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APARTMENT FOR 4 IN A TYPICAL ANDALUSIAN WHITE VILLAGE
Large terrace. Typical Spanish white village. .
Apartment with panoramic views of the village of Alora, a traditional Spanish working village, with its narrow, winding, cobbled streets and local shops, bars and restaurants. The highlight of the apartment is the terrace - with unrivalled and breathtaking views of the whole village and the surrounding countryside – perfect for al fresco dining with the flood-lit castle as the backdrop.
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Location |
Alora, Spain
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Price Range |
€ 40.00 to € 55.00 per night
Bookings must be for a minimum of 5 nights
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Bedrooms |
2 (Sleeps 4)
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Beds |
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Key Locations |
- Airport: 25.00 min (driving)
- Train Station: 1.00 km
- Lake: 10.00 min (driving)
- Beach: 30.00 min (driving)
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| Ratings |
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A 25% deposit is required to secure a booking for this property.
Full payment is required if your arrival date is less than 42 night/s from the date of booking.
The following seasonal pricing periods to note are:
From
1
April
to
15
April
The following terms and conditions apply for this period:
No discounts apply for this period
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€ 55.00
per night
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From
1
June
to
30
September
The following terms and conditions apply for this period:
No discounts apply for this period
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€ 55.00
per night
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From
23
December
to
30
December
The following terms and conditions apply for this period:
No discounts apply for this period
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€ 55.00
per night
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The following discounts and deals are available:
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A discount of
10.00%
is available on bookings
14
night/s or over.
This discount
is always available (unless specified for seasonal or special pricing).
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Guest Reviews
These reviews are are all from people who have booked through the homeforhire system.
| There are currently no guest reviews for this property. |
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Bedrooms |
2 (Sleeps 4)
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Living Room: |
Comfortably fits 4 people |
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Dining Room |
The dining room comfortably fits 4 people |
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Bathrooms |
There are 1 bathroom/s available |
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Ensuites |
There are 0 ensuite/s available |
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Toilets |
There are 1 toilet/s available |
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Beds |
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Noise Level |
Very Quiet |
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Home Category |
Self Catering |
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Facilities Directions |
- Patio: Mountain Facing
- Balcony: Very private
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Holiday Types |
- Romantic
- Relaxing
- Seaside
- Activity
- Budget
- Family
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Home Area |
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Entertainment Equipment |
- Sound - Radio
- Sound - CD Player
- Television Flat Screen
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IT Communications Equipment |
- Cellphone Coverage
- Telephone - Not available
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Leisure Equipment |
- Heating
- Heating - Electric
- Ceiling Fans
- Heating - Gas fire
- Cooling Fans
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Household Equipment |
- Towels/Linen Provided
- Microwave
- Hair Dryer
- Iron/Ironing Board
- Clothes Washing Machine
- Kitchen Standard
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Outside Equipment |
- Barbeque
- Outside Lighting
- Outdoor Furniture
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Views |
- Mountain Views
- Panoramic Views
- Countryside Views
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Activities Within Walking |
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Horse Riding
- Hiking
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Activities Within Driving |
- Sailing
- Water Skiing
- Boat Hire
- Wind Surfing
- Surfing
- Golf
- Fishing
- Tennis
- Climbing
- Sports Center
- Flying
- Scuba
- Dancing
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Attractions Within Walking |
- Cinema
- Shopping
- Restaurants
- Food Shop
- Park
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Attractions Within Driving |
- Theatre
- Zoo
- Theme Park
- Nature Reserve
- Winery
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Alora - the village
Alora is the perfect white village. The real, traditional Spain – nothing like the international atmosphere of Malaga with its millions of tourists. Built on three hills, it commands clear views of the Rio Guadalhorce valley, South towards Cartama and Malaga and North towards El Chorro, Antequera and El Torcal With the over 1000 year old Arab Castle, nestling beneath the imposing presence of Monte Hacho, the village is a major landmark in the area.
Though the Arab influence on the village today is clear, with its network of steep, narrow streets, Alora as a settlement dates back much earlier. Cave paintings found just outside the village suggest prehistoric connections.
The castle itself was built by the Phoenicians, and fortified by the Romans, almost destroyed by the Visigoths in the 5th century and rebuilt by the Moors. It still retains unique architectural features such as its Arabic 'horseshoe' arch, classified recently as an historical monument.
At the foot of the hill on which the castle stands is the older part of the village, centred around the Plaza Baja de la Despedia and its Church of the Encarnación, the second largest in Malaga province (after the Cathedral in Malaga city itself).
Streets lined with lemon trees lead steeply upwards to the Plaza Fuente Arriba, which borders on the old and newer parts of the village, its large fountain containing three impressive stone lions.
There is evident Arabic influence in many features of the older buildings on the way, like a classic keyhole arch doorway.
A little outside the village the Convento de la Virgen de Flores is a magnificent nineteenth century convent in a spectacular setting which dominates the views towards Carratraca and the Sierra de las Aguas to the North.
The village today
Home to around 14000 inhabitants, Alora is a busy and bustling place in the 21st century.
