Hotel Los Castanos

A cosy small hotel in an undiscovered white village with forest and mountain all around, 8km south of Ronda

You’re in the mountains. Chestnut forest surrounds you. The postman takes October off to join the harvest, and when it’s over the village celebrates: roasted chestnuts, a suckling pig, a band in the square and all-night dancing.

Cartajima, population 100, is that rarest of Andalucian finds: an untouched white village. Everyone has a bit of land, and olives, avocados, peppers and tomatoes, lemons, plums, peaches and figs all come straight from the mountain in season. The hotel is small and intimate, welcoming and indulging. You get whitewashed walls, open fires, a big airy sitting room and six super-comfy rooms; all have small balconies, three of which look over the valley. At the top of the house, a roof terrace and a plunge pool; at the bottom, a dining room for delicious home-cooked suppers. Walk out the front door and find tracks that lead into the forest, or jump in the car and head to glittering Ronda; it’s a fifteen-minute drive. If you want peace on the side of a glorious mountain, you've just found it. A great little hotel run by a delightful family.

Highs

• The village and its idyllic setting on the mountain
• The bedrooms at the front with their extra pillows, balconies and long views
• The delicious home-cooked food
• The hands-on owners, who make this such a relaxing place to stay

Lows

• You're deep in the country; you'll need to hire a car to get here
• No-choice set menu each night, but the owners talk you through supper in the morning and make sure you're happy
• There's no swimming pool at the house, but a plunge pool on the roof terrace and a village pool up the road compensate