If you are looking for a perfect escape to a cosy countryside house surrounded by mountains but still close to cities and different activities then ‘Finca El Limonar’ is the perfect option for you!
***Finca - is a Spanish countryside house.
Before I go into detail, I would just like to say that I rate this place very, very highly as the hosts were absolutely lovely people and the breakfast truly was exceptional. They grow their own fruits, herbs and vegetables in their garden. The food served for you at the breakfast is organic, fresh and tastes incredible.
LOCATION
I would like to start with the location because it is excellent! It is only a 30-minute drive from Marbella, so you go up the mountains in the inland of Andalusia and within a half an hour drive you are in this completely calm and relaxing valley. At the same time, you’re a quick drive down to the coast with all the restaurants, shops and other activities that Marbella offers.
Malaga airport is only around an hour drive from the finca. I would recommend renting a car and coming down yourself because you will need a car to get around the county if you are visiting for a longer period of time.
The area itself is excellent. So many hiking tracks, massive reservoirs with specific zones to relax, that offer paddle boards, hydropedales and kayaks. The whole Alora area is very picturesque and doesn’t have any large cities surrounding, so you only come across small Spanish villages or towns that offer great local restaurant choices with mouth-watering Spanish dishes.
Also, the famous ‘Caminito del Rey’ which is an exciting path on the side of a gorge is very near the finca. It is one of the most famous things to do when visiting Malaga. Note for those interested in visiting the ‘Caminito del Rey’ you need to book tickets in advance for this, as they get sold very quickly, so definitely try to book as soon as you know your travel plans. More about ‘Caminito del Rey’ and tickets find here: https://reservas.caminitodelrey.info/?lang=en
PARKING
Parking is obviously not an issue as the finca has a few parking spaces within their territory. Gate is locked all the time.
AMENITY
The place offers 2 rooms (double bed), each has a private bathroom and shared kitchen area. They also have a completely separate small apartment with a private bathroom and kitchen. We stayed in one of the rooms as we were there only for 2 nights, the weekend, but if we would plan a longer stay I would definitely stay in that apartment. The hosts showed it to us and it was just freshly renovated and it looked lovely. Our room was clean and had all the standard things you need. I loved the little table and chairs outside our room, where I could relax with beautiful views around me to enjoy the sunrise.
The whole territory is well looked after and the gardens around the rooms are beautiful. They have also made a very cute chill area under a tree.
The finca offers a pool and sun-beds around it. A 24h self-service for drinks is available too.
FOOD
Finca El Limonar is a Bed&Breakfast type of place so they only offer breakfast. As I said at the beginning the breakfast is exceptional. Not only it is very tasty and you have many options to choose from with most of the food picked from their own garden. The typical Spanish fresh tomato mix you put on the bread was homemade and it was the best one I have ever tried in Spain! If you have any special requirements the hosts will try to accommodate. I probably was one of the most annoying guests they have had, asking for many coffee refills! I need a lot of coffee in the morning.
RECEPTION
They do have set hours when to check in and out, but the hosts are lovely and we could arrange a specific time, as we were arriving late. Also, the check out is at 10am, but they weren’t rushing us at all and we left after 11am. We even got a tour around their garden.
MY REVIEW
This is definitely one of the best places I have ever stayed in the Spanish countryside. I highly recommend Finca El Limonar and would love to stay there again, next time for a longer period of time.
One thing I have to mention is that the hosts have a dog and a cat. They freely wander around the territory, so if you have an allergy or fear from animals it might not be an ideal place for you. Both pets behaved very well during our stay and we enjoyed their company.
HOTEL WEBSITE: https://www.fincaellimonar.org/english