Casa Rural Las Chimeneas

Press Reviews

British Airways Highlife, July 2011
Chris (Stewart) reckons the regular food at Las Chimeneas is the best in the area - the Alpujarras having been too poor for too long to have much sophisticated cooking of its own. In his book, he drily describes his predecessor at the farm favouring papas a lo pobre - poor man's potatoes - for breakfast, lunch and supper.
At Las Chimeneas, a local lady, Soledad, makes quite delicious dishes, such as rabbit in local honey with carrots, or fresh sardines with sundried peppers and tomatoes, served with migas, a local form of couscous. You'd be very happy eating her food here.

British Airways Highlife, June 2011
The British couple who run this rustic-chic guesthouse in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada are a mine of information on walks in the area, supplying guests with detailed route notes, maps and if needed a packed lunch. Walks go straight from the house but transport and baggage transfers can be arranged for guests wishing to tackle longer walks such as the GR7 long-distance footpath, which passes the hotel.

Small Hotels & Inns of Andalucia
"David and Emma lived and worked in many different parts of Europe before heading for La Alpujarra, inspired in part by English author Gerald Brennan’s writings about the area. They arrived in the right place at just the right time. An architect who had completely restored this old village house had decided to move on. It’s easy to see why they fell in love with the house and the village which has only recently been discovered by the ex-pats-in-search-of-shangri-la. It’s a quiet, friendly place where you’re as likely to see passing mules as you are cars. The village looks out across a deep barranco to the distant Contraviesa mountains. The atmosphere that the whole house seems to breathe is one of wholesome, uncluttered simplicity. There is a high-ceilinged guest lounge/diner with a hearth, books, rocking chairs and light streaming in from its south-facing windows. The bedrooms are every bit as attractive and most are large, some have terraces and all have wonderful old floors and antique furniture. Many of the guests at Las Chimeneas come to explore the mountains surrounding the village and the Illsleys know all of its loveliest pathways."

Guest Reviews

Reviews are only from people who have stayed there and booked through i-escape.

• “We particularly liked the warm welcome and the assistance to make the most of our stay, however brief. We even got a private tour of a rather interesting old chuch in a nearby village.”
  Carole, Tunisia (19.03.12)

• “Very friendly and welcoming service – both from Dave & Emma who run the hotel, and from the other staff at breakfast and dinner. Beautiful and thoughtfully decorated rooms, fantastic scenery.
  Particularly good for local walks.
  Very good value for money – would definitely recommend.”
  Kirsty, United Kingdom (14.10.11)

• “I loved the location, the room was simple but perfect for this kind of place, with a terrace with beautiful views. Emma was very helpful and gave us some good recommendation for hikes in the area.”
  Nadine, United Kingdom (01.10.11)

• “We stayed here for one night whilst travelling through Andalucia and loved almost everything about it. The setting is idyllic, with great views across the valley and hills. David and Emma are lovely hosts and both the casa and restaurant have a nice, relaxed atmosphere.
  
  We stayed in the Corral, which is a one-bedroom apartment located just next to the main house. This was perfect for us as we were travelling with our 2-year old, so it gave us a bit of extra space. In general the Casa was very accommodating for children, with a basket of books and toys available in the restaurant, and a similar stash of toys/armbands available to use in the plunge pool.
  
  Dinner was a real highlight, with fantastic food and (local) wine which was extremely good value.
  
  We'd love to return at some point in the future and would definitely recommend it to others.”
  david, United Kingdom (29.08.11)

• “We stopped at Las Chimeneas for a night as we drove across the mountains with our two children. It was a perfect stopover after a very long car journey in August heat - the swimming pool was brilliant. We did not have dinner, deciding to cook ourselves in our cassita which was right next door to the main hotel - much better than many where you are at the opposite end of the village. The service was very friendly and our hosts had left us some very useful info on short walks to take and bars and restaurants in the village and beyond to visit. Breakfast was lovely - even keeping two fussy eating young boys happy and ready for another long car journey. All in all a great place.”
  Fenella, United Kingdom (09.08.11)

• “This is such a lovely hotel up in the Alpujarra part of the Sierra Nevada, with a wonderful restaurant also managed by the proprietors David and Emma. They source their groceries from their organic finca and provide a daily menu which is delicious. Local fans include the owners of the Moro restaurant in London.
  The main house is simply and elegantly furnished, there is a small swimming pool which is fine for the children but not long enough for lengths, and the atmosphere is relaxed, informal and very friendly. David and Emma are excellent hosts, with a fantastic knowledge of the area; it's very much worth doing a walk with them and learning about the history, the way the land is used and the local wildlife.
  After the heat of Granada it was heaven to get up into the hills, but the heat was still pretty oppressive! We had to go up higher to get some cool, and the Casa has plenty of information for walkers and explorers alike.
  All in all a fabulous spot, and both David and Emma are really using their hotel to develop the village and provide local employment. Highly recommended.”
  Gavin, United Kingdom (26.06.11)

• “The annex room is lovely with the balcony and fireplace. Great advice on amazing walks from the owners. Fabulous main house. The bed had a lot to be desired, though, as it was very uncomfortable.”
  Amy, United Kingdom (27.02.11)

• “Everything was perfect: the place is lovely and gives many opportunities of walking, the guest house is very nice, Emma and David are really kind and helpful but not overwhelming, the food was delicious! We had a very pleasant time and would actually have loved to stay longer... we strongly recommend :-)”
  JB, Poland (14.02.11)

• “We stayed for 9 days at Las Chimeneas and enjoyed every minute of it. Our room was in the main house. We loved our room, it was very simple but very spacious with a balcony. David and Emma are lovely people, nothing seems too much trouble and the atmosphere is very relaxed. The food cooked by Sole is excellent, simple, homemade and fresh and very good value. The food is served by Jill who helped to make every evening enjoyable.”
  Ann, United Kingdom (02.10.10)

• “The owners were brilliant and really helpful, suggesting ideas for walks during the day and offering to pick us up if the end destination was too far to walk back from.”
  Lucia, United Kingdom (29.09.10)

• “Cannot speak highly enough about Las Chimaneas. Lovely people, beautiful accomodation and setting, and the food in the restaurant is the best we've had in Spain!”
  michelle, United Kingdom (20.06.10)