The house is situated near the beautiful villages of Riogordo and Colmenar in the Axarquia region of Andalucia in southern Spain. Both villages have an abundance of banks, shops, bars and restaurants. The Spanish love eating out and the area is well served with restuarants and bars – we provide guests with details of our favourites and how to find them. Although the house has a large pool, the beaches are less than 30 minutes away by car.
Riogordo was built by the Catholic kings besieging Velez Malaga, although there are indications of earlier settlement by the Carthaginians and Romans. It is a classic Spanish ‘pueblo blanco’ (white village) with houses built in the typical Moorish-influenced Andalucían village style, some with interior patios, wells and stables. Nestled amongst majestic mountain ranges, it retains a real sense of history while boasting a full range of shops, banks and restaurants. Life is tranquil and leisurely, the villagers friendly and welcoming.
Colmenar is the capital of the Montes and like Riogordo remains a working rural Spanish village. It is the administrative centre for the area with numerous shops, banks and restaurants.
Although these idyllic villages are well away from the busy Costa del Sol, they are still only 25 minutes from the beaches and attractions of the coast and with a superb road system, access to places like Granada, Cordoba, Malaga or Ronda is easy. Granada, or in winter the ski slopes of the Sierra Nevada, is only an hour and a half away. There is a good bus service to Málaga from Riogordo and Colmenar, but a hire car is essential to take full advantage of the area.