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Entire home

Stunning panoramic views from the huge private swimming pool

Terraces, gardens and fantastic lake/sea views

Lots of different terraces set amidst flowery gardens, all with beautiful views

Huge open-plan traditional rustic kitchen dining room with all modcons

Overview
Amenities
Policies
Location
Host

Exceptional

3 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 6170 sq m

Popular amenities

Pool

Fireplace

Free WiFi

Kitchen

Barbecue grill

Outdoor space

Explore the area

Alcaucin, Andalusia

Centro Budista Karma Guen37 min drive
Picasso Museum Malaga55 min drive
Port of Malaga68 min drive
Málaga (AGP)82 min drive

Most relevant reviews

10/10 Excellent

Relaxing holiday in a magnificent location. Wonderful views, large pool, comfortable home. Brilliant hosts and the warme...

Lorraine S.

Sep 18, 2023

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 6)

Bedroom 1

1 King Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Double Bed and 1 Double Futon

Bedroom 3

1 King Bed and 1 Crib

2 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Bathtub or shower · Bidet · Toilet

Bathroom 2

Bidet · Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio

Porch or lanai

Kitchen

Balcony

Outdoor play area

Garden

Dining Area

About this property

Characterful stylish Andalucian Cortijo - huge pool and panoramic lake/sea views

Characterful, stylish and spacious restored Andalucian country villa with huge 10x5 metre swimming pool and breathtaking views over Lake Vinuela and the Mediterranean. Private and secluded, with beautiful gardens adorned with flowering climbers, jasmine and bougainvillea. There are lots of different terraces with sun loungers for reclining and lazing in the sunshine or under the grapevines, plus an outdoor kitchen with barbecue and Moroccan furniture for dining alfresco.
This is a Mediterranean country villa, with wooden beams, whitewashed walls, original terracotta floors, handmade ceramics and antique rustic furniture. The bedrooms are very comfortable, with king size beds, feather pillows and Egyptian cotton linen and towels. The open plan Kitchen Dining Room is 55m2 and equipped with range style cooker, dishwasher and chrome fridge freezer, and the lounge with squashy sofas has a music system, dvd, and old family library with hundreds of books, films and CDs to cater for all tastes and ages.
We can organise excursions including horse riding and guided walks, plus reservations at the Alhambra Palace and Malaga’s Picasso museum. There are excellent local restaurants/tapas bars close by, and we can arrange a local chef to prepare picnics and special meals. Aromatherapy massage is also available, and if there is anything else we can do to make your stay more comfortable just let us know – we are happy to help!
Wildflowers, butterflies and birdlife, no traffic, yet only 5 mins to local village of Periana and half an hour from the beach. Close to Malaga/Granada, both with international airports, and within easy access of sightseeing at the white villages of the Axarquia, the Alhambra Palace, Cordoba, Seville and Ronda.
Please note: this is a rural villa so car hire is essential.

Property manager

Shane and Bea

Languages

English, Spanish

Amenities

Pool

Kitchen

Washer

Dryer

Free WiFi

Outdoor space

Ocean view

Pool

Hot tub

Kitchen

House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM

Minimum age to rent: 18

Check out before 10:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17

Cot, folding bed, children's books & toys provided

Events

No events allowed

Pets

No pets allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Avoid fire risk - be careful with cigarettes.

This is a rural property, so car hire is essential

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy

Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges

Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed

On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited

Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip

Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property

Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit

Property Registration Number VTAR/MA/015000

We should mention

Cash transactions at this property cannot exceed EUR 1000, due to national regulations; for further details, please contact the property using the information in the booking confirmation

A car is required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Alcaucin

Located in Alcaucin, this villa is in a rural area and in the mountains. Centro de Arte Contemporaneo de Velez Malaga and Teatro del Carmen are cultural highlights, and some of the area's landmarks include Casa Cervantes and Hermitage of Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria. Travelling with kids? Consider Capilla del Agua, or check out an event or a game at Indoor Padel Club Velez Malaga. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.

