Rooms

Each of the 9 south-facing Junior Suites has a lounge area and mountain views. The 3 on the first floor have a Juliet balcony; the 3 on the ground floor have doors onto the garden. The ninth sits in a studio to the side of the main building with it's own terrace.

The suites share a Mediterranean style, but each has has its own quirks and touches - perhaps antique Indian pillars or an unusually high-beamed roof. The handmade four-poster double beds are draped in floaty muslin. One can be made up with twin beds. Overall, expect earthy colours, kilims on cool tiled floors, Moorish arches, coloured glass and dark wood.

Bathrooms are simple and rustic, with a shower and toiletries. All rooms are equipped with air-conditioning, plus shutters to keep out the sun's glare. For the cool winter months, there's heating.

Features include:

• Hairdryer
• In-room treatments available
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

The dining room is the hotel’s social hub, with tables set inside and out (or by a log fire in winter), and the food is fresh, seasonal and locally sourced - the kitchen garden provides some of the salads and fresh herbs. A 3-course set dinner is offered 5 nights of the week (usually not on Monday or Tuesday, and dinner times may vary). During our visit, it began with a delicious tomato pâté served with homemade bread, followed by a fresh fig salad with goats' cheese, slow-roasted leg of lamb with vegetables, and a tangy fruit compote with lemon cream. Menus are chalked onto a board during the day, giving guests a chance to make alternative arrangements if any of the dishes don’t suit diets or palates.

The bar offers a small wine list - including good Spanish wines at reasonable prices - and there’s usually a cocktail of the day on offer. There's also an honesty bar - a fridge stocked with drinks and mixers, where guests can help themselves to wines, spirits and soft drinks at any time of day.

Breakfast is a generous buffet of cereals, homemade breads, cakes and pastries, cheeses, cold meats and homemade yoghurts, served with freshly squeezed juices, teas and coffee.

For lunches and dinner on Monday/Tuesday nights, you'll need to drive into Bolulla (3km); Thorsten and Sonia can advise on restaurants.

Features include:

• Bar
• Breakfast
• Dinner by arrangement
• Honesty bar
• Organic produce
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Go walking: there are numerous mountain paths, suitable for all abilities. Thorsten or Sonia can discuss these with you
  
• The area is popular with cyclists (particularly serious, lycra-clad roadsters as it is very hilly). Bolulla has often been a stage of the Vuelta de España (Spain’s Tour de France) thanks to its access to a classic ride: up the Coll de Rates, which zig-zags through the Marina Alta mountains. Lower down there are gentler routes as well as numerous tracks for goaty mountain bikers. The hotel can advise on local bike hire options
  
• Stroll around Altea: 15 minutes’ drive, it’s one of the most attractive towns on the Costas, a labyrinth of white-washed streets, designer shops, galleries, a smart beach promenade, seafront restaurants and the blue domes of its distinctive church, La Mare de Déu del Consol (Our Lady of Solace)
  
• Visit waterfalls: the Font Algar is the area’s biggest tourist attraction and it’s only 5 minutes downhill by car (you can walk it in half an hour). Go early in the morning before the day-trippers arrive, or ask Thorsten to direct you to a lesser-known waterfall
  
• Hit the beach: the Costa Blanca is home to some of the finest, cleanest beaches in southern Spain. Suggestions include Portet de L’Olla (sand and shingle at Altea) or the beaches at Oliva (65km). The Herrmanns can also guide you to hidden pebble coves (the 5 Les Rotes bays near Denia are beautiful), and tell you where to find scuba diving, surfing, sailing and other watersports
  
• Day-trip to Valencia, Spain’s 3rd largest city and the home of paella. Must-dos include the cathedral, the Museo de Bellas Artes (paintings by Goya, El Greco and Velázquez), the 15th-century Lonja de la Seda (Silk Exchange; now a World Heritage Site), the old town, the beaches, and the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences (designed by Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava)

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Climbing
• Golf
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Kitesurfing
• Mountain biking
• Museums / galleries
• Plantlife / flora
• Sailing
• Scuba diving
• Scuba diving courses
• Shopping / markets
• Surfing
• Swimming

Kids

Only over 16s are permitted, this is a romantic and tranquil hotel.

Family friendly accommodation:

Only one room can take an extra bed for one person

Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Finca el Tossal sits above the Algar Valley, 3km from Bolulla and 55km from Alicante in southeast Spain.

By Air:
The closest airport is Alicante (55km / 1-hour drive). Valencia airport (120km) takes a couple of hours by road.

From the Airport
The best option is to hire a car so you can explore the area while you're here. You can park for free at the hotel. Alternatively, take a taxi (but relying on taxis while you're here could be arduous).

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.

More on getting to Valencia and getting around