Cortijo Alegria

Once inside, the rooms feel like coming home. Each has one or two additional rooms with the beds, plus a fully equipped kitchen and built-in AC. The rooms are nice and accommodating, and the owners are amazing. The hardest part is getting there: there’s about a kilometre of dirt track before you reach a commercial road, so getting to the nearest beach can be difficult. There’s a small, comfortable pool if you don’t plan to swim in the sea. All in all, I recommend it.

The pool and kitchen are nice, and the view is great, but some rooms are better than others. There’s no soundproofing at all, so you can hear people in the next room as if they were in yours. In some rooms, the water heater is exposed to wind and storms, which can mean cold water when it’s windy. The road to get there is pretty bad, and the place is a bit far from everything. The neighborhood complains right away if you have a party. It wasn't a bad experience, and 3/5 isn't a bad rating, as the owner seems to think. It’s OK+. I’d have needed soundproof rooms for four stars, and decent road access and a neighborhood that wasn’t fighting with the owner for five. Three stars feels fair. I might have given 3.5 if that were possible.

We celebrated a hen party at the amazing villa, and it was perfect for us. Lydia and her husband were so accommodating. Lydia greeted all 25 of us, then left us to do our own thing. She was on site, though, and when I texted with any question or concern, she was there within minutes. She also had a taxi contact who took us everywhere, which made the stay even better.

My best holiday ever. Cortijo Alegria is peaceful and beautiful, with a great pool and even a chapel! It’s away from the tourist spots but still close enough to everything. You can get to the sea for a swim in a 40-minute walk. If you’re considering Andalusia, go there!