Luxury Hill Top Villa near Granada

This beautiful home on a hilltop has a gorgeous countryside location, deep in the heart of what the Moors rightly called "The Valley of Happiness". The villa is a modernised version of a typical Andalusian farmhouse: it has 5 bedrooms, 3 have their own ensuite bathroom and 2 share a bathroom; not to mention indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a modern kitchen and outside The space The villa is located just a couple of kilometres above the unspoilt village of Restábal, midway between Granada to the north and the Mediterranean coast to the south. Both are an easy 30 minute drive away. Locally there are large supermarkets, small food stores and several restaurants of varying quality, from luxury to basic. Due to the location, there is no one else around as far as the eye can see, just splendid mountain scenery in every direction. The nearest neighbour is a kilometre away. The lake at Beznar (actually it's a reservoir, but who would ever know the difference) is clearly visible from the front of the house, enclosed by the southern mountains, which rise up spectacularly before crashing into the Mediterranean Sea beyond. To the side, and from the pool, the views are equally fabulous, over orange and lemon groves to the snow capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada (from December to April) which rises up dramatically across the horizon. The villa is just a few minutes drive from the main highway: it is 5 kilometre drive through the countryside and then up into the hills from the centre of the village, access couldn't be easier. You will need your own car although there are daily buses to and from Granada to Restabal. There's plenty of parking space on the graveled courtyard in front. You enter through the villa's gates to an attractively planted central courtyard, the bright colours of the pretty flowerbeds competing for attention with the azure blue pool gleaming up from the terrace just below. A palm tree sways gently in the breeze, its base festooned with red geraniums, the hillsides down and below the house are richly planted with orange, lemon, almond and olive trees. It's heavenly … Originally a 19th Century farmhouse, it is now completely refurbished with excellent good taste, fresh and modern in style yet suitably traditional with its terracotta floors, wrought iron window grilles, wooden interior shutters and its lovely old, weather-beaten roof tiles. The huge, timber-beamed living / dining room is fabulous with big windows and double French doors opening to the outside on three sides. Like the rest of the house, it's very comfortable with two plump white sofas and matching armchairs gathered around the wooden coffee table in front of the fireplace. On the other side of the room a lovely old oak table can seat ten for dinner. Attractive original paintings and other classy furnishings complete a lovely room. The TV receives free-to-view programmes (BBC, ITV etc) as well as Spanish stations and there's DVD and a good quality Hi Fi stereo system. There are lots of CD's, magazines and books to choose from, plus WiFi internet connection. The house has under-floor heating throughout. On its fourth side, the living room opens through to a superbly equipped and very attractive kitchen. Everything is of the highest quality and there's not a chef in the land who wouldn't be happy here. There's lots of marble-topped work space, a large electric oven, five ring gas hob, an eye-level grill / microwave combination, Magimix, a huge fridge / freezer, double sinks, dishwasher and even a warming oven too - to complement all the usual kitchen bits and pieces. The gardens and terraces around the house have been attractively planted with orange, lemon, pomegranate, fig, quince, cyprus and olive, lavender, rosemary, oleander and many other Mediterranean delights. They are immaculately maintained. At the front, a wide, shaded terrace runs along the length of the villa, with ample space for both al-fresco dining around the granite-topped table (seating ten) and more casual relaxation in one of several cane armchairs. There is also a built-in bbq next to the terrace. Granada is, of course, a beautiful Moorish city with the superb palaces and gardens of the Alhambra and the Generalife, the old Islamic/Jewish Quarter of the Albaicín, a wide variety of restaurants, theatres and cinemas, good shopping and many cultural pursuits as well as its own bullring. We think that the peaceful location, combined with easy access to Granada, makes La Venta Espada a unique offering, which our own family never cease to enjoy! Guest access Access to all areas. Registration Details Andalucia - Regional registration number VTAR/GR/00687