The Old Mill, Andalucia

Spain's secret sierra

The Rabbit (Conejo) cottage at the Old Mill (see below)

• wide range of places of interest • shared pool • full-size artifical grass tennis court • visit the ‘Cave of Wonders’ • pick your own garden vegetables • car hire included • welcome hamper

Lose yourselves in this landscape of glorious woodland, idyllic picnic spots and crystal-clear streams, and spend your days exploring the string of charming villages nearby, lazing by the panoramic pool, or taking part in activities such as walking and horse riding. Andalucia’s Aracena Sierra provides the perfect setting for all this and much more besides.

Great days out

This is a region that has changed little over the centuries, and as you explore the friendly, workaday villages you will gain glimpses of Spanish rural life - men leading donkeys laden with vegetables, shepherds herding goats, and farmers tending the black-footed, free-range pigs which feast at leisure on acorns and provide the region’s prized air-cured ham.

The welcoming pool

The region’s main town is Aracena, which boasts a Museum of Open-Air Sculpture (the works are displayed in several streets), a Knights Templar church, a ruined castle, a labyrinth of medieval streets and the intriguing Museo del Jamón y del Cerdo Ibérico - a museum devoted to the life and ways of the Iberian pig, with displays detailing the importance of pig farming locally and an ‘odourama’ for an authentic experience of a jamón drying room! The town’s main attraction, however, is the Gruta de las Maravillas - the so-called ‘Cave of Wonders’ owing to its twelve caverns, subterranean lakes and extraordinary stalactites and stalagmites which are shown to best effect thanks to clever lighting. Discovered by a stray pig, the cave is considered by many to be the most impressive in Spain and was featured in the film Journey to the Centre of the Earth. The neighbouring museum is devoted to the cave’s geology.

The Eagle cottage (see below)

Other villages worthy of a visit include well-preserved Linares de la Sierra (look out for the houses’ marble ‘doormats’ built into the pavements); Galaroza, an attractive hill-top village crowned by the ruins of a castle; Jabugo, centre of the local ham industry where you can buy some for picnics; picturesque Almonaster La Real, home to a bullring and Spain’s oldest mihrab in the 9th-century mosque; and Cortagena, complete with a 16th-century castle and an Art Nouveau casino.

The town of Almonaster with its hill-top bullring

Just a 90-minute drive away is Seville, the city that encapsulates the essence of southern Spain. You can stroll along the narrow streets of the Barrio de Santa Cruz, the former Jewish quarter, peeking through the wrought-iron grilles at the colourful houses’ courtyards planted with fragrant orange trees; take a horse-drawn carriage ride; ascend to the top of the Giralda, an ancient minaret, via a series of ramps lit by tiny windows offering tantalising glimpses over the city (the muezzin who called the faithful to prayer rode a horse to the top of the tower rather than walking up); visit the Alcázar palace, built by Pedro the Cruel in 1366; and let off steam at the La Isla Mágica theme park.

Explore streams and waterfalls

The Gruta de las Maravillas is not the region’s only natural wonder. For something different, visit the Unesco-protected Coto Doñana National Park, one of the largest wetlands in Europe. It has vast numbers of breeding and migratory birds, and also shelters one of the last remaining populations of the rare Spanish lynx. Another worthwhile visit is to the surreal, almost lunar landscape of Río Tinto - setting for the fabled mines of King Solomon and reputedly the oldest in the world.

Walking

The gentle hills and chestnut woods of the Aracena Sierra are perfect walking country. We provide notes for three easy-to-moderate routes just a short drive from the cottages (see below). The region’s mammals (which include mongooses and genets) are rather shy, but you have a good chance of spotting some of the area’s bird species as you walk. Herons and egrets frequent the riverbanks, while storks (and their sprawling nests) are a common sight on churches and chimneys. Keep your eyes peeled too for raptors such as black vultures, and golden, short-toed and Bonelli’s eagles circling in the blue skies.