Alcaucin, Andalusia

What's nearby

Centro Budista Karma Guen - 37 min drive
Picasso Museum Malaga - 55 min drive
Calle Larios - 59 min drive
Málaga Cathedral - 65 min drive
Port of Malaga - 68 min drive

Getting around

Málaga (AGP) - 83 min drive

Restaurants

‪El Picota Andaluz - ‬31 min drive
‪Secret Garden - ‬31 min drive
‪Restaurante la Sociedad - ‬31 min drive
‪Restaurante y Bar Angel - ‬31 min drive
‪El Bodegon de Juan Maria - ‬31 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Does Characterful stylish Andalucian Cortijo - huge pool and panoramic lake/sea views have a pool?

Yes, this property has an outdoor pool.

Is Characterful stylish Andalucian Cortijo - huge pool and panoramic lake/sea views pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Characterful stylish Andalucian Cortijo - huge pool and panoramic lake/sea views?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Characterful stylish Andalucian Cortijo - huge pool and panoramic lake/sea views?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Characterful stylish Andalucian Cortijo - huge pool and panoramic lake/sea views located?

This family-friendly Alcaucin villa is located in the mountains, 5.5 mi (8.8 km) from The Sierras of Tejeda, Almijara & Alhama, and within 12 mi (20 km) of El Alcazar Recreationa and Ermita de San Isidro. Capilla del Agua and Centro Budista Karma Guen are also within 16 miles (25 km).

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.

Learn more

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.4/10

Location

9.0/10

Listing accuracy

10/10 Excellent

Lorraine S.

18 Sept 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderfully Relaxing Holiday

Relaxing holiday in a magnificent location. Wonderful views, large pool, comfortable home. Brilliant hosts and the warmest of welcomes.

Stayed 14 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Daniel R.

18 Sept 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Conocer la Axarquía

Justo

Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Geerke J.

16 Aug 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Prachtige vergezichten!

Alle vijf volwassenen hebben genoten van deze villa met persoonlijke touch. Heerlijke grote gezellige keuken, leuke zitjes binnen en buiten, gastvrij ontvangst en assistentie van de beheerder. Zwembad ligt wat verder van het huis en voor iemand slecht ter been wat lastig te bereiken.

Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

frederic et isabelle c.

10 Aug 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Un petit coin de paradis en Andalousie

Nous avons passé 2 semaines magnifiques dans la villa LA AMAPOLA. Bea et Shane sont des hôtes accueillants et disponibles tout en restant très discrets. La maison est décorée avec beaucoup de goût, la présence de livres un peu partout, la collection de DVD avec des films donnent l'impression d'être chez soi. Le splendide jardin méditerranéen, les terrasses et la grande piscine finissent de donner ce petit air de paradis à la villa. Si vous recherchez le calme, l'isolement et l'authenticité, vous êtes au bon endroit ! Merci Bea et Shane (et Ziggy)

Stayed 14 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

6 Aug 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Just what the doctor ordered!

A holiday at La Amapola is actually better than any doctor's prescription. Peace and quiet in beautiful surroundings are the best medecine in these covid times. The villa is a comfortable and cosy home from home, with the discreet hosts, Shane and Bea just a few hundred metres away should they be needed. We are a family all well over the age of partying youngsters, so the holiday suited us perfectly, but La Amapola is also absolutely ideal for a family with young children. If the kids are very young they can play safely very close to the house. If the youngsters are just that little bit older they can explore in the surrounding countryside and the pool . . . well, what fun! And you're not sharing it with the holiday hoards. For those of us a bit long in the tooth, it's a wonderful place to find a quiet corner to curl up with a good book, before cooking a tasty meal in the well equipped kitchen. All in all, seven days of holiday heaven. Thank you Shane and Bea. Please can we come back again?

Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2020

10/10 Excellent

Laghmich Z.

29 Aug 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Idéal pour se relaxer

Nous avons passé un merveilleux séjour, le calme et le paysage magnifique. La nuit on pouvait admirer un ciel étoilé comme on en voit rarement. Les propriétaires sont des gens très chaleureux et accueillants. La maison est parfaitement équipée pour passer d'agréables soirées entre amis. La piscine en hauteur offrant une vue dégagée sur les montagnes. Le seul petit inconvénient était la longue route pour y arriver mais ça en valait la peine!

Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2020

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Esther B.

28 July 2016

The property was more than we expected even better than the pictures.

The villa was truly beautiful, well maintained, clean and spacious. Everything you needed was there even toiletries, there was a wonderful welcome pack so you could settle straight into your holiday. All thought out brilliantly to make your stay so special. The decoration of the villa is fabulous so relaxing, comfortable and authentic. We loved all the different outside areas, BBQ, court yards, seated areas, patio area under grape vines, pool and gardens. It is a one in a million property, very private, quiet and tranquil. All set in a wonderful area to explore.

Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2016

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

12 July 2015

Best house ever!

We have had a fantastic holiday at Amapola. The house is beautiful, the best we have ever rented! A nice pool, and the terrace with a view to the lake is truly amazing. The morning walks among the olive trees took us back 500 years in time. It is so peaceful and beautiful. We have enjoyed every minute! Thanks!!! Mikael

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Naoimh J.

28 June 2015

Stunning. Ticked all the boxes.

We have had the good fortune to stay in several really lovely holiday villas but Villa Ampola tops them all. This a glorious and very sympathetically and tastefully restored property in the mountains between Malaga and.Granada. There are several outdoor terraces, we used different ones for breakfast, lunch,siestas,sundowners dinner, and lazing beside the lovely and good sized pool. This was a godsend when we became slightly overheated! The views from each terrace were breathtakingly beautiful, and so different, depending on the light of the day. The villa inside was beautiful also. Just my cup of tea! I just loved the size and space of the kitchen, the coziness of the lounge and bright spacious bedrooms. Beautiful double doors leading from the rooms to the outside spaces. The villa was comfortable,tastefully furnished,homely and welcoming, and absolutely spotless.Fantastic library for perusal also. We were given a very warm welcome by the very friendly and engaging owners,who were near at hand if we needed them. They gave lots of tips re good restaurants and places to visit. All in we could not fault our stay in Villa Ampola. It in itself was a beautiful space situated within the most glorious surroundings, easily accessible from Malaga airport and to the coast, as well as some interesting hilltop towns which are well worth visiting, and of course the wonders of Granada. Malaga old town also worth a visit. Wonderful produce in the market there. Villa Ampoula was a wonderful experience as well as a most restful and relaxing place to stay. A week really was not long enough. We will have to return

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

21 Apr 2014

The best place we have stayed

We stayed here last May and had a fabulous holiday – we want to come back next year and stay for longer next time. The house is beautiful and has all the little extra comforts/luxuries you could want – comfy big beds, nice linen, state of the art kitchen - which we really enjoyed as there were a few of us, all into cooking – and eating! The pool is huge and in the most incredible spot with these views of the lake and sea that were just to die for. You can see all the way to Morocco on a clear day, every direction you look is just incredible. The place is not your usual holiday rental, more like a luxury country house hotel but self-catering, stylish and well equipped, just exceptional in every way. The owners were really helpful and friendly but not in our face, helped us book restaurants and gave us tips on stuff to do. Overall we had such a great time here and can’t recommend it highly enough.

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

8 Apr 2014

An idyllic getaway!

La Amapola is truly stunning. We arrived at the house and were instantly blown away by the huge kitchen/ diner perfect for having big family meals. We never seem to have the time or space to eat together at home. There are loads of cookery books perfect for trying out authentic Spanish recipes. We made a Paella using local produce and the kids couldn't get enough of it! The house was a perfect base for exploring the area. Highlights were the gorgeous Nerja beach and the hot springs of Alhama de Granada. There was loads to do at the house too with a massive pool, Wifi, loads of DVD's and board games to keep everyone happy. I even went home as the Grand Champion of Diminishing Whist much to the annoyance of all concerned! The bedrooms are a great size and the beds were so comfy I found myself sleeping in on several occasions which is most unlike me. We'll definitely be back again, it was the best family holiday I can think of!

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

7 Apr 2014

Stunning

Our stay at La Amapola was truly spectacular. The location in the Malagan mountains offered stunning views for miles around and a sense of idyllic tranquility that I'm yet to have experienced elsewhere. The facilities are all lovely - beautiful, huge kitchen with all the kit you could ask for; lovely, comfortable bedding; comfy fireside sofa. Also really easy to get into town for shops, restaurants etc. All in all, can't recommend it enough and I am looking forward to going back!

