Villa with Views Overlooking Guadiaro Valley to Gibraltar and North Africa
Away from the Hustle of the Costa del Sol - a Countryside Retreat
Sleeps 8 (4 Bedrooms)
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Spacious and breezy holiday house situated near Gaucin, enjoys stunning views down the valley to Gibraltar and North Africa. Manicured gardens surround the house, and a beautiful kidney shaped pool provides respite from the heat. Secluded and private, El Moran is an ideal holiday home for relaxed holidays or from which to explore the famous white villages of Andalucia.
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| Rental Period | Per Night | Per Week | Per Month | Min. Stay (Nights) |
| 1 November 2011 - 31 March 2012 | £800 | - | ||
| 1 April 2012 - 31 May 2012 | £1000 | - | ||
| 1 June 2012 - 30 June 2012 | £1200 | - | ||
| 1 July 2012 - 31 August 2012 | £1800 | - | ||
| 1 September 2012 - 30 September 2012 | £1200 | - | ||
| 1 October 2012 - 31 October 2012 | £1000 | - |
Notes on prices
Prices are for the property per week in UK Pounds.
Rates apply per week (unless stated).
Supplement for Christmas (20 Dec-2 Jan) and Easter - £50 per day - minimum stay 4 days.
Accommodation
| Bedrooms: | All the bedrooms are ensuite. The master bedroom has a large four poster bed. Lemon bedroom with twin beds leads off from the sitting room. West wing - 2 bedrooms, each with en-suite bathrooms, decorated in white and blue. Twin beds in each. |
| Bathrooms: | Master Bedroom: En-suite white marble bathroom with enormous bath, separate shower, double sink, WC. Lemon Bedroom: En-suite bathroom with bath/shower over, double sink, WC, bidet. West Wing: En-suite bathrooms to bedrooms with shower, sink, WC. |
| Kitchen: | Spacious open plan kitchen with marble tops extends into dining area. Fridge/freezer, oven, hob, microwave, dishwasher, all cooking equipment provided. |
| Utility Room: | The utility room leads off from the patio between kitchen and west wing, and is above the spacious garage. Includes Washing machine, cleaning equipment and drying rack. |
| Living Rooms: | The dining room is adjacent to the kitchen and has French windows opening onto small balconies. A large dark wood dining table seats up to 10, and there is an antique dresser and sideboard. Sitting room is equipped with TV, stereo and board games. |
| Other: | Enter through a large Spanish Oak door into a spacious entrance hall with Moorish influence and hung with kilim carpets. In front of the sitting room is a verandah with light furniture, the bresso covered patio leads to the West wing from the main house. |
| Cleaning/towels/ linen/maid service: |
Towels and linen are included. A cleaner attends to the house as required and a cook can be arranged on request. |
| Amenities/Facilities: | hob/stove oven fridge/freezer fridge microwave dishwasher washing machine iron/ironing board tv central heating cot high chair barbecue private pool (for sole use of guests) |
| Location Type: |
Notes on accommodation
The accommodation at El Moran is comfortable and spacious, with a high degree of privacy. El Moran is a large house designed with space as a priority, but decorated with a Moorish influence, as much of the interior decor came from Morrocco or the surrounding Andalucian shops. The accommodation is suited both to families and groups of friends. The house has a real feeling of spaciousness, whilst the comfortable living room can be quite snug.
Accessibility
Wheelchair users can access the main house, although access to the pool and lower garden could be tricky. Corridors are wide, and there are no steps to the west wing.
Outside
The 9 acre grounds around the house add to the sense of privacy. Manicured gardens lead down to a 12m kidney shaped swimming pool which enjoys views out over the rolling Guadiaro valley, famous for its orange groves. Sunbathing and relaxing by the pool underneath the shade of a Spanish acorn tree, is easy on our sun loungers, whilst just above the pool there is a picnic/lunch table under a shady tree. There is also an outside shower.
Coast/Beach
Just 25 minutes away lies the sandy Mediterranean beach at Estepona. Slightly further away is the wind and kite surfind mecca of Tarifa, where good beaches and ocean currents make a watersports heaven. Driving times to other destinations on the beach vary, but in general the coast is a mere half hour drive.
