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For centuries, outsiders have been lured to the radiant hills and valleys of Andalucía, not least the Moors of north Africa who left such an impact on the land and culture. More recently, an influx of northern European aficionados has fostered a string of seductive, small-scale guesthouses to join some idiosyncratic Spanish-owned properties. These are idyllic, tranquil settings in which to de-stress and recharge, hike, ride, cycle, cook, swim or simply stargaze – the rural skies here are blissfully free of light pollution. Nor are cultural highlights ever far away, whether in Granada, Córdoba or Seville.
Starry nights at Casa Mimi
Near Gérgal, in the eastern mountains bordering the Sierra de los Filabres, this Belgian-owned bed and breakfast has three charming rooms with ample outside space, views and a pool. Although isolated, it has unbeatable access to regional highlights including Europe’s only desert, which surrounds the old film studios of Tabernas; Almería’s stupendous fortress; and the wild beaches of Cabo de Gata. A lesser known lure is the Calar Alto astronomical observatory, one of Europe’s largest, perched on a nearby mountaintop, where night visits are available. Mediterranean dinners (€25) at Casa Mimi are on request and use seasonal produce, guaranteed by these former restaurateurs, Priscilla and Ben. The entire property of four bedrooms can be rented.
Doubles from €70 B&B, casamimi.net
Hiking and biking from Hostal Pampaneira
Time-travel to old-school Andalucía in Las Alpujarras, the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Almost 50 years old with local furnishings to match, this modest, 15-room family hotel overlooks the steep, whitewashed village of Pampaneira on dizzying bends high above Órgiva – an enclave for alternative lifestyles. Centuries ago, the Berbers developed farming in the area and Pampaneira’s intricate layout. The restaurant cooks hearty mountain produce in the form of stews and roasts (pork, lamb and kid goat) with vegetables from their allotment, their own olive oil and local wine. Cliff climbing, mountain biking, horse riding, guided treks and excursions to the snowy slopes of 3,479-metre Mulhacén (the highest mountain in the Iberian peninsula) are all on offer for the active, while peerless Granada lies to the north.
Doubles from €42, triples €50, breakfast €10, hostalpampaneira.com
Embrace nature at Casa Olea
This converted farmhouse hides in a stunning, secluded valley north of the delightful baroque town of Priego de Córdoba in central Andalucía. Over the years, the owners, Tim and Claire, have fine-tuned comforts and activities while upping the impressive environmental credentials. Six stylish rooms crown a restaurant with panoramic views over the river, olive groves, woods, two Moorish watch towers and a bronze age hillfort. The large pool is where to relax after self-guided hikes, cycling (bike rental and navigation app available) or birding from a hide. The coup de grâce is a gourmet dinner (€36) cooked by Claire, laced with the property’s own olive oil. And there is the opportunity to stargaze as Casa Olea is certified as a Starlight hotel. Midway between Granada and Córdoba, serious sightseeing is also on the agenda.
Doubles €154 B&B (two-night minimum), casaolea.com
On top of the world at Finca Serrato
Hidden down a dirt road in the Montes de Málaga near Colmenar, about 50 minutes from Málaga, the finca offers three apartments and two double rooms in the farmhouse or outbuilding. All have an attractive, understated aesthetic, some with woodburning stoves, air-con, kitchen facilities and private patio. A small pool has far-reaching views. The youthful French-Spanish hosts, Zélie and Nico, prepare delicious breakfasts, snacks and tapas, sourcing local ingredients. An hour away is Antequera and the surreal rock formations of El Torcal – an entrancing setting for hikes.
Doubles from €68, apartments from €77 (two-night minimum), breakfast €9, airport transfer €60, fincaserrato.com
Gourmet dining at Finca Las Encinas
With only three bedrooms, you could call this guesthouse intimate, but that impression changes when you’re under the pergola overlooking the pool and see a rippling sea of olive groves prized for their oil. Foodies should make a beeline here as Welsh chef Clive is passionate about Andalucían cooking, conjuring up fabulous seasonal dinners as well as cooking classes. The cosseting finca lies in a hamlet of La Subbética, a semi-mountainous region between Córdoba and Granada, with the Iznájar reservoir (for watersports) and castle just down the road. Maki, Clive’s Japanese wife and a knowledgable enthusiast of the region, accompanies guests to bodegas, olive oil mills and cultural hotspots. Cosy rooms are thoughtfully decorated, and Clive’s organic vegetable garden boosts the menu.
Doubles from €80 B&B (two-night minimum), dinner €33, finca-las-encinas.com
Serenity at La Dehesa Experience
Rest up in luxury glamping style in the heart of the Sierra Morena north of Córdoba, famed for Iberian pigs snuffling acorns beneath the oak trees. Scattered over the dehesa (fertile pasture for cattle and horses) are six wooden cabins raised on platforms with one or two bedrooms, a kitchen and a plunge pool outside. An alternative is the “tubbo”, a spacious transparent tube, all the better for total immersion. Slickly designed interiors contain fridges full of Andalucían wine and local gourmet produce, binoculars, and a telescope in some suites. Here, you are on your own and totally private, although the efficient staff are always on call to deliver breakfast, lunch or dinner (€35) and even offer massages. This is the ultimate retreat for total serenity, for romance and for immersion in nature.
Doubles from €189 B&B, ladehesaexperiences.com
Eclectic retreat at El Molino del Abuelo
At this transformed water mill, you will be warmly greeted by two brothers and their mother. The family project (the mill was set up by their grandfather – the abuelo) is an eco-friendly bubble in the village of Montecorto, just 20km west of Ronda. Out front unfolds the verdant Sierra de Grazalema, renowned for hiking, biking trails, birding, and sprinkled with classic pueblos blancos. Raúl and Florentino have curated an eclectic oasis of vivid colour and quirky craft and artworks – including murals by their sister. Five rooms, two pools, a shared kitchen for making snacks and a prolific garden of organic vegetables and fruit trees are all there, but number one is the gurgling stream which lulls you to sleep. Breakfasts are bountiful, so luckily yoga and bikes are options, along with tips on local sights.
Doubles from €70, breakfast €7.50, adults only, elmolinodelabuelo.es
Walking wonders from Molinos de Fuenteheridos
In the Sierra de Aracena of western Andalucía, near Aracena, this 17th-century flour and olive mill has been converted in contemporary style to offer 10 huge, well-appointed rooms with luxury en suites. The mill room itself is now an atmospheric common area with plentiful seating lit by Moorish lamps. Outside, extensive grounds include lush gardens, a large saltwater pool, a smaller freshwater one and a river that nourishes fig, walnut, chestnut and apple trees. It is a picture-perfect area for hikes, coupled with Aracena castle, spectacular grottos and Museo del Jamón – a 15-minute drive away, and the bars and restaurants of Fuenteheridos within walking distance. Not least, the cultural riches of Seville beckon, a 90-minute drive away.
Doubles from €99, breakfast €7, molinosdefuenteheridos.com
Fiona Dunlop is the author of Andaluz – a Food Journey through Southern Spain (Interlink Publishing)
