Finca al-manzil is 20 hectare estate in the Sierra de Montanchez, the cortijo is a country house surrounded by private land, very secluded and peaceful. The house has been renovated with loving care using traditional materials, the windows, thick shutters and doors were made by our local carpenter with seasoned chestnut wood.
The spacious double height sitting room stays cool in summer and is cosy in the colder months with a wood burning fire.
There is a wifi connection, lots of books, DVDs and comfy chairs.
The porch and terraces have lovely views of the surrounding countryside.
Airy and cool in the heat of the summer, wonderfully atmospheric and warm in the autumn and winter.
The kitchen is well equipped and features a marvellous old stone work table, very inspirational for imaginative cooks.
The dining room leads off the kitchen; there is a huge 3.30 metre dining table and access to the back terrace with barbecue and dining table for lovely outside dining experiences and sweeping views up to the peaks.
The pool is in a perfect place, a secluded part of the finca with amazing views, there are roman steps leading down into the crystal clear water.
There is accommodation for 6 people in three comfortable bedrooms, all have en-suite bathrooms.
The upstairs bedroom has access to a secluded 20m2 roof terrace with the best views of the mountain and a wonderful outside double bed with a canopy for sleeping out on balmy summer nights.
Also accommodation just for 2 at €650 per week at our wonderful barn.
All the bedrooms are individually decorated with furnishings, rugs and textiles from Morocco and Mali.
The charming village of Montanchez is just 5 minutes by car from Finca al-manzil or a very enjoyable 40 minute walk on an ancient footpath that winds up the mountain to its Moorish castle known as the Balcony of the Extremadura because of the splendid, vast views down into the valleys and plains towards Trujillo, the Gredos mountains and Cornalvo natural park.
The oldest part of Montanchez is Moorish, small, narrow streets leading to secluded little courtyards. The life of the village centres around the thriving jamon production, the jamon is recognized in the whole of Spain for its outstanding quality. All the cafés and bars serve freshly cut jamon and other tapas, there are also a few restaurants serving delicious Extremadura cuisine. Life is still slow here, some of the older generation still use their donkeys as the main means of transport to their outlying fincas. The walking, riding and birdwatching are wonderful experiences due to the tranquility. Moorish trading paths give access to outstanding areas of unspoilt, natural beauty. Our nearest village is Arroyomolinos, 2kms walk or 5 mins drive where the unique walk ruta de molinos climbs up through a stunning gorge passing numerous ancient watermills and back over the mountain to Montanchez, a circular walk of about 3 hours.