Andalucia self catering cottage, Spain
| country: | Spain |
| location: | Lubrin, near Almeria in Andalucia |
| price: | From €325 (Sep-Jun) - €450 (Jul-Aug), per week for the house, based on two adults (and 2 children). €10 per week per additional adult (sleeps 2-6 people). €21 cleaning fee per visit. Discounts for single travellers available. |
description
A pretty 3 bedroom cortijo set in a beautiful garden on the edge of a small Spanish mountain town in Andalucia.
A traditional ‘cortijo’ in Lubrin, Almeria. It is just 45 minutes inland from Mojacar and Vera. At our Andalucia self catering cottage there 3 bedrooms (one double, two single) and a couple of spare mattresses, meaning that up to six people can stay.
The cortijo is three minutes walk from the village. It is set in a beautiful seven-terrace garden, a perfect place for adults to relax and children to explore. In July and August, the village’s open-air pool is a heavenly spot, just 12 minutes walk away.
Walking Horse-riding (4-6 hr rides approx £35 - tuition available) Cave tours and geology Bird-watching Culture (Granada, local fiestas) Regional crafts Swimming at village pool (open July & August)
Walking: There are fabulous walks to be done in the countryside surrounding our Andalucia self catering cottage and many guests enjoy exploring the nearby coast. Lubrin is close to Cabo de Gata, Andalucia's largest coastal protected area, a wild and isolated landscape containing some of Europe's most original geological features. Here you can find teeming marine life and the Salinas de Cabo de Gata, one of Spain's most important wetland areas for breeding and overwintering birds.
Sightseeing: Places of interest are the caves at Sorbas (daily tours), and the National Park of Tabernas, a desert area which is home to ‘Mini Hollywood’ where many of Sergio Leone’s ‘spaghetti westerns’ were shot. Nearer the coast you will also find the Cortijo del Fraile, scene of the tragic real-life events that inspired Lorca's classic book Blood Wedding. Granada and the Sierra Nevada are just 2 hours away and, for more culture, numerous local fiestas take place almost on the doorstep – or close by in neighbouring villages.
A traditional ‘cortijo’ in Lubrin, Almeria. It is just 45 minutes inland from Mojacar and Vera. At our Andalucia self catering cottage there 3 bedrooms (one double, two single) and a couple of spare mattresses, meaning that up to six people can stay.
The cortijo is three minutes walk from the village. It is set in a beautiful seven-terrace garden, a perfect place for adults to relax and children to explore. In July and August, the village’s open-air pool is a heavenly spot, just 12 minutes walk away.
special things to do and see here
Walking Walking: There are fabulous walks to be done in the countryside surrounding our Andalucia self catering cottage and many guests enjoy exploring the nearby coast. Lubrin is close to Cabo de Gata, Andalucia's largest coastal protected area, a wild and isolated landscape containing some of Europe's most original geological features. Here you can find teeming marine life and the Salinas de Cabo de Gata, one of Spain's most important wetland areas for breeding and overwintering birds. Sightseeing: Places of interest are the caves at Sorbas (daily tours), and the National Park of Tabernas, a desert area which is home to ‘Mini Hollywood’ where many of Sergio Leone’s ‘spaghetti westerns’ were shot. Nearer the coast you will also find the Cortijo del Fraile, scene of the tragic real-life events that inspired Lorca's classic book Blood Wedding. Granada and the Sierra Nevada are just 2 hours away and, for more culture, numerous local fiestas take place almost on the doorstep – or close by in neighbouring villages.
rooms, food and facilities
3 bedrooms: blue room with single bed; pink bedroom with double bed; orange ‘cave’ bedroom with single bed, futon mattress and two extra foam mattresses, and many stripy jarapas (rug/bedcovers).
Dining room with table and 6 chairs plus a desk. Kitchen with big gas oven, fridge-freezer, kettle, cutlery and crockery. Sitting room with 2 sofas, chair and little table. Bathroom with hot shower, toilet and wash basin (basic but nice). Washing machine. Wood-burning stove and portable calor gas heater in lounge.
Beautiful seven-terrace garden, with a little bench to sit on and watch the comings and goings below in the valley. Also a shady patio with table.
