Lately I visited our friend Antonio, from La Cañada del Sacristán, at his charming house on the countryside. In fact, it is not only his house but a four-bedroom boutique hotel in the heart of Andalusia. Close to Antequera, on a detour off the road from Malaga to Granada, definitely I found the best place to get lost.

The scenery is very much known to us locals. Vast pieces of land with olive trees planted in every direction. And in the midst of it all, of course, there stands a “cortijo” (Spanish countryside villa). Antonio and his wife bought this cortijo a few years ago. An old house, needed to be refurbished and updated, kept the attention of this couple and turned into their new way of living. They had a great job to do to put that building into the 21st century, but the results are really worth it.

In fact, every winter season, Antonio starts up his mind to think what the next improvement is going to be. But I have to say, by now, it has all the facilities one could desire in a place like this, like a library with books in different languages, a Spanish billiards, a lounge where you can listen to music, play board games or just stay relaxed by the chimney. Their last additions has been the swimming pool and a place with sun beds for sunbathing. You can even swim long distances thanks to the swimming engine they have installed.

Another good point to stay there is that they are very environmental minded. They have an ecological garden where they grow up vegetables that you will have the chance to try at their dinners. But not only this. The whole plantation of olive trees helps them to create their own labelled olive oil, organic extra virgin olive oil, named like the very own place “La Cañada del Sacristán”. You will have the chance not only to try it in your mouth but also on your skin, as they offer you natural cosmetics made with it.

If you want to hide away from the noisy world, here you will find your refuge. And, because of being a family run hotel with very few rooms, you won’t nearly bump into any other guests. You will discover small pleasures like watching wild animals and how they get closer looking for some food, or simply enjoying a night sky full of stars as you´ve probably never have seen before.

But of course, if you are more into outdoor activities during the day, there are plenty of things to choose, like horse riding or trekking through marvellous landscapes nearby. And if you want to change one day and try the urban life, Malaga is just a stone throw from it. We would recommend you then to try one of our cultural tours, have some tapas and enjoy a bit of the city. It is less than one-hour drive and the connections are really good.

And to end, their best kept secret. Both Antonio and his wife, María del Carmen, are superb cookers. This could be the only excuse you’d need for staying at their cortijo. Traditional cuisine rooted in the Basque Country that will leave you wanting for more. So if you are looking for a special place, where you will enjoy the small pleasures in life, this is definitely your place. If you want, contact with us and we will connect you with them.