Rural Cortijo with Pool on a Wooded Mountain Slope
- Eco-houses
- Houses / Villas
- Country Houses
- Mountainous
- Village / Rural
- Garden
- Swimming Pool
- Cycling
- Horse Riding
- Walking
- Child Friendly
- Cook available
- Other rental properties on site
Beautiful three bedroom cortijo set in 22 hectares on a wooded mountain slope in Extremadura, Spain. Set in peaceful mountain scenery with a pool and exquisite views, it’s a wonderful place to slow down the pace of life, and enjoy exploring the surrounding area.
Set within the stunning scenery of the Sierra de Montanchez the cortijo is ideally placed right in between the fascinating towns of Merida, Caceres and Trujillo, which are all about 30 minutes away. A ten minute drive gets you to the town of Montanchez with its famous jamon which is served in all the bars and the lively Saturday market. The black Iberic pigs graze contentedly in the surrounding oak forests gorging on the abundant acorns. Extremadura offers some superb bird-watching opportunities as it’s located on one of the major European migration routes and has great habitat diversity. There are beautiful walks directly from the property. The Sierra de Montanchez is blessed with a network of ancient paths only accessible by foot, nature is undisturbed and provides a rich environment for many species of wildlife, especially birds, insects and reptiles.
The walking, riding and birdwatching are wonderful experiences due to the lack of urban development in the sierra. Nearest village is Arroyomolinos, 2kms walk or 5 mins drive where the unique ruta de molinos climbs up through a stunning gorge passing numerous ancient watermills. There is so much to see and do within an hour of Montanchez. Stunning countryside including mountains, plains, woodland and the very special dehesa environment of Extremadura, meadowland with cork oak and holm oak woods. Bicycle hire is available for easy riding on the lanes around the finca. We have 4 horses that are available for experienced riders and 1 donkey for gentler rides. There is also a riding stables nearby for trekking with a guide. We run a 7 night and 4 night cooking holiday at Finca al-manzil once a month except in July and August.
Getting There:
Detailed directions provided on booking.
Nearest Airport:
Madrid, Seville or Lisbon, all around 2 -3 hours drive
Nearest Train Station:
Merida and Caceres
Nearest Bus Stop:
Trujillo, Merida and Caceres, all 40km, we can arrange pick up.
Nearest Ferry:
Santander 450kms
Nearest Restaurant:
Meals available on site (pre order only) or 2kms to nearest restaurant
Nearest Shop:
2km
Nearest Market:
Montanchez 4kms
Car Hire:
Essential
Interior Details
The cortijo sleeps six people in three bedrooms. It has been renovated with great care using traditional materials - the windows, shutters and doors all made by a local carpenter with seasoned chestnut wood. There’s a double height sitting room full of books, DVD’s, comfy seating and doors to the porch and terrace. It’s airy and cool in summer; warm and atmospheric in winter. The kitchen is well equipped and has an old stone work table. There is a huge dining table which gives access to the back terrace. The three bedrooms are all ensuite, individually decorated and furnished with rugs and textiles from Morocco and Mali. The upstairs double has access to a secluded roof terrace with mountain views. Two twin bedrooms lead onto the covered porch through french windows with lovely countryside view.
Exterior Details
The porch and terrace has lovely views of the surrounding countryside. The back terrace has a BBQ and dining table and sweeping mountain views. There is a wonderful outside double bed with a canopy for sleeping out on balmy summer nights. There is a path to the pool where Roman steps lead you into the crystal clear water. We have made paths for easy walking, particularly to the highest parts of the finca where there is an olive grove and many traditional stone shelters, chozos, also plenty of springs and ponds, perfect picnic spots. The hike to the top is rewarded by wonderful views.
Further Details
We have powerful solar energy systems which have been carefully designed to run the house. Besides powering all the lights, sockets, fridges and washing machines they also run automatically borehole pumps, swimming pool pumps and at Finca al-manzil a tracker system which moves the solar panels into optimum position everyday. There is a lot of power being used but the system is designed for maximum usage of 3500 watts with optimum sun.
Conditions of Rental
Payment by bank transfer or credit card through paypal. To secure the reservation 40% of total price. Final payment 8 weeks before arrival. All inclusive except for logs for wood burner if needed which are charged according to use. Swimming pool is operational from May 01 - October 15. Cleaning is once in a 2 week stay with linen change, extra cleaning and linen change can be ordered at extra cost. Damage deposit of €150 charged with final payment (returned if house is left in good order less €30 final cleaning charge). Dinner: @ €25 per person, choice of menus inc. vegetarian. Moroccan/Iberic fusion cooking morning with Pippa @ €40 per person: minimum 2 persons; includes tuition plus ingredients for making evening meal. Swimming pool is shared with barn rental if it is rented, exclusive use can be discussed. The pool is a big space with room for everyone, plenty of loungers and chairs and plenty of privacy in the pool area.
