We first visited Archidona nearly 10yrs ago. The desire for me to escape the hooplah of London Town was strong and we needed a central base to explore the many corners of Andalucia. We chose Archidona and a small, family-run hotel called the Escua. Many kilometres and many weird and wonderful viewings later,  Archidona was to become the place where we eventually decided to lay our sombreros. 

Surprisingly, the owner of the Escua and his family generously integrated us into their own extended family and during our first faltering months here, their selfless support and kindness provided a solid foundation for our andalucian adventure. Our friendship has blossomed over the years to where we are now looking to extend our own support and kindness by offering the family’s traditional andalucian lodgings to the UK market.

Many of our own friends and family have enjoyed the local hospitality whilst staying here in Archidona (a number have even been inspired to buy their own bolt-hole) so, if you too, would enjoy immersing yourself in an authentic corner of Andalucia, check out Luis’ various accommodation options in Archidona. It truly is the Heart of Andalucia. 

http://www.themiddleofsomewhere.com

Here´s a beautiful andalucian cottage set in a traditional country hamlet just outside of the village of Villanueva del Rosario. It has 3 double bedrooms, a spacious open-plan lounge, dining room with a wood burning stove, kitchen, large utility room, bathroom, small interior patio and patio to the front of house. At the rear, a hop, skip and a jump from the house is a sizeable allotment and garage. Price: in the region of 140,000 euros. Please contact me for photos and details. SOLD

I paid a visit to the Soy Natura event held at the Congress Centre in Malaga last week. Whilst it was a wee bit amateur compared to similarly themed events in UK, it was encouraging to see so many locals present keen to learn more about alternative living – the organic food stall was overrun!

I picked up an interesting free magazine called La Chispa http://www.lachispa.net  which is published in both English and Spanish and contains articles and plenty of ads for businesses and individuals offering natural living products and services. I admit it seemed a little light on content verses adverts but it’s a step in the right direction and I look forward to seeing its development.

I visited its website to see if it has any distribution points in or around Antequera but it appears not so i’ve offered to remedy that! I will re-post if any inland pick-up points become available.

MISAKO is a spanish chain of handbag boutiques whose stock is always high on style, yet low on cost. All bags are invariably priced the same at around 30euros. They look great, mirroring latest styles and stock is always new and exciting as this brand often run new styles on a weekly basis.

Ok, so they’re not high quality merchandise but they allow you to keep your accessories on-trend without breaking the banco.

This Barcelona-based company are fast expanding their network of shops so I am happy to report that we have stores in both Granada and Malaga.  I challenge you to come out empty-handed!

You will see a variety of pots scattered throughout the suburban Surrey homes of my family – they can’t help themselves. Every visit is punctuated at some stage by ‘can we go to a pot shop!’ so we are forever hunting out new and exciting suppliers.

To date, we have two favourite spots. La Rambla is a whole town dedicated to ceramics in the south of the Cordoba province as is Purrullena, east of Granada.  Admittedly, there are a lot of bright, colouful offerings which would look out of place in an urban, contemporary setting but every visitor always goes home happily clutching a personal find. I’m a big fan of the earthware oven dishes, olive oil and vinegar sets and garlic pots, oh and the ridiculously low prices of course.

Happy Shopping

This is a valuable tip for resident ex-pats who, like us, have made several additions to the family since moving to Andalucia - dog-shaped additions. The challenge which followed was to find great boarding kennels where we could happily check in our brood so we could head out and explore the nooks and crannies of Spain. 

We worked our way through the advertised options but didn’t personally feel comfortable with any of them. And then we heard of Paws and Claws, a totally different kind of dog lodgings, run by a remarkable woman called Doreen Cage.

Here, the dogs receive home from home treatment. No sterile pens, no rotated play times. All the dogs live together with Doreen! They have free reign to parts of the house and lots of interesting land to explore. There are even sofa’s and beds where they curl up at night. There is something magical about Doreen. I say she’s an unsung Dog Whisperer. Mutts of all shapes and sizes live in perfect harmony – it’s a total joy to see and our boys love her. You only have to say ‘Doreen’ and they form an orderly queue at the front door.