Golf
There are over 60 golf courses in Andalucia, with 30 of these on the Costa del Sol. Fine weather means golf can be played year round. The golf course at Valderrama, home to the World Golf Championships 1999-2000, is easily reached.
Skiing
The ski resort of Sierra Nevada is a 4 hour drive from El Moran.
Special interest holidays
Guests who are interested in the history of Southern Spain, and in particular the Moorish influence in Andalucia, will find that the area yields many a historical treasure, including the Castle at Gaucin, and the fort at Jimena de la Fontera. For the gourmand, this region is famous for its sherry and Iberian acorn-fed pork, which are best sampled in Jimena de la Fontera. Several riding stables nearby. Parc Alcornales is a bird watcher's paradise. Polo and golf at Sotogrande. Music festival in Jimena in July.
Travel
Recommended airports to fly to are Gibraltar or Malaga. Car hire is essential to get to El Moran. If flying to Malaga, car hire is easily found - and we can recommend a good car hire company. If flying to Gibraltar, we recommend hiring a car after you have crossed the border (on foot) into Spain.
Distances
Half an hour to the beach and numerous options for good golf courses along the Costa del Sol. 15 mins to Gaucin, or 10 mins to San Pablo, where shopping can be done. 47km to Ronda, with its famous bull ring is a wonderful town to visit, whilst trips further afield take you through the historical white villages of Andalucia with their interesting forts and castles. Jimena de la Fontera lies in the valley below the house and is a 15-20 min drive away.
Further details
Cortijo El Moran is within easy reach of the White Villages and places of historical and archaeological interest such as Seville, Jerez, Arcos, Ronda and Granada. Jimena de la Frontera has many charming and authentic tapas bars and restaurants as well as jazz festival, pottery, yoga, language and painting lessons. Ancient Roman/Moorish castle tops the hill. Easy day trip by Hovercraft from Tarifa to Tangiers in Morocco.
Booking notes
Deposit required to confirm booking.
Guest comments
'This house is wonderful. Definitely on my list of places to return to again ... and again' - Crispin Kennedy
'A great base to explore the nearby villages and trying to master Spanish with the locals' - Ruth Burgess
'A little gem away from the madding crowd' - James Foster
Owner profile
About the owner
Susie and Tony were raised and educated in Kenya. Tony later served with the BSAP where there was much emphasis on equestrian excellence during training He returned to Kenya in 1964 when he managed a tea estate in the Highlands before changing career and going into tourism in 1969 He started Safaris Unlimited Africa in 1971, specialising in adventure expeditions, luxury camping and best known for pioneering long distance horseback safaris across the gamelands of Kenya He is a keen fly fisherman and enjoys tennis and golf Susie joined Tony at Safaris Unlimited in 1984 Her forte is in entertaining, office work and embroidery We enjoy travelling, visiting romantic and remote places as Tibet, Namibia, Patagonia and Pakistan We are active environmentalists and live in Naivasha, Kenya.
Year purchased: 1980's
Why the owner chose a home in this location
We bought this undeveloped 4 ha property in 1989. We were introduced to southern Spain when skiing with friends in the Sierra Nevada. Immediately, we loved the sweeping views, mountains, spring flowers, sport and Spanish culture. We made many friends in the English speaking community around Gaucin. Spanish architecture held a special appeal. We built our lovely Cortijo el Moran (house of the Warrior) in 2000 to my own design, positioned to take advantage of the fabulous countryside in this area. Flights into Gibraltar and Malaga are frequent. Self drive car hire is easy and the highways are fabulous whilst the country roads are little used. Our Cortijo is only 40 mins from the Coast. The climate is wonderful allowing you to enjoy many outdoor pursuits.
Unique benefits of the property
Whilst staying at Cortijo el Moran, we enjoy walking, tennis, golf, ferias and fiestas in the White Villages, fresh foods from the local markets, friendly local bars and restaurants and taking meals around our fabulous pool. In 2009 we joined the El Rocio pilgrimage from near Seville. It was a riot of colourful girls in their flamenco dresses, wonderful Spanish horses, carriages and cars. Being 2km off the main road, means the only sounds we hear are the sheep and cow bells in the meadows below!
For booking and further information
Property Ref S3120
Contact Name:
Susan Church
(KENYA) +254 722712026
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Property Ref S3120
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