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The Old Mill, Alájar

Timeless Aracena

The Old Mill's shady gardens

• timeless scenery • intriguing villages • rich architectural heritage • excellent regional gastronomy

The cottages:

• 1-3 bedrooms (sleep 2-6) • bathroom • sitting-cum-dining room with open fire or wood-burning stove (small local charge for firewood) • well-equipped kitchen • underfloor heating • shared vegetable plot • outdoor terrace • shared pool (usually open from May to September)

Dine alfresco on the terrace in warm weather

Activities/facilities available:

• full-size artificial grass tennis court (free for guests) • walking (notes included) • horse riding 30 mins away • donkey treks • local cheese, chestnut & olive-oil fairs in autumn & winter • mushroom walks organised by your host (Oct & Nov) • nearest shops & restaurant 5 mins away (Alájar boasts three good restaurants)

Rabbit Cottage

> Prices & travel

Tucked away close to the Portuguese border, Andalucia's Aracena Sierra is a land of glorious woodland and far-reaching views, of soft, rounded hills and crystal-clear streams, where every season has its charms. Spring brings carpets of wild flowers, autumn sees the chestnut woods turn rich shades of red and gold, while winter brings crisp, clear days and lively fiestas celebrating the local olive oil and other produce. The hills are criss-crossed with paths that beckon you to explore, the beautiful chestnut forests giving way to magnificent cork-oak woods as you venture eastwards. Friendly, workaday villages are scattered in the valleys and on the hillsides and are full of southern spirit as well as many architectural gems. Their inhabitants live in harmony with the land and, as you walk along inviting paths, you see men leading donkeys laden with shiny chestnuts, workers preparing for the cork harvest and farmers tending the sleek black pigs which provide the region's prized air-cured ham that is served alongside dishes featuring wild asparagus, snails, chestnuts and wild mushrooms according to season. This is a true gastronome’s paradise, with many wonderful restaurants in the intriguing villages. Throughout October and November your host will arrange a guided mushroom-collecting nature walk which forms the basis of two gastronomic evenings of dining, one with wine tasting (minimum two people, cost £88 per person).

Nearby Almonaster with its hill-top mosque, castle and bullring

To fully enjoy this region, you can embark on a range of walks (all either grade 1 or grade 2 ) from the doorstep or from nearby villages, using our notes or those of your host. Just three of the walks for which notes are provided are:

To Galaroza (9km, 4hrs): this circular route from nearby Castaño starts with views over to the famous ham-producing town of Jabugo and then leads through chestnut woods to the pretty town of Galaroza. Take time to visit the town before returning along a picturesque river valley.
La Peña de Arias (10km, 3.5hrs): starting from Alájar, you wind uphill via the village shrine onto the high cliff, La Peña de Arias, overlooking Alájar with a grand bird’s-eye view of the village and the sierra beyond. You rise higher still along an ancient muleteers' path to a viewpoint and then circle the hills to the north of La Peña.
Pastoral landscapes (6km, 2hrs): a second, more gentle route from Alájar explores the attractive cultivated area to the south of the village.

Such timeless scenery and fantastic walking is reason enough to spend a week or two here, but there is so much more to discover: Almonaster, a village with a 9th-century mosque; bustling Aracena, crowned by a church built by the Knights Templar; the medieval walled town of Aroche; towns such as Jerez de los Caballeros linked to the conquistadors and steeped in history; vibrant Seville, the city which encapsulates southern Spanish spirit; the Doñana National Wetlands Park, Europe’s largest wildlife reserve; the sandy beaches of the Costa de la Luz; and even crumbling castles and whitewashed, cobbled villages across the nearby border with Portugal.

The pretty village of Alájar

In such a peaceful, unspoiled area, the Old Mill serves as a fittingly tranquil retreat, far enough from the nearest village to feel in its own small world, yet close enough to walk. Your charming hosts are Peter and Monica, an English-speaking couple from the Netherlands who know their adopted land well.

Enjoy relaxed walking through flower-filled meadows

The beautiful exteriors are matched by exquisite interiors where the attention to detail is astonishing. Patterned fabrics, hand-painted tiles, antique furniture and chestnut ceiling beams lend great character and charm to the cottages, while open fires and under-floor heating provides plenty of warmth if needed. There are five cottages of varying sizes, all equipped with a television, CD player and DVD player and boasting an outdoor terrace offering wide-reaching views. See below for more details of the layout. What makes the Old Mill extra special is the sense of space - the cottages are set apart from one another, as is the shared pool.

The idyllic shared pool

The layout of the cottages is as follows:
Eagle (sleeps 2 adults and 2 children): a living room with a fireplace and kitchen area (with a 4-ring hob, oven, microwave and fridge); a double bedroom; a mezzanine level with two child's beds accessed via a spiral staircase from the bedroom; and a bathroom. Underfloor heating throughout.
Tortoise (sleeps 4): one-storey cottage with a spacious living room with a fireplace, underfloor heating, a large window looking towards the hills, and a kitchen area (with a 5-ring hob, oven and fridge); a double bedroom with a shower room; a twin bedroom with two single beds and a shower room; and a terrace.
Zoya (sleeps 4): one-storey cottage with a good-sized living room with a fireplace and a kitchen area (with a 5-ring hob, oven and fridge); a twin bedroom with an en suite shower room; a double bedroom with en suite shower room; and a raised terrace overlooking the river and accessed via patio windows from the living room. Underfloor heating throughout.
Rabbit (sleeps 4-6): two-storey cottage with a large living room with a fireplace and a kitchen area (with a 5-ring hob, oven and fridge); downstairs shower room; two gallery rooms each with two single beds best suited to children; a double bedroom with an en suite shower room; and a terrace. Underfloor heating in all rooms.
Stork (sleeps 4-6): as Rabbit except that the main bedroom is accessed via an entrance at the side of the house.

Tortoise Cottage

Prices & travel

Start: any day
Nights: 7
Recommended airport: Seville
Latest flight arrival/earliest flight departure time: flexible
Driving time from airport: 1h30
Property & hire car includes: 7 days' category A car hire
Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route, times and price to suit you
Mushroom walk (including two gastronomic evenings): £88pp

> Notes on pricing

> Personal holiday insurance

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