La Almunia del Valle

Style and comfort in the Sierra Nevada at this bucolic mountain hideaway, only 15 minutes' drive from Granada and 20 from the ski resort

You’re in the first folds of the Sierra Nevada here, but only a 15 minute drive from the centre of Granada. Spectacular landscape encircles you: mountains rise across the valley, streams gurgle, pine forests cling to the hills. If you want to walk, you can strike out from the front door (maps and walking sticks are on hand); alternatively, sit out by the pool in the shade of an ancient fig tree and drink in the views. Come in winter and go skiing: the Sol y Nieve resort is just a 20-minute car ride away.

As for the house, well, that’s not bad either, a beautifully orchestrated commingling of contemporary art, furnishings and fittings with the building's more rustic base elements of slate and dressed stone: rustic chic at its very most appealing. It’s built into the side of a hill and a couple of the 11 rooms have raw stone walls. Elegant, uncluttered bedrooms come with long views and crisp linen, a fire smoulders in the first-floor sitting room in winter, and summer suppers are taken up on the rooftop terrace, where, on clear nights, you’ll see the moon slip over the mountain and light up the valley below. Magical.

Highs

• The fabulous setting on the side of a hill has mountains all around
• The comfortable and stylish bedrooms offer great value for money
• Beautiful Granada and the magnificent Alhambra, the finest palace in Spain, are just 10 minutes away
• The Sierra Nevada National Park is great for long walks, horse riding and mountain biking
• Patricia and Manuel are consummately good hosts: warm, caring and genuinely keen for you to experience the best of Granada and its sierra
• La Almuñia has a droolingly romantic, hidden away feel to it: you can't fail to slip into easy R&R at this place

Lows

• The set menu for dinner offers no choice. But menus are discussed in the morning, any allergies or veggie leanings accommodated, and the produce is all locally sourced
• If you want the bars and clubs of the big city, you’ll have to drive down to Granada each night
• You’re up in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, at the end of a long and very narrow country road, so you’ll need a car to get here