THE RURAL APARTMENT

Casita Marguerita is all on ground level, making it a little easier for those with minor mobility problems. It is a cosy rural apartment, part of a whitewashed house situated in a hamlet set against a backdrop of rolling olive groves, 3 minutes' drive from the main road and 15 minutes' drive from the main motorway which connects to the rest of Andalucia. A short walk will take you to the local bar/restaurant and shop for those emergency supplies. Private parking is just outside the house.

A 5 minutes' drive south will take you to Tapia where there are all the main amenities including the municipal pool or a 10 minutes' drive north will see you in Iznajar where all main amenities like restaurants, bars, internet cafe, post office, banks, minimarts and the municipal pool can be found.

The apartment consists of one bedroom with a double bed a double wardrobe, chest of drawers, bedside table, lamps and mirror. There is an ensuite with a walkin stepover shower, a washbasin and a loo. The other room is an open plan sitting/dining/kitchen area. The kitchen is typically Andaluz and offered with a good array of pots, pans, crockery and cutlery. The kitchen is freshly stocked with some basics like bottled water, juice, milk, bread, butter, jam and eggs for your arrival.

KEEPING COOL DURING SUMMER AND WARM DURING WINTER AND AL FRESCO LIVING

It is naturally cool in the house during summer if the blinds are kept down, windows shut and wooden shutters closed during the heat of the day. There is a portable standing fan for those hotter days.

For the cooler mornings and nights, there is a wall mounted electric panel heater in the bedroom plus a blanket and a couple of hot water bottles. There is also a portable electric halogen heater for use when it is particulary cold. As we are approximately 2000feet above sea level in the mountains, it can be chilly in the mornings and nights during the spring month of March and autumn month of October during which we will supply a gas heater.

Outside on the Andalucian patio, there is a patio table and 2 chairs for use. There is also a patio umbrella and a bamboo blind for when the grapevine has not fully grown to provide sufficient shade from the sun when sitting out. We also provide a BBQ with utensils as well as ashtrays for smokers who are welcome to smoke outside the house. We ask kindly that they do not smoke indoors please.

AN IDEAL BASE FOR SIGHTSEERS, BIRDWATCHERS, EXPLORERS, WALKERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS

Set in a hamlet amongst rolling olive groves, it is quiet but not isolated here. We are situated where the 3 provinces of Cordoba, Granada and Malaga meet and well placed for day trips to the main cultural sites of Andalucia - Cordoba and its Mezquita, Granada and The Alhambra and The Sierra Nevada, Sevilla and The Giralda, Malaga and the Costa del Sol, Alhama de Granada and its ancient baths, Jaen with LaMota Fortress in Alcala la Real to name a few.

Come and experience the hospitality of the Andalucians which is well known and the cultural sites of Andalucia which are well documented.

If you are nature lovers, go for long walks in La Subbetica, the Poniente Granadino or the Comarca Malaga and take your binoculars with you and watch and count the different species of birds. Pack a picnic and eat lunch sitting amongst the unique landscape of El Torcal in Antequera. Spend a day in Granada City and imagine what life was like during the days of the Moors in La Alhambra. Absorb the heady scent of the orange blossoms in the Patios de los Naranjos of La Mezquita in Cordoba City. Meander the streets of the Old Jewish Quarters and treat yourselves to tea and sweets in one of the quaint teashops. Go and see the cavehouses in Guadix and make your way towards a local market or "mercadilla" and see how the locals talk passionately about the quality of fruits and vegetables. Have tapas at a typical bar and mingle with the locals chatting noisily away and playing cards. Sit in one of the cafes on the cliffs of Ronda and marvel at the commanding bridge whilst sipping your cafe con leche. Lose yourselves in the spectacle of the thousands of flamingos at the Laguna de Fuente de Piedra. Wander around the streets of Sevilla City and feel the "duende" of the gypsies of bygone days in the air, and reward yourselves with watching a flamenco show. Savour the delight of freshly fried churros dipped in sweet sticky hot chocolate for a breakfast date with the locals in a restaurant/bar. Be inspired by Washington Irving and follow his route or the Route of the Caliphs and compare the characteristics of the different white villages and baroque towns like Zuheros and Priego de Cordoba.....all these and more to do in rural inland Andalucia.

And when you are exhausted from your outings, stay in with a glass of crianza in the patio under the vines with a good book or soak in some sun sitting out on the gravelled garden to rejuvenate yourselves before heading home. You will find yourselves thoroughly refreshed after your stay here and perhaps even planning the next trip back to this region.

If you prefer not to venture far, why not take a 10 minutes' drive north to the beautiful white mountain village of Iznajar where you can bring a book and pack a picnic to spend a lazy afternoon on Valdearenas beach away from the hustle and bustle....parking is anyway you can find a space on the beach.