Monday, 14 February 2011

La Vereda de Puebla



La Vereda de Puebla is a self-catering rural house in Puebla de Valles, the most beautiful place in Guadalajara. There are some truly wonderful places to visit if you enjoy nature, such as Cañon del Jarama, El Ocejón, Lagunas de Beleña, La Vega del Jarama, Pantanos del Vado, Sorbe and Pozo de los Ramos.


The village is less than 100kms from Madrid so is easily doable as a weekend away. The house accommodates up to 8 people and prices start at 420 euros for a weekend in low season.
The local "fiestas" are on August 8th, so if you want to know Puebla de Valles at its most entertaining, that is the date to book for.

Monday, 9 November 2009

Casa de Casal: 16th Century rural accommodation in Galicia



Casa de Casal is a 16th century building that has been converted into a hotel. It is not far from Santiago de Compostela, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, that was the European City of Culture in the year 2000. As you might expect the hotel has great charm and character yet it is surprisingly well-priced, even during high season.


Languages spoken by the staff include English, French and Spanish; there are home-cooked breakfasts and evening meals available using local produce.

Nearby places worth visiting are the Pazo de Oca palace gardens which has been compared with Versailles amd the waterfalls of River Toxa, the highest in Galicia. Casa de Casal is an ideal hotel to spend a few days at if you are making a cultural visit to the region.

Tuesday, 15 September 2009

Molino Rio Alajar - holiday rental cottages near Huelva



Molino Rio Alajar is a group of 6 holiday rental cottages located near Huelva, Spain. The houses are built of local stone and can sleep a maximum of six people. The Dutch owners have gone out of their way to make the accommodation really special and to offer a few things you would not usually find at a Spanish rural house. If you are a non-Spanish speaking visitor, for example, why not take the opportunity to have a few Spanish lessons? Or have a few games of tennis on their beautifully maintained tennis court? And what about going out mushroom hunting or having a relaxing evening meal and enjoying a selection of Spanish wines? All without even leaving the site!





Of course, there are plenty of other things to do such as visiting the local village, Alajar, with its beautiful cobbled streets and white houses - or visit the nearby park (Parque Natural Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche) which is a "green oasis" even in the hot Andalusian summer.
For more information about Molino Rio Alajar, visit their website.



Wednesday, 9 September 2009

Bed and Breakfast near Torre Del Mar, Andalusia, Spain



Werner and Riitta Geiser are the owners of Huerta Tropical, a Bed and Breakfast on the Costa del Sol, Andalusia. The accommodation is very nicely located as you can see from the pictures and there is a good-sized pool for keeping cool. There is plenty to do in the area with activities such as cycling, motorbike hire, golf and sailing on offer. Access to the accommodation is pretty straightforward too, with Malaga airport just 45 minutes drive away.



Mr and Mrs Geiser offer you a warm welcome and a hearty breakfast in the morning to set you up for the rest of the day - and you are sure to have no problems communicating, wherever you come from, as between them they can speak no less than 6 languages: German, English, Spanish, Finnish, French, Swedish.



Tuesday, 8 September 2009

Bed and Breakfast Accommodation, Costa Blanca, Spain



If you are looking for a comfortable, modern and secluded bed and breakfast accommodation on the Costa Blanca in Spain you can't go wrong with Villa Vista.
Villa Vista is owned by Mike and Wendy, who I believe are British. They offer B&B from just 28 euros per person and self-catering from 400 euros per week. The house itself has a swimming pool - a must for those hot summer months when all you want to do is chill out and relax.
Activities nearby include golf, the beach, cycling (I don't recommned this in the Spanish summer - at least not after 10 a.m. !) and .... um "house hunting", according to their website - I'm not sure if there will be many people looking for houses in the south of Spain these days, but those that are will be guaranteed to find a bargain!



El Galapero, Caceres, Extremadura, Spain




El Galapero is a traditional farmhouse located near Caceres, the capital city of the region of Extremadura, Spain. It is located in an area of breathtaking beauty and is home to many species of birds, making it a popular location for bird-watchers.

The surrounding area is interesting from an archaeological perspective; just a few miles away is the town of Alcantara, known for its second century Roman bridge and San Benito's convent. Larger nearby cities, also well worth visiting are Caceres and Trujillo, both of which I can recommend to the foreign visitor, having been there myself.

El Galapero is also just 6 miles from Portugal - so it is a great way to add another country to your tour without going too far out of your way. These days you don't even need to show your passport when travelling from one mainland European country to another, in fact there is not even a border control.



Monday, 7 September 2009

Visit Andalusia and stay in a renovated farmhouse



Cortijo Ferradores is a renovated farmhouse in the heart of Andalusia, in the south of Spain. It is ideally located for visiting the main cities in the region (Malaga, Seville, Cordoba, Ronda and Jerez) with access from the main highway being just a couple of miles down the road.

Like the majority of Spain's rural accommodation Cortijo Ferradores is very rustic in nature, while also providing all the modern conveniences required to make your vacation relaxing and comfortable.

Prices start at just 20 euros per person per day and there are plenty of activities available in the area such as horseback riding, balloon rides and archery - plus of course the great food and wine.