Reviews of Property: villa with private pool, poolside bar and stunning views in spa village

Description Villa, 100 m²,
3 Bedrooms, Sleeps 6, 2 Bathrooms
Facilities mountain, village, pool, garden, terrace, balcony
Rates per property
Set rates in Euros
€70/night 
€350 - €1,000/week 
GBP Conversion - Estimated
£63/night 
£315 - £901/week 
Eryl Higham
+34 (0)635-105943
Speaks: English, Spanish

8 Reviews of Property 18731 in Carratraca, Spain

Rating
5 out of 5

The ideal Tranquil Haven for a relaxing holiday

elrick elrick,aberdeenshire,scotland
Review Submitted: August 13, 2008 Date of Stay: July 2008
2 weeks of sheer enjoyment spent at this most wonderful villa. Never saw a tourist in sight and enjoyed the hikes up to the hilltop Carratraca.
The villa and surroundings were even better than the photos. Everything was provided you could think of and the property was well maintained and very clean and immaculate. The locals very friendly in Carratraca and if you don't speak spanish, hand signals work wonders ! The lakes, about 10 minutes away are a must and lots of little hilltop villages to explore with quite enthralling bendy roads. The owners very helpful and provided everything you could imagine. The bar at the pool is brilliant with the fridge and gas hob and bbq make everything perfect. Pool was excellent and great care and attention was made to keep it very clean. The views are absolutely specatular from various patios at the Villa. We would highly recommend this villa. The village itself has basics for your shopping but the main supermarket which we thought was great was in Alora about 20 minutes away. Trips from the villa included Ronda,Marbella(great for shopping at Shopping Mall called La Canada, just as you enter Marbella),Malaga(a great place to explore, but not in the heat of the summer. Lots of good shops and tapas bars). Other places which are good for an evening drive of around 25-30 minutes each way are Monda, Coin, and lots more on the way.
Owner's Response: Thank you for taking the time to write a review for Casa Elanor. We look forward to welcoming you again in the future when we hope you will have an even better time as we are constantly trying to improve the property.
Did you find this review helpful? Yes No Helpful votes: 1/1
Rating
4 out of 5

Good times

mopso Amsterdam The Netherlands
Review Submitted: July 17, 2009 Date of Stay: February 2009
A nice house, nice people. Situated in a calm area with in the near suroundings lots of things to do. So you can have it all, sport, relaxing,,culture, nice food and drinks so the ingredients for a nice holiday.
Owner's Response: Thank you for taking the time to let us know that you enjoyed your stay with us. We found your whole family very charming.
Did you find this review helpful? Yes No
Rating
3 out of 5

Casa Elanor

Lucky Dave Aberdeenshire
Review Submitted: July 12, 2009 Date of Stay: June 2009
The owners provided excellent directions to get to the villa from the airport and I would recommend you stop off on the way at the supermarket they suggest.

The property is as it is described in the information however, it is somewhat more than 10 minutes from the village, Sherpa Tenzing would be stretched to get up the hill in 10 minutes, even using the "goat track".

The pool area is quite large and the pool is a good size. The pool does appear to attract all manner of insects however, a net is provided to fish them out and the owner comes on a regular basis to "hoover" the floor of the pool which suffers from dust from an adjoining vegetable garden. The pool bar area has a small fridge which is really useful to keep beers/wine handy. There are a couple of lemon trees here as well and the fruit is excellent. Use the hose in the morning to give the trees a water

You will not need to take an alarm with you as the dogs from the villa below and above will ensure you wake promptly at 7am. The only way to avoid this is to close your window but with no air conditioning this is not an option. The ceiling fans alleviate some of the heat but we visited in June so I suspect July and August will be worse.

There are three shops in the village and also a butcher which we used regularly but there's not a huge choice so would recommend you stock up at supermarkets when you can.

Because of the hike to the village we used the gas BBQ virtually every day but we ate once at the Parador Restaurant, the owner picking us up and taking us back to the villa. It appears to be open only from Friday to Sunday.

The villa is an ideal situation for travelling around the area, we visited Antequerra, Rhonda, Marbella, Puerto Banus and Mijas plus many of the little villages around the area. A car is essential.

