Beautiful Villa in Almunecar Bay, Spain

October 4, 2018 Uncategorized

Penthouse Vista del Mar is a luxury 3 bedroom penthouse equipped to a high standard with fabulous views over the exclusive Marina Del Este, the local Mountains and Almunecar Bay.

All 3 bed rooms and the living / dining room open onto the large south east facing terrace which offers stunning views along the coast and out to sea. You can enjoy a BBQ lunch with family and friends while watching the boats sail out to sea and spotting the odd pod of dolphins playing in the waves.

The apartment comprises a kitchen with washing machine, dishwasher, oven and four ring electric hob, fridge/freezer, microwave, coffee machine and all plates, pans and glassware that you could require. There is a separate large lounge / dining room with a glass top table and six dining chairs. In the lounge are two leather sofas, a 32″ flat screen Satellite TV and a DVD player with a number of DVD films available to watch. There is also a desk that can be used to rest a laptop on to connect to the wireless High speed Internet router(available from July’07). Complete with numerous books and games you can be as active or relaxed as you like.

The apartment’s three bedrooms comprise a master bedroom with super king size bed and marble en-suite bathroom with twin sinks and a Jacuzzi bathtub. There are a further two bedrooms, one with twin beds and another with a double bed. All bedrooms have hanging storage cupboards and direct access onto the stunning terrace. There is also a good quality folding bed that can be used as well as a travel cot. The penthouse benefits from reverse cycle air conditioning and heating throughout.

The terrace is complete with a teak dinning table with sun umbrella and six chairs which can be used with further bench seating if required. The separate Moroccan seating area provides a large Moroccan style bench complete with cushions and candle lanterns for relaxing over that afternoon tea or evening cocktail. If the sun gets a little warm a large retractable sunshade can turn this area into an out side shaded ‘room’. There are two teak steamer chairs for the sun worshiper and stunning views for all.

There are two designated private parking spaces with the apartment which are both accessed through the same secure gate. One space is outside near the pool and shaded from the sun, the second space is within the buildings internal garage with lift access to the apartment.

There are two communal swimming pools and lovely gardens in the buildings complex. The Marina del Este with its bistro/restaurants and local un-spoilt beach with restaurant and cocktail bar are a ten minute walk or a short drive down the hill.

Bedding, bathroom towels and cleaning is provided as is a welcome basket is provided with wine, milk and bread and other basics. Directions to the area’s shops, restaurants, beaches and points of interest are available in the apartment.

Our Penthouse Vista del Mar is ideally located for you to make the best of your Spanish adventure. We are approximately fifty minutes from Malaga airport and one hour from Granada airport. Marina Del Este is on a headland called the Ponta de la Mona which lies between the two unspoilt local beach towns La Herradura and the larger Almunecar. This region is known as the Costa Tropical due to the local micro climate which provides the best year round climate in Europe with over 320 days of sunshine a year with an average temperature of 18C in the winter and 28C in the summer.

Our penthouse is ideally located to either sit back and enjoy the views or go out and explore this fascinating and historic area. Only an hour away is the historic city of Granada and the magical Moorish 800 year old Alhambra Palace. Both city and palace are well worth a visit and make a great day out. The Alhambra has just been nominated as one of the new 7 wonders of the world. As it is one of Spain’s most popular tourist attractions.

The beautiful Alpujarras Mountains are 40 minutes away and offer many unspoiled Spanish villages in some glorious countryside perfect for rambling or the serious hiker. Worth a visit is the bustling town of Orgiva with its resident laid-back hippie population and the highest village in Spain Trevelez (at 1460m) famed for the amazing views and world renowned ‘Jamon Serrano’ air-cured ham. If all that adventure is too much why not book a treatment in Lanjarón Spa famous since ancient times for their restorative mineral water spa treatments .

Towering over the Alpujarras are the mighty Sierra Nevada Mountains with Spain’s highest peaks at over 3,400m. The Sierra Nevada offer a year round sports resort based in a beautiful National Park. In the summer you can walk and climb and see a lot of wildlife and fauna on the high peaks. In the winter the Mountains offer the best skiing in Spain just over an hour away from the apartment. Many friends we have taken up to the mountains are amazed that such good skiing can be found so far south in Europe and so close to the coast. As the sunniest ski resort in Europe with one of the longest ski seasons (early December to late April) the resort offers some of Europe’s best skiing for the intermediate and beginner skier. It is a surprising large resort with over 80 kilometers of groomed piste and 27 different lifts and many mountain restaurants and a well developed resort area with several hotels, restaurants, bars and that special Spanish après ski night life. On a clear day from the top of the resort at 3,300m you can clearly see the Mediterranean Sea and the coast and Riff Mountains in Morocco.