Even driving through the main streets of the village, it is obvious that the motor car is a relatively new intrusion to many of the older residents. They tend to mill around in the middle of the street, especially on 'market day' (Monday) or 'pension day', in a manner much more suited to encountering the donkey than the car. Indeed the donkey - or its slightly more modern equivalent, the ancient moped with a top speed of 15mph or so - is still to be seen around and about the place.
Some streets are so steep that they are built in steps, so are totally impassable to motor vehicles. Many houses and apartments, even those recently built, have startlingly breathtaking views of the Castle or the river valley and surrounding mountains
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The apartment
The apartment is built on the first floor of a typical Andalucian white village house with its own, completely separate, entrance. There is a lounge leading into a separate dining area and the kitchen which gives access onto a small storage terrace and the steps leading up to the main terrace. There are 2 bedrooms the main with a King size bed and the second with 2 single beds. The bathroom serves both bedrooms. There is plenty of storage space with a large cupboard over the stairs and wardrobes in both bedrooms. All the furniture is new.
The highlight of the apartment is the terrace – around 30 metres square - sunny but covered for the hottest days of midsummer and with unrivalled, breathtaking views of the whole village and the surrounding countryside. It is delightful to dine al fresco – lunch in spring and autumn and dinner in the summer with the flood-lit castle as the backdrop.
Calle Calvario leads up to the Ermita de Calvario. Many small roads lead to the village square which is often a meeting point for fiestas and local events of which there are many through the year.
A wide range of services is available in the village: banks, supermarkets and grocers, a pharmacy, butchers and home bakeries.
NOTE Please keep in mind that this is a typical Andalusian village, charming but full of winding streets and narrow paths and steps. The terrace is beautiful but to have a good view it means it is quite high. Small children should not be left alone on the stairs to the terrace and the elderly or infirm might find the steep streets tiring.
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Where to go / What to do
Alora is only 15 minutes by car from El Chorro and Los Gaitanes Pass (which it shares with Ardales and Antequera), the Sierra de Huma and the Sierra de Aguas. The 2,016 hectares protected by Desfiladero de los Gaitanes Beauty Spot are located in the interior of the Subbetica mountain range, and create a spectacular landscape. They include an impressive gorge through which the River Guadalhorce flows, between enormous slabs of stratified limestone.
It is considered to be of immense ecological importance. Its walls, which are up to 400 metres high, are home to a variety of plant and animal life. The adjoining nature park offers hiking, walking, climbing and swimming in addition to other water sports, bird watching etc.
The coast is only 40 minutes away – beaches and nightlife within an easy drive.
There is a golf-course planned for Alora in the near future – at the moment you will need to drive to Alhaurin ( 28 kms). There is horse riding in the area.
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Transport
Public transport is excellent. Buses go to Malaga and many surrounding places such as Ronda. The railway runs to Malaga from Alora station, which is down at the bottom of the hill where the main road climbs to the village, and a minibus shuttles backwards and forwards to the village centre. From Malaga convenient connections run to the airport and Fuengirola on the coast. Trains are modern, clean, efficient and cost next to nothing.
The road system is also excellent. The A357, which connects to Malaga and Campillos in the opposite direction, is currently being upgraded to a dual carriageway. At or towards Campillos, connecting roads to Ronda, Granada, Cordoba and Seville are even better, so the great cities and towns of Andalucia all make an easy day trip.
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Eating out
Like any rural Spanish village Alora has plenty of bars serving tapas. Many, like Bar Alora and Cafe Ahazar, offer great coffee and delicious snacks such as pitufos (small rolls) and churros (rings of deep fried batter).
There are also several Internet cafes in or near the village.
Here are a few of the places to eat :
Bar los Caballos A local landmark, a kilometre or two out of town on the river. Large terrace, huge portions of typical Spanish fare, great value if you have a good appetite.
Los Conejitos Five kilometres out of town towards Carratraca, drive past Mercadona and continue until you see it on your right. An enormous place, also host to many weddings and other functions, excellent value - as everywhere, especially at lunchtime.
Casa Abilio - Great decor in rustic style, right in the centre of the town, just behind the church. With wine dinner will cost about 40E per person. You will need to reserve on Saturdays. Obviously more expensive than tapas bars and ventas, but for a special night out Casa Abilio is excellent.
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Shopping
There are many small shops in Alora – including one for bread and other basics in Calle Calvario (in a house up the street in the direction of the church). There is also a good supermarket (Mercadona) very close to the centre – near the crossroads at the entrance to the town.
Be sure to buy some olive oil to enjoy in Alora and to take home. Other Spanish “musts” are the Iberian ham – “jamón iberico y jamón Serrano” and of course wine. If you want a good one go for a Rioja or a Ribera del Duero 2008 or older – if you want to pay less look for a Valdepeñas. Try Viña Albali or Estola for a good everyday red. White is more difficult – it tends to be very fruity. There are some excellent Albariños from the north of Spain and there are some relatively new Chardonnays coming onto the market, but you can’t find them on many supermarket shelves yet and the better ones are quite expensive.
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