Casa Rural Las Chimeneas

Delectable, relaxing guesthouse and casitas in a village at the eastern end of La Alpujarra, reachable from Granada and Almeria - an ideal base for hiking

You probably won’t have heard of the tiny village of Mairena on the southern flank of the Sierra Nevada, just a few miles from where Gerard Brennan wrote ‘South from Granada’. You’re as likely to encounter a donkey as you are a car on your way to the village square: that fabled ‘old’ Spain is still alive and kicking. Emma and David, entranced by the sweeping views to the south, bought a huge village house and adjacent buildings here and have created a harmonious, organic and soothing series of living spaces and rooms that strike just the right balance between authenticity and comfort.

Light floods into the living/dining room through high windows: the view to the south, out across steeply terraced hillsides to the distant Mediterranean, is enticing. This is the sort of place where you slow down, pick up the novel you’ve been meaning to read, and fantasise about making that move to Spain. Fabulous hikes go straight out from the house; you can book an all-inclusive week with local transport and route maps. And even if walking isn’t your thing, this is a great place to kick back.

Highs

• This 800 year old house breathes simple, solid comfort, it feels good to be here
• The food is really varied, and the excellent Alpujarran cooking means vegetarians are in for a treat
• Blissfully quiet Mairena is far less touristy than some other villages in the Alpujarra
• Emma and David are relaxed, caring hosts who have all the maps and documentation you'll need for a blissful week of exploration. You’ll enjoy your stay more at La Chimeneas thanks to their help and advice

Lows

• Mairena is well off the beaten track and you’ll need a car to get the most out of a stay here. But its isolation is a big part of the attraction
• Don’t expect much in the way of gadgetry; this is a simple B&B and has no pretensions to provide the sort of creature comforts that you’d expect in a hotel
• In the colder months the combination of radiators and woodburners only just manages to keep the cold at bay