Even closer to home, the towns of Salobrena and Almunecar both have ancient castles, churches and old towns worth exploring. Twenty minutes drive away you can also visit one of Europe’s best cave systems, the Caves of Nerja and the beautiful white hill town of Frigiliana. The region is packed with history and has been settled by numerous explorers and conquerors over the last 3,500 years. The archeological museum and castle in Almunecar provide exhibits and artifacts covering the periods from the reign of the Phoenicians, through the Romans, to the Moors and onto the present day.

This area or Spain is still very traditional and is mainly known as a smart Spanish holiday destination although many of the local shopkeepers and restaurant staff do speak and understand English and other European languages. The siesta is still practiced with most shops opening at 10 and closing around 1:30 in the afternoon. The streets come alive again from 5 o’clock as the evening begins. Enjoy the mix of sights and sounds in the night air as you walk surrounded by Spanish families of all ages out for their traditional evening stroll.

Shopping in the locals towns is a pleasure. Not only will you notice that your money goes a lot further than in the UK but there is such a choice of shops and services to enjoy. Both La Herradura and Almunecar have traditional daily markets selling a wide variety of fresh fish, vegetables, meats, bread, eggs and flowers. A weekly Friday market offers everything from carpets to handbags, to slippers, to spices and cheap CDs. While the more modern supermarkets and speciality food shops offer a full range of Spanish and international products. All services are available from dentists, doctors, physiotherapists to beauticians. In Almunecar the traditional old town winding streets offer a compelling collection of boutiques and shops selling everything from beach and surf ware to jewelry, fashion accessories and clothes.

Eating out is also a pleasure with a wide range of restaurants and bars to suit all moods and tastes. You will be pleased to note that it is still customary in this part of Spain to provide a free tapas (snack) with an alcoholic drink in the more traditional bars. Enjoy traditional Spanish restaurants as frequented by the Spanish prime minister when he stayed nearby on his summer holiday or cocktails at a hopping beach bar open late into the night. Wonderful ox steaks and red wine can be had at a number of grill restaurants while seafood lovers can eat fresh fish and Paella at beachside chiringuitos (beach bars). Look out for the fresh sardines barbecued on bamboo skewers and the, gambas pil-pil – prawns cooked in garlic, olive oil and chilli.

International tastes are well catered for with several Chinese, Indian, French, Italian, Mexican and Moroccan restaurants as well as the inevitable burger bars and pizza joints.

Spain and especially Andalusia, is renowned for its many festivals which you are invited to take part in. If you’re visiting in July you’ll be able to enjoy one of the biggest events of the year – the Almunecar International Jazz Festival which brings some of the greatest jazz musicians together for a week of concerts held in a botanical garden underneath the old castle. Religious festivals take place all year long from the beautiful Easter processions where hundreds of men and women carry effigies of the Saints through the streets to August when they celebrate Almunecar’s patron saint, the Virgen de la Antigua with a week of partying in the streets culminating in a fantastic firework display on the 15th. There are some many local festivals and activities it is worth checking the Internet or local magazines for further information.

There are over 26 beaches in the area all of which offer their own character. Some are very remote and require a hike down a rocky path, while others like the beaches of La Herradura and Almunecar are right in the town and offer all facilities. There are beaches for the family and for the nudist, for nature lovers and those looking for lunch. Much of the costal area is a protected Marine Reserve offering many of Spain’s best Mediterranean dive sites. There are many local scuba diving centres where you can experience your first dive, do a PADI course with trained instructors or for the more advanced diver book anything from cave dives, beach dives to night dives.

Boat day trips can be organised around the coast with a photo stop at a remote beach for snorkelling and refreshments. There are also many tennis courts where visitors can play or improve with a lesson from the local tennis pro. Courts and lessons can be booked in advance and playing partners arranged.

Three golf courses are within easy reach of La Herradura. A typical example is Campo de Golf Los Moriscos near Salobrena. This is a 20 minute drive and is located near the beach in a new development. The club house, restaurant and bar are all newly built. The course is a new 18 hole. Clubs can be hired and tee times booked with their English speaking staff.