This is a popular area for horse-riding too, but the easiest way to explore is, of course, by car. While you don’t have to have your own transport William and Eva can recommend a cut-price cab service from the airport we found a hire car was a must as we wanted to pack in as much as possible during our stay.
There are certainly many lovely places to visit. The nearby town of Grazalema is another place where you can watch the world go by from a cafe in the square. I recommend Cafeteria Gumores, where three bottles of water, two coffees, a cheese and ham roll, a plate of squid and a tortilla came to just 10 euros (£7).
Put the nearby mountaintop town of Zahara de la Sierra on your schedule too. The breathtaking views include a huge lake where you can swim in the hot summer..
The closest large town is Ronda, 25 minutes away, and we also made trips to Jerez and the busy city of Seville, both within an hour’s drive.
We also enjoyed the friendly grandeur of Cadiz (a 90-minute drive), which claims to be the oldest city in Europe and has so many layers of history. It was built by Phoenicians, ruled by Moors, invaded by Sir Francis Drake (we’ll gloss over that!) and it was the home port of Christopher Columbus for his epic voyages to the Americas.
Visit the beach.. on the Costa del Sol or Costa de la Luz
If you don’t feel you’ve been on holiday unless you’ve been on a beach, then you have a choice of Sanlucar de Barrameda on the Costa de la Luz (90 minutes away) or San Pedro on the Costa del Sol (75 minutes). But if you’re like us, you’ll find it difficult to tear yourself away from the peace and tranquillity of Finca Alta Cocina. It truly is somewhere very special, and when you learn of all the trials and tribulations its owners went through to create such a jewel you’ll wonder how it ever got off the ground.
William and Eva overcame problems with water and electricity supplies, a succession of recalcitrant builders, an avalanche and flooding. But they’ve done it and this gorgeous place has to be seen to be believed.
Finca Alta Cocina had just a single teething problem during our stay when the hot water failed in the guest quarters. William promised to get the plumber in the next morning only to be told when he called that the poor man had died!