Andalucia luxury villa sleeping 12, Spain

Environment:
Our Andalucia luxury villa is in the heart of a stunning wild area of Cork Oak forest. The reserve is the largest park of its kind in the world. Three types of Deer, genet cats, the European mongoose as well as foxes and badgers can be seen occasionally. The bird life is prolific and the migration happens twice a year.

We invite guests to give us information on any special flora or fauna they have seen. Several clients send us their bird listings. One client hardly left the property during one migration and watched the” flypast” from his deckchair on the terrace! This is a stunning area for bird watchers and many have stayed at here and return several times. The peace and quiet and being in the middle of a beautiful Nature Park is very special they say. We do not offer televisions or telephones. We suggest that workaholics should leave their mobiles at home!

Recycling systems: The waste water goes to the trees in the lower part of the property. Some of the trees are grown as a wood lot so that firewood is available for winter log fires. We recycle all plastic items, glass, paper and general waste in the village recycling system. We ask all our clients to do likewise.

Office policies: We try to run a paperless business as much as possible and use email extensively, we have a little office in which all correspondence occurs.

Laundry scheme: Sheets and towels are changed once a week. We ask clients to kindly support this. Use of detergents is kept to a minimum and we do not use bleach.

Garden waste: There is a compost area in the kitchen garden which only grows organic vegetables. This is also the main orchard area where the orange, lemon and grapefruit trees have been growing organically for 30 years.

Community:
The nearby local village has lived in harmony with the Park for centuries. Many local activities take place such as wild mushroom gathering in October, wild asparagus is picked in the spring. The local feria in May is all about the Andalucian Horse and the mules that are used for cork gathering. Well worth visiting to see the Cork Harvest from June to September, when mules are still used as the traditional carriers. Local restaurants serve traditional fare.

The country house holds annual music and dance festivals - our international artists have included ballerinas from the Royal Ballet. We have a stage which fits over the swimming pool and an audience of up to 300 can enjoy opera and flamenco! This also raises funds for both the local charity and The Kijani Kenya Trust.

We enjoy a special relationship with the village and its inhabitants. The current owner has lived at the property for over 30 years. We like to help our visitors to appreciate the cultural life style of the area and enjoy this special way of life much of which has remained unchanged for centuries. It is a unique experience.

Charities: We have raised money for the local Jimena Charity called Estrella, which supports Jimena’s disabled children. We also support a charity in Kenya which helps children with HIV AIDS and also works for environmental conservation.

Local maintenance and building work: All building work at our Andalucia luxury villa is carried out by local artisans, plumbers, carpenters, electricians etc. Most have been looking after the property for up to 30 years. Some of Jimena's best artisans have worked on the property. The courtyard has wonderful wrought iron doors and windows made in the village by local craftsmen. The clay tile bricks of the courtyard are made from earth taken from the nearby hillside and made by one of the best artisans in the nearby village.