The Place
This is a remote 15thC semi-fortified estate house which has been carefully restored by its English owners, Piers Dutton and Jemma Markham, who have lived in Spain for many years. It’s a real hideaway: the nearest villages are 12 km away, and the hotel is reached by gravelled forest tracks. Arriving at the final turn in the track, you see at last the outline of the house, surrounded by 200 acres of farmland. Standing on a steep hillside overlooking the beautiful valley of the river Tastavins, it is a haven of peace, with a warm welcome from the owners. You can walk, ride or mountain bike along the valley or up into the mountains, followed by rest and relaxation on the terrace, in the sitting room with its grand piano and open fire, or in the library. Breakfast is taken in the farmhouse kitchen, while dinner features excellent Mediterranean cuisine using produce from the farm – fruit, vegetables and olive oil – as well as fish bought directly from the quayside and a well stocked wine cellar.
The bedrooms are fresh, with modern paintings on the walls and tiled floors, and the whole place feels like a home, not a hotel. A reader writes in exceptionally fulsome terms about the place, emphasizing the value for money. The evening meal is obligatory on weekends and Spanish bank holidays.