spain”, a sensual and extravagant city, home to flamenco, Carmen and bullfighting.  It has the reputation as Spain’s party town and is host to numerous festivals.  Like much of Spain its architecture bears the legacy of the Moors.

And it is also possible to travel to Tangiers in Morocco from the hacienda (though it is a long day out).  In the 1950s, Tangiers was host to a huge ex-pat community of westerners attracted by its loose legal system and extremely free lifestyle.  Visitors included many of the “Beat” writers from the USA such as Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs.