Services:
bike rental, information about the area.
Situation:
isolated area, outside the village, signposted.
The “Cortijo” house has the following layout:
Ground floor
Two double bedrooms with full beds.
Bathroom with window.
Dining room with a fireplace, two tables, 18 chairs, two armchairs and one cabinet with dinner service for 16 people.
A spacious living room with a fireplace, a tv set, two armchairs, a sofa and four rocking chairs to relax after the meals.
A huge kitchen with a fridge, a microwave, a food mixer, and a lot of kitchen ware, cutlery, glassware and table cloths.
Laundry room with washing machine, hot water boiler and washtub to wash clothes by hand.
First floor
Bathroom with shower and window.
One double bedroom with a full bed.
One bedroom with one full bed and one single bed.
One bedroom with two full beds.
One bedroom with three single beds.
The house is equipped with heat and air-conditioning devices.
Note: there are two sets of sheets and pillowcases and one duvet for each bed. Also, there are two sets of towels available for each guest. There are mosquito screens on all the windows.
Photos
The owner´s comments
The Cortijo el Serafín rural house is situated 4 kms away from the town of alcaudete and it is just in the middle of the “Califato”/Caliphate route.. It is surrounded by centenarian olive trees.
The carrasqueña variety of olive trees stands out among the different varieties of olive trees that can be seen. This variety is in danger of extinction, but it is unique due to the fact that they blossom every other year, and because of the sweet fruity oil produced from their olives.. You can also see other varieties of olive trees, such as “picual”, “alberquinos”, “arroleños”, “nevados”, “manzanillos”, “gordales”, “farga”, “picuos”, “cornicabra”, etc.
The country house belonged to the family of the republican president Niceto Alcalá Zamora, and it has been recently renovated maintaining the original features of the building. You will find the old plaster floors that used to be greased with oil, the whitewashed walls, the old wooden beams, etc. However, the Cortijo house has been equipped according to modern times so that our guests feel comfortable.
The rural house is just a five-minute walk away from the green route of the oil. This route is a walking and cycling path on what used to be an old 114-km long train line extending from the Puentezuelas sports centre in Jaén to “Navas del Selpillar (Lucerna)”.. The old train station of alcaudete is the nearest place to the rural house where you can start the walk along the green route.. Along that walk, you will able to enjoy the sight of the “salobral” lagoon and of the roman bridge. You will have the opportunity of crossing several iron bridges as well.
Activities
Rroute of the lagoons
The lagoons called “Honda” (deep) and “Chinche” (bug) are part of the net of spanish wet spaces. They were designated natural reserves in 1989.. They are seasonal lagoons, that is, they are dry during the summer, but they are flooded along winter and part of spring thanks to the rains that fall in autumn.. The vegetation around the lagoon provides shelter to a lot of water birds., such as mallards and coots, which are easily recognized by their frequent dives. Occasionally, you will be able to see a small flock of flamingos, which stop over on their migration.
Route of the Bridges
The old train line was neglected for a dozen years after the last train travelled along it in 1984. Now, after its renovation, it has been converted into an eco path that crosses beautiful landscape. One special place to visit is the “ponton”, where the path crosses the ravine formed by the “víboras” (snake) river.
Trekking
“Ahillo” mountain
- Take the road to “Las Casillas” in the town of alcaudete. Park your cark next to a fence that you will see before reaching the mountain pass. There is a drinking water spring in a small ravine near this point.. The path goes parallel to the fence at first, and then it goes through a dense pine tree forest.. The “Ahillo” mountain is 1454 metres high only, but its summit is an excellent viewpoint over vast expanses of landscape.
“Orbe” mountain
- You can see this mountain from the rural house and you can start climbing it just 300 meters away from the house.
Olive harvest
- If you visit the house from december to march, you will able to watch the town people harvesting the olives.
Interesting Places
The location of the rural house is very convenient if you are interested in visiting towns and villages in Andalucía.
Travelling times to the different andalusian provincial capitals are as follows:
Jaén – 30 minutes (visit the arab baths, “Santa catalina” castle, the cathedral, etc.)
Córdoba - 1 hour (visit the “Mezquita” – old mosque and cathedral -, the arab baths, the zoo, “Medina Azahara” palace, etc.)
Granada – 50 minutes (visit the Alhambra, the “Albaicín” district, the cathedral, etc. Travel to Sierra Nevada ski slopes from Granada in 30 minutes.)
Almería – 2 hours 30 minutes (visit the “Alcazaba” castle, the “tabernas” desert, etc.)
Málaga – 1 hour 30 minutes (visit the "Costa del Sol”.)
Huelva – 3 hours.
You can also visit some interesting towns such as Úbeda and Baeza (designated part of the world heritage), Priego de Córdoba, Baena, Zuheros, Cabra, Lucerna, Cazorla, Andíjar, etc.
Festivities and celebrations
Religious celebration in praise of our lady of the “fuensanta” on the night of the 14th to the 15th of august.
Town fair from the 15th to the 19th of september.
Easter religious processions.
Visit the olive-oil mill called “San Enrique – Hernández” where you can buy extra virgin olive oil. They have been producing olive oil for more than a hundred years.
The mill is at 24 córdoba road.
Pasamos un fin de semana estupendo. El lugar es precioso y el cortijo está decorado con un gusto exquisito.
Estuvimos allí el último fin de semana de marzo de 2008 y pensamos repetir.
El dueño, un primor de los primores. El cortijo: muy cómodo.
Pues eso, una estancia satisfactoria. El cortijo es precioso y está decorado exquisitamente, muy limpio. En verano pensamos repetir porque es un sitio tranquilísimo, bien situado y el trato inmejorable. Nos hemos quedado con ganas de visitar más a fondo toda la zona y a fe que lo haremos. Ya digo, hemos quedado encantados con todo, se agradece pasar unos días de vacaciones en alojamientos como este.
Todo comodidades,
by: Luis Miguel Zafra Rivera
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lumizari,
13/Jul/2007
Estuvimos 10 mayores y 9 niños la semana del 13/07/07 al 21/07/07,y se puede calificar de estupenda.Nos encontramos un cortijo con todo tipo de comodidades de las que Javier,el propietario,supo hacernos participes desde el primer momento.Un sitio de retiro y descanso magnifico,con una piscina perfecta para saciar el calor de la epoca.Nosotros llevabamos bicis BTT,y os recomiendo la zona para practicar este deporte,ya que la Via verde del Aceite se encuntra a tan solo 3 Kms del cortijo,con lo que
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Sitio perfecto para desconectar del mundo. Muy tranquilo y no le falta de nada. Para todo el mundo que quiera relajarse del stress al que estamos acostumbrados, le recomiendo que pase unos dias alli con los amigos y vera como viene bastante relajado.
El sitio ideal para cualquier grupo,
by: inma
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usr207534,
17/Apr/2007
Si quereis pasar unos días en plena naturaleza, disfrutando del entorno rural, este es el sitio ideal. Y más si vais con niños. En las zonas exteriores alrededor del cortijo os lo pasaréis fenomenal tanto pequeños como mayores. Y el Cortijo, además de estar muy cuidado tanto la vivienda como todo el menaje y mobiliario, está chulísimo. Las fotos no engañan. Es mejor de lo que parece.
Double room (1 bed)
para repetir,
by: Pepa
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See