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

7 Apr 2014

Heaven in the hills

La Amapola is one of the best holiday villas we have every stayed in. No only was it in a gorgeous location with fantastic views, but the house was clean, spacious and comfortable. I particularly loved it for several reasons: one, as a keen swimmer I was delighted that the swimming pool is a decent size rather than a tiny dipping pool! It is situated on a platform above the villa with fantastic views and makes a great spot to have an evening sunset drink; two, as a keen cook I was pleased to see that the large airy well equipped kitchen is a main feature of the villa, which made cooking a delight and it leads right onto a large terrace for eating outdoors; three, while many holiday villas are rather ugly inside, La Amapola is beautifully decorated with great paintings on the wall and quirky individual features that made us feel like we we actually at home; four, the owners are friendly and helpful, which -amazingly - is often not the case with villa rental owners. I loved the nearby village, Periana and particularly the Verdugo restaurant which had a delicious and cheap daily menu. There were many walking trails and in late September it was cool enough to use them. We drove down to the coast also and ate grilled sardines with our feet in the sand. Heaven! All in all, this was one of our best holidays in Spain, ever. We are planning to come back as soon as we can arrange a date that suits us all.

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Wendy B.

13 Nov 2013

Perfect in Every Way

We had the most amazing week at La Amapola starting with a warm welcome from the owners and a lovely welcome hamper. The house is beautiful, tasteful decorated and furnished. The beds are really comfortable and the linen of high quality. La Amapola has the biggest kitchen in the world with lots and lots of bowls, pots and pans, sharp knives etc. We arrived in the dark and were all keen to see the view when we woke up in the morning. What a view, just amazing, we spent many hours just sitting on the veranda listening to the birds and stillness and looking out of the moutains and lake. Really spectacular! The Wi-fi worked really well which was a bonus to all family members who are unfortunately addicted to social media. The selection of books and videos is huge. The evenings got a little chilly, so we would light the fire and cuddle up in the comfy lounge watching a really good movie. We all went for a good rest and that is what we got, one week wasn't long enough though so we will have to return and stay for longer. The area is really lovely too, with a great restaurant in Periana, good value, lovely food and huge portions. We would highly recommend La Amapola to everyone.

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Toni s.

24 Oct 2013

Paradise!

La Ampola is a lovely home in a breathtaking location, beautiful, peaceful - the perfect place to relax and get away from it all. The house is full of character, comfortable and homely with everything you could need, including loads of great books. Situated in proper rural Spain, there are lots of real Spanish villages and bars to explore giving me loads of opportunity to practice my Spanish! We loved that you could step out of the door and wander anywhere, the peace and freedom was fantastic. Malaga was lively and interesting and full of culture when we felt like being back in the throng and then escaping back to the mountains. And we also took a couple of days to discover Seville. A wonderful holiday. Thankyou, we plan to come back.

About the host

Hosted by Shane and Bea

We moved to Spain in 2001 and have been renting our villa for self catering holidays since then.
We live in the local area and spend our winters at Villa Amapola with our friends and families.
Shane and I are married with one married daughter and two adorable grandchildren, all of whom live locally.
Shane is Irish and I am English, a Londoner born and bred.
Before we moved here, Shane worked in social housing and I was a teacher.

Why they chose this property

We fell in love with Villa Amapola whilst on a stroll from the nearby village of Periana.
The fabulous countryside situation and breathtaking lake and sea views made it the perfect villa - exactly what we were looking for. Although set apart from the village and totally unobserved by neighbours, the villa is only a few kms from Periana, 15 mins from Lake Vinuela, half an hour to the beach and an hour to Malaga and Granada.

What makes this property unique

Some of the unique features of Villa Amapola include its secluded and tranquil location, its gorgeous panoramic views in every direction, the wild countryside setting with amazing butterflies and birdlife and huge old olive and holm oak trees, the huge pool situated "on top of the world" - and the villa itself, spacious and comfortable, with its traditional rustic Andalusian style.