Hotel Los Castanos

Facilities

• Dining: Rates inlcude accommodation only. For an additional charge you can enjoy breakfast, dinner and house wine at the hotel. Alternatively, head to one of the nearby villages to eat out
• Communal areas: The roof terrace has great views of the forest and hills. Indoors there's a sitting room with games and books, a log fire, CD player and a TV. There's also a library
• Swimming Pool: No swimming pool, but there's a rooftop plunge pool and village swimming pool (open from 4pm daily in the summer)
• Spa Treatments: A relaxation and massage room equipped with a selection of exercise tapes and other exercise equipment
• Recreational: Holiday/courses led by professional tutors - choose from digital photography, creative writing and landscape watercolour. Di's an expert on the Alto Genal area - she's even written a guidebook about the region, for sale at Los Castanos. Buy a copy before you head out on your trek
• Meetings/Functions: If you took over the whole place, you could use the dining room, but there is no specific equipment on hand
• Disabled Access: Yes - the ground floor bedroom is wheelchair accessible
• Pets: Not accepted
• Languages Spoken: English, Spanish

Also...

• Despite the loveliness of their home, Di and Lu are the real stars. They're kind, generous, helpful and fun to talk to
  
• Around the house you’ll find some really lovely stuff. The antique wooden front doors are from Ronda. Old carved chestnut doors hang on cupboards in the dining room. The back wall may be that of an ancient mosque
  
• Colourful Moroccan blankets are draped over the banisters. At the top of the stairs a magic lantern lamp shade casts light and shadow on the walls at night
  
• The ground floor is pretty much one huge room with a few little nooks in which to hide. A small fountain by the stairs is surrounded by bowls of fruit, part décor, part larder. Curtains have been hung between the dining room and sitting room areas; they can be pulled open or drawn closed as suits the mood
  
• The hotel has some resident cats and dogs

When to go?

All year. This is a place of the seasons. If you want to see the wild flowers, come in April or May.

Cartajima’s feria (fiesta) takes place on August 15th. It lasts for 4 days and 4 nights. Locals come, as do villagers who still own property here but live down in Malaga to work. Dancing in the street starts at midnight. If you’re looking for total peace, this isn’t the time to come

Features include:

• Vegetarian menu
• Breakfast
• Dinner by arrangement
• Drive to restaurants
• Terrace
• Guest lounge
• Library
• Internet access
• Plunge pool
• massage room
• Tennis court
• Disabled access