The mountain backdrop is spectacular in an evening sitting on the terrace with the sun going down. We enjoyed our stay at the villa and would consider a villa holiday again but would prefer air conditioning being available.
Owner's Response: We are surprised by this review-Lucky (or unlucky?) Dave experienced problems no guests in the past 5 years, and none since, have had. During their stay the party appeared happy. We looked after their needs, replaced a newly broken DVD player with a brand new one, arranged a free taxi for a night out and exchanged pleasantries every time we came to check on the pool where his party spent a large amount of time.
It does contain certain inaccuracies:
1) The villa IS only 10 minutes walk from the village- Dave never attempted to walk it. Our current guests from Demark, not renowned for its mountains, have 2 young children and they all enjoy walking to the village every evening. We live in the village and often walk to the villa- it takes 10 minutes.
2) The pool does not possess any special insect or dust attracting properties. Some insects will always end up in swimming pools and therefore a net is provided. However, there were more insects and dust than we have had previously or since and it was a big concern to us. We came early EVERY morning to clean it. We believe the cause for the amount of insects was that the adjacent barbecue, used everyday, was never cleaned during their stay and rubbish was left around the bar - We urge guests to keep the area clean and dispose of rubbish on a daily basis. We think the dust must have been due to Dave´s habit of hosing down the patio every morning- there is nowhere else for the dust to go- but into the pool!!-
We would urge guests not to do this or to water the lemon trees.
3) There is currently no air-con- it is not advertised as having air-con and the ceiling fans seem to satisfy 95% of guests-even in high season. We are however, considering air-con for next year.
4) There are some dogs in one neighbouring villa. Whilst they do bark when disturbed, it is not a problem other guests have complained of. If it were to be a problem we would talk to our neighbours to resolve it.
Lucky Dave usually holidays in major resorts-why he chose Casa Elanor is a mystery to us. It is, as he acknowledges accurately described and a million miles away from a bustling city break. However, the village does have a 3 mini markets, 2 butchers, a fishmonger, a baker, a cake shop, a chemist and a bank. There are also 6 bars serving tapas and 4 bar/restaurants serving full meals.- Most of these amenities are pointed out on a map of the village which is provided alongside other useful information for guests.
Did you find this review helpful? Yes No Helpful votes: 3/3
Rating
5 out of 5

A beautiful villa in an idyllic location.

TomL Manchester
Review Submitted: January 18, 2009 Date of Stay: June 2008
We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Casa Elanor. It was so refreshing to experience real Spain. The local village is completely unspoilt by tourism. There is an excellent bus service for visiting local attractions, and cities.

The villa itself is beautiful, even better than it appears in the photos. With a swimming pool, poolside bar, badminton court and stunning views, there is plenty to do around the villa alone.

The owners made sure we had everything we wanted, and gave advice on where best to visit.

To anyone who is considering this villa, you will not be dissapointed, in fact it will probably become a regular holiday destination. It certainly has for me!
Owner's Response: Thank you for taking the time to write a review. It is much appreciated. We are pleased you enjoyed your holiday- it is so important to us. We fell in love with this area 5 years ago and have tried to create what we consider to be a perfect holiday rental in this most beautiful part of Spain.
It makes it all worthwhile when we know guests have had a wonderful holiday. It is good to know we can add you to our regular guests, and look forward to seeing you again this year. Regards,
Eryl and Roland
Did you find this review helpful? Yes No
Rating
5 out of 5

Excellent relaxing stay in comfortable surrounding

Binx Horndean, Hampshire, UK
Review Submitted: October 19, 2008 Date of Stay: August 2008
We would wholeheartedly endorse everything Elrick has said below about Villa Elanor. The villa itself is compact but is clean and provides all the essential amenities for a relaxing stay. In reality, we didn't spend much time indoors anyway as the outdoor areas are superb. The pool is a good size and we made significant use of the table tennis table, badminton court, large chess set and boules court.

Best of all was the recently installed bar (Bar Elanor) with its own hand-pumps, no less. Eryl kindly sourced a 30 litre keg of beer for us and there was also a keg of tinto with plenty left in it. It was like running your own bar in Spain but without any of the hassle.

We also made extensive use of the BBQ, and the outdoor hob adds a great twist (stir-fried chorizo, peppers and onions - glorious). For an evening drink, we’d make up our own Sangria recipe or Bellinis with Cava and we’d sit on the ‘Western terrace’ by the boules court, watching the sun go down.

The mountain opposite is very impressive, especially in the morning when the sun comes up: and we have lots of photos to prove the point. We visited the lakes which were stunning, especially as we went quite early in the morning and so there was nobody around. The water was like turquoise glass, so our cameras had another good work out. A drive through the mountains to Alora is also highly recommended.

Carratraca itself is very picturesque. For our meals out we would mostly make the15 minute stroll/climb/hike up the hill to Restarante El Trillo, which was superb. Good size portions at great value and a really good in-house Sangria recipe. We loved the fish dishes and developed a particular liking for revuelto, a messed up omelet with asparagus or mushroom or similar.