Paws and Claws are located in the countryside in the north of the Malaga province between Iznajar and Villanueva de Algaidas, 40mins from Antequera.

You can email Doreen on bbirding@wanadoo.es or call landline 952745028

Were you one of the many BBC viewers who followed this roller-coaster restoration project? Nick and Lesley Vallance bought a crumbling 18th century palace and turned it into a beautiful boutique hotel in the town of Velez-Malaga, on the eastern side of the Costa del Sol. 

When we went to check it out, we couldn’t have been more impressed. The 8 en-suite bedrooms are  set around a wonderful central courtyard and are large, light and sumptiously decorated. The style is contemporary moorish with an indulgent palate of chocolate browns, reds and deep cerise against a crisp white backdrop – the overall effect is strangely dramatic yet calming. Infact, when you walk through the main doors, it is like going through the wardrobe in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, into a whole new world.

Although we were only popping in to be nosey, Nick and Lesley could not have made us feel more welcome – what a warm and friendly couple. I was so pleased to hear they were fully booked for the coming 3 months. These two deserve success.

Check out flights to Malaga now (30mins from airport) and secure a booking for a weekend escape in the Palacio now. I promise you this is a special place to stay and will score big brownie points with the other half. 

http://www.palacioblanco.com

 

This is an exciting opportunity to buy a large, traditional, yet fully renovated, Andalucian townhouse.

These houses often remain in the same family for generations rarely becoming available on the open market. It is located in Archidona, in the north of the Malaga province, 45 mins from both Malaga and Granada airports.

Archidona will surrounded you with nature, tradition and history and yet the house offers all the benefits and comforts that go with a modern home.No pollution, no traffic, no crime – this truly is a location to aspire to. 

Archidona also makes a perfect base for exploring the magnificent Andalucian cities – Granada, Malaga, Seville, Cordoba, not to mention the beautiful lake districts of El Chorro, Iznajar and Fuente de Piedra with its migrating flocks of flamingos in their 1000’s. The vast coastline and snow-topped Sierra Nevada mountain range are also within comfortable driving distance.

With the recent introduction of the fast AVE train service to Madrid and the scheduled local airport opening in 2009/2010, prices have escalated in the nearby (10km) governing town of Antequera, making Archidona the nearest affordable alternative.

Here’s an overview of the property;

• Recently renovated to a high standard using quality materials
• Original character and features retained
• 220sqm built with well-manitained, water-tight roof
• 4 double bedrooms – 2 with original beamed ceilings
• 3 reception rooms – 1 with rustic chimney
• 1 kitchen/diner – 25 sq metres – all new, quality appliances
• 1 sleek, modern bathroom
• 1 separate mosaic shower room with hydro massage shower
• 1 study/den with phone point and Broadband connected
• Large terrace with wide steps leading to garden
• Large garden with fruit trees and wooden pergola
• Mains water & electricity and private well
• Full amenities within walking distance
• Amazing views of hilltop monastery – floodlit at night

PRICE: REDUCED TO 250,000 euros

 For full details and photos see http://www.andalucianlifestyle.co.uk

You’ll find the Picasso Museum mentionned on every Malaga website but the little-known Dolls House Museum is a true hidden gem. Born from a passion spanning decades, Voria Harras rescues neglected, hand-made dolls houses from once wealthy households and restores them to their former glory. She has some incredible examples all housed in a traditional 3 storey private house off the Plaza de Merced.

If you are a true aficionado, she has a selection of restored houses for sale together with a vast range of furniture and decorative items. The level of detail in each piece is incredible. 

We were fortunate to be able to spend time with Voria, hearing tales about her finds and seeing first hand, how she begins to tackle the restoration work. She struggles to fund the museum from her own pocket so every visitor is greatly valued and appreciated. Entrance fee is 5 euros.

http://www.museocm.com