11 July, 2013

Stunning family villa in Grazalema Natural Park – Villa La Pozailla

Set in rugged mountainous country, that is unusually verdant for this sun-scorched region of Spain, it is safe to say that villa La Pozailla in the Grazalema Natural Park is a delightful ‘get away from it all’ destination.

Villa La Pozailla

This beautiful whitewashed villa has been tastefully renovated; using traditional and local materials that ensure it is in-keeping with its spectacularly natural surroundings. The luxuriantly fertile garden is assisted by a river the property is blessed with, which runs down its border and feeds the mature trees, which offer refreshing shade during the hot Andalucian summer months.

Old wooden beams, ceramic tiles, terracotta bricks and attractive local stone are the quant and tasteful building materials which hold this beautiful house together. Despite having been renovated in a traditional style, La Pozailla has all the modern devices needed for today’s living standards, such as Wi-Fi, a dishwasher and a DVD player.

This large  villa in Grazalema Natural Park has two double bedrooms and a twin room and officially sleeps 6-8 people. There are also two single beds on the open galleried mezzanine floor, providing additional accommodation in an inspiring setting dominated by the wood, ceramic and stone.

Downstairs the villa is widely open plan ground yet at the same time each room feels very much like it is in its own defined space without any need for a wall or partition. The lounge area is extremely snug and cosy with its majestic stone fireplace and other impressive stone features. The kitchen area is traditionally Andalucian with the units being made from brick, yet has been infused with a modern touch, meaning that the appointed chef will not be wanting for anything. The dining room is exactly where it should be, next to the kitchen. You can just imagine rustic bowls of chicken and chorizo stew being served up with crusty bread and a few bottles of a nice Spanish red in this superb Andalucian villa.

Green, stunning and possessing an inviting pool, La Pozailla’s exterior is equally as impressive as its interior. The lawns have been well cared for and it’s easy to imagine oneself spread out on the lawn in the shade of a tree following a swim in the pool in the soaring temperatures of July or August.

It is also important to remember that you are in the Grazalema Natural Park, a place of contrasting formations formed from the region’s turbulent geological history – the net result being sensational views.

There is plenty to see and do in this region of Spain and a short drive down the road leads to the whitewashed village of Grazelema, where there are numerous shops, restaurants and bars to be sampled.

Slightly further a field is the town of Ronda, which is a well-known historic tourist haunt with scores of restaurants and bars to suit every taste. The gorge at Ronda is both spectacular and frightening especially when you learn about the poor souls who were thrown down it during the Spanish Civil War.

La Pozailla is an antique country house, which has been converted from a bygone time where life was hard, in to a relaxing modern villa, where one can soak up the sun, swim in the pool and drink in the spectacular countryside.