We had a lovely time at Villa Elanor and would heartily recommend it for a relaxing stay in a genuinely Spanish area.
Did you find this review helpful? Yes No
Rating
5 out of 5

Just one word describes Casa Elanor: Fantastic!

Daryl & Netty Saffron Walden, Essex. England
Review Submitted: October 8, 2008 Date of Stay: July 2008
Having ridden down through Western Spain on our Harley Davidson motorbikes, we were looking forward to a relaxing week at Casa Elanor.
Well, the Villa is just amazing. The first thing that strikes you as you motor up the long curving driveway are the views. Then you look around and realise the sheer size of the beautiful landscaped garden that the Villa sits in.
The swimming pool looks so inviting after the hot ride down, that it’s a bit of a dilemma as whether to jump in and quench the parched skin, or raid the pool bar for a cold beer and quench the parched throat!
On first arrival, there is just too much to take in immediately, and the more beautiful nuances only seem to appear after settling in and relaxing.
The Villa is described rather modestly by the friendly and very helpful owners, Eryl and Roland, The 3 bedroomed villa is perfect for either a family, or friends as it has 3 really good sized rooms, all with superb views. 2 of the room boast double beds and one has the comfort of and En-suite shower and WC. The third room is sensibly laid out with twin beds.
Being on motorbikes, we were a little limited on luggage capacity, but his was no problem as the Villa has a great kitchen, with washing machine, dishwasher and everything else that you would could possibly need. The hosts also see that the bars, both in the Villa and at the poolside are topped up ready for use immediately on arrival.
The village itself is a wonderful place, the locals are friendly and welcoming. The bars and restaurants are very good and reasonable. The town is worth exploring, and if you fancy a stroll you can find the old Bull-Ring (not used now, thank goodness!) and the “Town Hall”. The Spa is well worth a visit, so I am reliably informed by the Ladies on our trip.
I doubt, apart from Eryl and Roland, you will find many other English speaking people about as this is truly an unspoilt, no tourist area.

So much to see in the local area, that I seriously doubt any boredom will set in. El Chorro is only about 15 minutes away, and that puts you near the beautiful lakes. Take your cozzie as the swimming is lovely. If you like Wolves, the Lobo Park near Antequera is well worth a visit.

Back to the “Just One Word” at the beginning of this review;-

Casa Elanor, Fantastic!
Caratracca, Fantastic!
Eryl & Roland, Fantastic!
Go on, book yourself a great holiday.
Did you find this review helpful? Yes No Helpful votes: 1/1
Rating
5 out of 5

Better than we could have imagined!!

Susan and Martin Ipswich UK
Review Submitted: March 19, 2008 Date of Stay: March 2008
Thank you both for a sensational 10 days at your villa. Beautiful Casa Elanor is a home from home - but with the spectacular scenery!! Very clean, spacious, and in the most magnificent setting. We adored the little village of Carratracca and its very friendly people, and a relaxing visit to the Roman Thermal Spa in the village completed a perfect holiday! We shall most definately be returning!!! Thanks again - Susan and Martin.
Owner's Response: Thank you so much for your positive comments about your stay at Casa Elanor. We are pleased enjoyed your stay and look forward to welcoming you again soon.
Best regards,
Eryl and Roland
Did you find this review helpful? Yes No Helpful votes: 2/2
Rating
5 out of 5

Comments from Owner Guestbook

HRGuestBook18731 HR GuestBook
Review Submitted: December 6, 2007 Date of Stay: December 2007
We cannot recommend this property enough, while it is accurately described, it far exceeded our expectations we really wanted for nothing. The owners who are friendly, helpful and attentive have put some considerable thought into making their guests feel comfortable and welcome. Casa Elanor is situated amongst some lovely rural scenery, near to a quaint village and lakes, yet half an hour from Malaga and the Costa's, for us it was a perfect holiday. Ian and Karen UK.
We all want to say what a lovely villa you have. We had a fantastic time... Thank you for all the added extras!
Stuart and Julie UK
A lovely place. I thoroughly enjoyed the stay here- the pool is awesome (especially at night!) Lovely people-very friendly and stunning surroundings- would definitely recommend. Jonathan 12yrs.
We really enjoyed staying at Casa Elanor, it was perfect. Rural Spain is a treasure and hopefully will stay like that
Maggie.The facilities at the villa were great and ideal for our visit. Paul
Did you find this review helpful? Yes No Helpful votes: 8/8