We loved our three-week stay at El Castillejo. Although we have holidayed in Spain several times, this was our first holiday - and first visit - in the Ronda area, and we had a great time. We were looking for a tranquil, relaxing country house with pool, privacy, and views, and El Castillejo provided all of this and more....
The house is just a short 300m walk from the village of Alpandeire, and has a great pool, wi-fi, fruit and vegetables orchard, very good inside and outside kitchens, and all the necessary resources and facilities for a relaxing, happy stay. Although close enough to walk to the village, the house and gardens are not overlooked at all, and offers great peace and privacy.
Owner Santiago visits every 2-3 days to clean the pool, water the fruit and vegetable garden, and generally maintain the external area of the house and grounds, and is otherwise available via email or phone for any questions or potential difficulties. Santiago speaks some English, and we felt very able to converse using some English, a few basic Spanish words, and Santiago's phone app translator. I greatly enjoyed speaking with Santiago, and he is very willing to help and assist in any and every way.
Santiago was born about 25km from Alpandeire, and knows 'everything' about the local area through his personal and working experiences. He is very willing to advise on anything about the countryside around the house, or the Ronda area, or the wider province. He can advise on places to visit, restaurants, etc...
Santiago positively encourages guests to pick and eat the vegetables, herbs and fruits that grow in the gardens, including cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, onions, tomatoes, raspberries, lemons, limes, mint, etc etc...
The local village - Alpandeire - has a bakery, a small general shop, and 2-3 bars. Many of the local villages are similar to Alpandeire, and all look beautiful in the mountainous environment. Most of the local villages have at least a couple of bars / restaurants, and the blue-washed 'Smurf' village of Juzcar is just 6km away.
The larger town of Ronda is about 20km away, and this is where we shopped in supermarkets. Ronda is also a beautiful, historic town to visit for it's history, culture and amazing scenery. Although we ourselves spent most of our time relaxing by the pool, or walking or running in the local hills, or driving to the surrounding villages / Ronda, the coast and cities like Granada, Malaga, and Sevilla are not too far from the house, and can reached relatively easily.
The house and area lived up to our hopes and expectations, and we had a very happy three-week stay. We were very sad to have to leave at the end of our holiday