El Secreto de Ollo

A lovely old guesthouse in a tiny village wrapped up in idyllic hills close to ancient Pamplona

This is the land of plenty, a blissful pocket of northern Navarre that has hardly changed in 300 years. It’s a little like discovering El Dorado. You drop into a crater-like valley to find endless fields of ripening wheat swaying in the breeze. Five tiny villages sit in the hills. Rivers pour through, swimming holes beckon, a gorge burrows out through mountains to the south. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot a cyclist sweeping down the mountain, or the odd pilgrim shuffling along the Santiago Way. Other than that, very little happens here.

As for this gorgeous old house - well, it stands in peace above the church in the tiny village of Ollo, with views across the valley of the same name. It’s a grand old place with thick stone walls that keep you cool in summer, and owner Arantxa’s flair for interior design has filled every corner with something beautiful. There’s a fire in the sitting room for winter nights, but in summer life spills onto a couple of attractive terraces, one of which has big views over the valley. The 7 bedrooms are lovely, especially the suites, which are as pretty as they are big, and although the house encourages a certain laziness, make sure you pull yourself away to explore the area: the valley, historic Pamplona and magical San Sebastián all await.

Highs

• The position is utterly dreamy: this is a bona fide rural idyll and the walking is fabulous - set aside at least a day of your holiday
• The romantic suites are gorgeous, well worth a few extra euros, plus there's an apartment for self-catering, which will suit small families of 2-4
• This is a peaceful, intimate escape, run with great warmth by Arantxa and her husband Pablo
• Breakfast is a feast, with homemade jams and wonderful cheeses. Candlelit suppers are on offer, too
• Pamplona, 15km away, an ancient city famed for its bull-running fiesta and beautiful old buildings

Lows

• You'll need a car to get here
• No lunches are served (except packed ones), and there are no other restaurants in the village, so if you want to eat out you’ll have to drive. The valley restaurants are closed November-June so this will mean heading to Pamplona
• By comparison to the suites, the rooms are fairly simple
• No air con, though the thick walls mean you don't really need it
• There’s no swimming pool, but crystal-clear swimming holes rise in the nearby Arakil river