Peña de Arias Montano (9.5km, 3.5hrs): starting and finishing in Alájar, this route ascends to thecliff-top shrine of Peña de Arias Montano which overlooks the town, then winds uphill along an ancient muleteers' path to another viewpoint before circling the hills to the north.

The pretty town of Alájar

South of Alájar (6km, 2hrs): this is another pretty walk direct from Alájar, and is shorter and easier than the first, exploring the cultivated area to the south of the town, the banks of the River Antezuela and a partly abandoned hamlet.

Ham & Chestnuts (10.5km, 3.5hrs): this circular route from Castaño del Robledo affords views of the ham-producing town of Jabugo, then winds through chestnut groves to the attractive village of Galaroza, from where you return to Castaño via a picturesque river valley.

Leisurely walking through flower-filled meadows

Other activities

Hours of fun can be had splashing about in the region’s streams. Alternatively, horse riding is available nearby, or you can rent donkeys by the hour for guided treks through the surrounding countryside.

Go for a donkey ride through the surrounding countryside

The cottages

Set just outside Alájar, the Old Mill is close enough to walk (it takes just 15 minutes), yet far enough away to feel in its own small world. Your charming hosts are Peter and Monica, an English-speaking couple from the Netherlands who know their adopted land well and warmly welcome families to their estate.

Preparing tea with fresh local produce from the garden

The beautiful exteriors are matched by exquisite interiors where the attention to detail is astonishing. Patterned fabrics, hand-painted tiles, antique furniture and chestnut ceiling beams lend great character and charm to the cottages, while under-floor heating provides plenty of warmth if needed. There are five cottages of varying sizes, all equipped with a television, CD player and DVD player and boasting an outdoor terrace offering wide-reaching views. Cots are available, and there is a shared washing machine on site. See below for more details of the layout. What makes the Old Mill extra special is the sense of space - the cottages are set apart from one another, as is the panoramic shared pool, which is usually open from May to September.

A shady spot to relax after a busy day

The layout of the cottages is as follows:
Eagle (sleeps 2 adults and 2 children): a living room with a fireplace and kitchen area (with a 4-ring hob, oven, microwave and fridge); a double bedroom; a mezzanine level with two child's beds accessed via a spiral staircase from the bedroom; and a shower room. Underfloor heating throughout.
Tortoise (sleeps 4): one-storey cottage with a spacious living room with a fireplace, underfloor heating, a large window looking towards the hills, and a kitchen area (with a 5-ring hob, oven and fridge); a double bedroom with a shower room; a twin bedroom with two single beds and a shower room; and a terrace.
Zoya (sleeps 4): one-storey cottage with a good-sized living room with a fireplace and a kitchen area (with a 5-ring hob, oven and fridge); a twin bedroom with an en suite shower room; a double bedroom with en suite shower room; and a raised terrace overlooking the river and accessed via patio windows from the living room. Underfloor heating throughout.
Rabbit (sleeps 4-6): two-storey cottage with a large living room with a fireplace and a kitchen area (with a 5-ring hob, oven and fridge); downstairs shower room; two gallery rooms each with two single beds best suited to children; a double bedroom with an en suite shower room; and a terrace. Underfloor heating in all rooms.
Stork (sleeps 4-6): as Rabbit except that the main bedroom is accessed via an entrance at the side of the house.

If you choose to cater for yourselves, you are free to pick vegetables from the estate’s plot, and there is a shared barbecue if you fancy eating alfresco. Alternatively, there are various good restaurants nearby, including one in Alájar offering a delivery and take-away service.

The perfect place to end the day

Prices & travel 2008

We are currently updating our website - please call for 2009 prices.

# Child price applies with 2 paying adults. If only one adult is travelling, first child pays adult price.
Start: any day
Nights: 7
Property & hire car includes: 7 days’ category C hire car (e.g. Opel Astra)
Recommended airport: Seville
Driving time from airport: 1h30
Book your flights through us and we’ll find the best route, times and price to suit you

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