Canasto, the

We can only confirm the previous reviews. The apartment was very spacious and clean. The pictures shown on this site are very representative. We even think that the bedroom (upper floor) was quite romantic with the nice wooden shutters and access to the roof terrace with a great view over the olive groves. Mike was indeed very kind and helped us with many things. Shops, restaurants, cash points etc are all in the near vicinity. Cortijo Canasto makes a very good starting point from which you can easily visit a lot of places/cities of interest. In addition, a large file with information and maps of Andalucian cities is available in the apartment.

Though the weather was relatively good for October during our holiday, we would like to visit Cortijo Canasto again in summer, so we can actually use the private swimming pool...

My boyfriend and I stayed here in October and it was everything we hoped for. The cottage is very spacious for two people being on two levels - not like a typical one bedroomed apartment and despite Mike being just next door we had plenty of privacy. The property was clean and well-maintained. Perfectly situated for us in the middle of olive groves but not too far away from villages with shops, restaurants and bars. Mike was very helpful, telling us about the local area, giving us good driving directions to places we wanted to visit and very personable. I would advise a hire car to explore the local countryside which is stunning or alternatively you're too far away from the cities (we just preferred the countryside spots). Take a phrase book with you as well if you're not that good at Spanish. The locals are very amenable as long as you try and utter the right words!!! We got by OK and Mark is even vegetarian and we managed not to accidentally order any meat.
A great holiday if you're looking for peace and quiet in the Andalucian countryside.

The previous reviews are all very accurate.

We had a great week relaxing at Cortijo Canasto. The apartment is well maintained, comfortable and very peaceful. Mike was a great help when we needed advice but clearly didn't want to intrude on our holiday time uninvited - it was comforting knowing that he was just next door should we need anything.

The private pool at the rear of the apartment and gas BBQ (fish bought from Antequera's supermarket or from the village; meat from the village also) on the sun terrace were most welcome and well used.

If you want to experience proper Spain (knowing some basic Spanish is advisable and car hire a must to get the most out of your holiday) then Cortijo Canasto is a great and very comfortable base camp.

We'd most definitely recommend Cortijo Canasto to friends and family.

I write this review with slight reluctance because I don't want too many people to fall in love with Cortijo Canasto as much as we did and therefore fully book the property!!

Seriously though, we had an absolutely fabulous holiday and did not want to leave. It is such a lovely villa and has everything you possibly want, it is home from home (except with stunning views, glorious sunshine, peace and quiet, oh, and a beautiful pool!)
Phillip especially loved the barbecue and we had many memorable nights, sitting on the terrace, eating, drinking and looking at the stars (bliss).
Mike could not have been more helpful. He gave us lots of tips on places to go, how to get there and even lent us his Spanish dictionary as we had forgotten ours! As this was the first time we had booked a holiday that wasn't a 'package deal' Mike gave us so much advice via email, answering any questions we had.
We will definitely be staying at Cortijo Canasto again, hopefully as soon as next year :)
Thanks again Mike, see you soon,
Caroline and Phillip

This was our first visit to Spain, but certainly won't be our last. Mike was a great host, we hardly knew he was there, but always knew that we could ask him any questions etc.

The corjito was fantastic. The views from the terrace were stunning, and there was nothing better than sitting out on the terrace in the warm evening sun (even in September) with a glass or two of wine, listening to the birds and cooking a bbq.

A brilliant pool area, great to cool down in, play volleyball, and swim in. Inside, everything we needed was there, as was a great guide of local things to see and do. The corjito is very well equipped.

The area was great. Antequera is worth a visit, as our the lakes to the south west and east (both about 30 mins away). The driving through the local hills was fantastic, and the views on offer were stunning.

We would thoroughly recommend staying here, espcially if you want a holiday where you can just sit back and do nothing, whilst knowing that if you get itchy feet to do some exploring of rural Spain, everything is on your doorstep.

Joe and Hayley, 27, UK.

We stayed at Cortijo Canasto for one week in July, and we found it to be the best holiday home we've ever rented, and we are doing this for more than 20 years.You get a lot of quality for the very reasonable
price you pay...The house is perfect for two persons: small but very
comfortable, and it contains everything you need. The kitchen is very well equipped, and the other rooms, and the bedroom for certain, are
just perfect. And very important, the place is very wellmaintained and
absolutely clean. The nice swimming pool comes as a fantastic bonus,
with big terrace and more than sufficient garden furniture. There's a
second terrace on the first floor, next to the bedroom, where we enjoyed in the evenings the view over the surrounding olivegardens.
Mike and Tracy are very nice and helpfull, and they provide a 100%
service, without disturbing your privacy.
It's a perfect base to discover Andalusia: beautifull Antequera, stunning Cordoba and Granada, with the Alhambra, and even Sevilla,
wich we liked most, are within reach.
We would recommend this holiday home without any hesitation to all
our friends (what we allready did, by the way).

"HOLA", what a great holiday!!!! What a great place to stay if you want to get away from it all and have the Spainish life as we did. The pool area is very "Very Private" and is a must in the summer months. Local shops/bars make you vey welcome even if you cant speak "Espainia/UK" ( ha ha ). If the locals look at you whilst you are driving, wave at them as they are just being polite.. (something we have lost in this country.) Mike, Thank you for a great time,

Kind Regards,

Steve & Theresa

Had a fabulous holiday at Cortijo Canasto. The apartment has been beautifully renovated and decorated retaining lots of character with the addition of all the mod cons you look for when away from home. Having a pool was a welcome relief from the heat of the sun and this was only May! You are ideally situated for exploring areas round about as you're only about 1 1/2hrs away from all the major destinations like Seville, Cordoba, Granada etc with good road connections. There are lots of other little villages worth exploring closer to hand, and Iznajar and Antequera where we've always wanted to see is only a short drive away. Spent a day walking at El Torcal, and also visited Ardeles Lakes and Camino del Rey which are well worth the journey. The scenery is absolutely stunning and it feels like you're in Switzerland rather than Spain! The village of Villanueva de Algaidas is lovely with quite a few shops and nice restaurants and tapas bars (our favourite was La Tasca) and the people were very friendly. The apartment is very well equipped and is tastefully decorated which makes it a lovely home from home. Mike and Tracy are perfect hosts and were so helpful in assisting us get the full benefit of our holiday to this area. They were always on hand if you needed them but at the same time you weren't really aware they were living next door. There are lots of information leaflets available in the apartment if you're stuck for ideas and Mike and Tracy were a fountain of knowledge so just ask! For anyone considering visiting this area I would highly recommend staying at Cortijo Canasto for some total R&R or serious exploring as Mike and Tracy will do their utmost to ensure you get the most out of your holiday.