Lubrin has seven bars, and a nice tiled bodega (wine bar) with a gourmet tapas menu, recently voted the best tapas bar in the province of Almeria. La Molina also has a restaurant and a nice roof terrace. The town also has a big outdoor swimming pool (Jul-Aug) - a heavenly place and rarely full.
Family friendly: Children love it here! They particularly enjoy exploring the garden and making friends with the lizards! The cave tours at Sorbas have been a big hit, too. There is also a water theme park about 40 minutes’ drive away at Vera. The house is at the top of a steep hill and contains many steep stone steps. For this reason it is not suitable for small children (under about 4 years of age).
Pet friendly: Please ask me about taking pets with you on your holiday, as I will decide each case individually.
From Almeria, take the E15, turn off at the Sorbas exit, drive along wiggly road to T-junction, turn left and take the first right, signposted to Lubrin. When you reach Lubrin, take the third road into town.
There is also a one-a-day bus from Almeria city to Lubrin. It leaves at around 4pm, and returns to Almeria early in the morning. I can provide details for people who do not wish to hire a car. There are also local taxi services.
Directions from other airports (Alicante, Murcia) upon request.
If arriving after dark, bring a torch with you – streetlights stop just before my house, although on a clear, full moon night you’ll be fine!
Dining room with table and 6 chairs plus a desk. Kitchen with big gas oven, fridge-freezer, kettle, cutlery and crockery. Sitting room with 2 sofas, chair and little table. Bathroom with hot shower, toilet and wash basin (basic but nice). Washing machine. Wood-burning stove and portable calor gas heater in lounge. Beautiful seven-terrace garden, with a little bench to sit on and watch the comings and goings below in the valley. Also a shady patio with table.
Lubrin has seven bars, and a nice tiled bodega (wine bar) with a gourmet tapas menu, recently voted the best tapas bar in the province of Almeria. La Molina also has a restaurant and a nice roof terrace. The town also has a big outdoor swimming pool (Jul-Aug) - a heavenly place and rarely full.
Family friendly: Children love it here! They particularly enjoy exploring the garden and making friends with the lizards! The cave tours at Sorbas have been a big hit, too. There is also a water theme park about 40 minutes’ drive away at Vera. The house is at the top of a steep hill and contains many steep stone steps. For this reason it is not suitable for small children (under about 4 years of age).
Pet friendly: Please ask me about taking pets with you on your holiday, as I will decide each case individually.
how to find our Andalucia self catering cottage
From Almeria, take the E15, turn off at the Sorbas exit, drive along wiggly road to T-junction, turn left and take the first right, signposted to Lubrin. When you reach Lubrin, take the third road into town. There is also a one-a-day bus from Almeria city to Lubrin. It leaves at around 4pm, and returns to Almeria early in the morning. I can provide details for people who do not wish to hire a car. There are also local taxi services.
Directions from other airports (Alicante, Murcia) upon request.
If arriving after dark, bring a torch with you – streetlights stop just before my house, although on a clear, full moon night you’ll be fine!
how this holiday makes a difference
|
This was originally the home of the local 'transportista' a man who kept animals on which to drive local produce to market near the coast at Vera. The house dates back about 150 years. It was simply renovated 10 years ago by local builders and craftsmen using natural products such as traditional ‘yeso’.
When I bought the house, local industries such as agriculture and mining were in steep decline. People from the area have traditionally emigrated (there is an annual emigrants’ fiesta in August), and increasing numbers of young people were moving to the city.  By employing local workers and patronising local shops and bars, I and visitors to my Andalucia self catering cottage have helped to revitalise the village. Promoting rural tourism in a traditional cortijo gives visitors an unforgettable opportunity to ‘step back in time’ and discover a simpler way of life. Many continue to think about this and make changes to their lifestyle when they return home. Guests can also visit nearby protected areas, such as the Cabo de Gata nature reserve which contains one of Spain's most important wetland areas for breeding and overwintering birds. The salinas (saltpans) are the only ones still in operation in eastern Andalucia. Back in Lubrin, all my gardening is done organically and guests can sample fresh organic figs and almonds from the trees! |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've lead the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |