Casa Cristina - garage underneath and steps to the front terrace and main entry
Location: Restabal, Andalucia, Spain, Europe (30 minutes-Granada & Coast; 55 minutes-Sierra Nevada skiing)
Accommodations: House, 3 Bedrooms + Den, 3 Baths (Sleeps 8)
Keywords: Modern villa built in Andalusian style, rich in amenities, views and location,a great family destination!
Casa Cristina is a charming house located in the authentic Andalusian village of Restábal, close to the old Moorish city of Granada with its great restaurants, shopping and the truly breathtaking Alhambra. The Sierra Nevada, offering skiing exceeding 10,000 feet, and the wilds of the Alpujarra are less than an hour away, while Málaga, Marbella and other towns along the Costa del Sol are easily reached by car.
Unwind visiting the many unspoilt villages in the Lecrín Valley (which means "Happy Valley" in Arabic) or take a scenic drive down to the coast to marvel at the spectacular caves at Nerja. Our house looks out over the village and offers the relaxation of a country home surrounded by plenty of lemon, fig, almond, clementine and olive trees. Escape to our beautiful 15 x 6 metres pool (50 x 20 feet) to swim, read or just take a siesta! The pool is about 175 centimetres at its deepest, yet shallow enough for supervised splashing at the other end.
After your swim, linger over lunch poolside in the shady eating/lounging area or eat outside shaded by the vines covering the sun-splashed back patio. Later on, sip a glass of wine on the front terrace as you take in stunning long-distance views over the valley to the magnificent and often snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains in the distance.
Casa Cristina was built in 2000 in the Andalusian style, with terra cotta floors, wrought iron grilles, wooden interior shutters, and Moorish roof tiles. It is a two-story house sleeping up to six adults with one king-size double bedroom, two twin bedrooms and one double bed/sitting room, three bathrooms, a spacious living/dining area and a well-appointed modern kitchen. Both bedrooms on the upper floor have en suite bathrooms with showers. The house has gas central heating, a flat screen satellite TV (BBC, ITV etc.), a VCR and a CD/DVD player. Outside the house you’ll find a bocce court with night lighting.
The lower floor contains one bedroom with twin beds, a large bed-sitting room with a double sofa bed, and a bathroom with a bathtub/shower. The bed-sitting room has a printer and the whole house has wifi internet access. The lower floor has its own entrance and a kitchenette for added flexibility. The one-car garage on the ground floor level also contains a washer and dryer. The pool area is fenced in and access is via a lockable gate.
The property is cleaned and linen is changed before every rental and thereafter once weekly. The garden and pool are both well maintained. We do not allow smoking or pets. Our local agent will welcome you and will help you enjoy your stay – cooking and additional services may be arranged directly with her.
Restábal is a small village located at an altitude of 550 metres near Lake Beznar in the Lecrín Valley. It’s about a 25-minute drive by motorway to Granada to the north and about a 30-minute drive through the mountains to the Mediterranean coast to the south. Restábal has a restaurant, a bank and a few basic shops, including mini-supermarkets, a pharmacy, a coffee shop and a village bakery. Hiking up into the hillsides provides exercise and views of the distant Mediterranean.
Lecrín is a semi-tropical valley filled with orange and lemon trees as well as olive, fig and almond trees. It represents the real Andalusia and yet is close to sophisticated Granada and the Mediterranean coast. Several villages in the valley offer shopping, restaurants, bars and other facilities. The nearby village of Albuñuelas is the highest village in the valley, offering a weekly market and several historic buildings, including a 14th Century Moorish Tower. Melegís has more shops and holds the three-day festival of San Juan in late June. From Chite you can walk down to Lake Beznar. Near the motorway, Talará contains the ruins of an Arab castle and offers some nightlife for young people! Dúrcal is the biggest town in the valley, offering a daily market, some nightlife, mountain bike hire, English newspapers and access to the Sierra Nevada Parque Natural. We'll send you suggestions for things to do when you book.
Granada Airport (served by Ryanair, Iberia and Vueling) is about 35 minutes away by car and Málaga Airport is less than two hours away (we’ll send driving instructions). Madrid Airport is about a four-hour drive through fairly dramatic scenery. A car is essential.
Granada is a beautiful historic Moorish city containing the superb palaces and gardens of the Alhambra and the Generalife, the old Islamic Quarter of the Albaicín, a wide variety of restaurants, theatres and cinemas, good shopping, many cultural pursuits by day and by night, and its own bullring. The Summer Music Festival in the Alhambra is not to be missed!
The picturesque Alpujarras and the magnificent Sierra Nevada with world class skiing are each less than an hour’s drive. The ski station, located at an elevation of 2,100 metres, hosted the 2000 World Championships and has 19 lifts and 61 kilometres of pistes, plus extensive snow-making equipment. From the top of the ski slopes, at an elevation of 3,300 metres, you can even make out the Atlas Mountains across the Mediterranean in Morocco!
The Mediterranean Coast is easily reached and offers beaches and seaside pleasures at many coastal villages and towns. Drive down to Motríl and then along to the stylish small town of Almuñecar, the pretty horseshoe bay of La Herradura, or to Marina del Este where you can watch the boats from one of several waterside restaurants. Keep going along the Costa Tropical to the sandy beaches of Nerja and the Costa del Sol where Málaga and Marbella await you!
Activities include skiing, walking, hiking, golf, (nearby courses in Granada and Motríl), mountain biking and horseback riding.
Vacation Rental Features
- Amenities
- Washer : Located in garage
- Dryer : Located in garage
- Linens Provided
- Garage : Large one-car garage
- Beds
- King Bed
- Twin/Single Bed (4)
- Convertible Bed : Sleep sofa for two
- Crib
- Entertainment
- Cable/Satellite TV : Bring your Sky Card if you have one
- DVD
- VCR
- Video Library
- CD Player
- Stereo System
- Music Library
- Private Pool : Irregular oval shaped pool 15 metres long and 6 metres wide
- Kitchen
- Full Kitchen : Induction cooktop
- Cooking Utensils Provided
- Refrigerator
- Dishwasher
- Microwave
- Catering Available : Cooking available from Rosario (hourly rate) or from caterers in the Valley
- Outdoor Features
- Charcoal BBQ Grill
- Deck/Patio
- Balcony
- Gazebo : Pergola by pool
- View/Location
- Mountain View
- Communications
- Telephone : Landline available for local calls
- Broadband Internet : Simple plug-in - no access code
- WiFi (Wireless Internet) : Throughout the house
- Other Amenities
- Central heating, bocce court with night lighting, lemon, orange, almond and olive trees
- Suitability
- No Pets Allowed
- Handicapped Accessible (may have limitations)
- Wheelchair Accessible (may have limitations)
- Kid Friendly
- Smoking Not Allowed
- Activities
- Golf
- Shopping
- Biking
- Mountain Biking
- Downhill/Alpine Skiing
- Snowboarding
- Wildlife Viewing
- Horseback Riding
- Hiking
- Restaurants
- Other Activities
- Own bocce (boules/petanque) court, with lights
Rate Details (In Pounds Sterling)
January-April, October-December ............ £825/week
May-June, Sept & Easter ...£975/week
July, August & Christmas/New Year ............... £1,100/week
Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.
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Credit Cards Accepted:
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Owner's Profile
Owner Description
Year Purchased: 2003
Casa Cristina is owned by Geoffrey and Christina Norman. Geoffrey was born in England and Christina is Swedish by birth - we have lived for many years in America and we are both retired now. During the 1970s our family lived in northern Spain where our love affair with Spain and its people began. We travel a lot, to Spain, Sweden, England and to San Francisco where our two daughters reside with our four grandchildren. We visit Casa Cristina for lengthy stays in the spring and autumn so we make sure it's always kept in great shape for us and our guests!
Why the Owner Chose Restabal
Friends of ours from our time in northern Spain during the 1970s bought a house in the Lecrin Valley and introduced us to the area. We fell in love with it and bought our house in 2003 from friends of those friends, who had built it about three years earlier. We relax completely here and our guests seem to do the same. We can enjoy the privacy of our house and pool, meet with friends (other friends from our time in Spain have also bought houses in the area!) or drive into Granada or down to the coast for eating out, shopping, skiing, golf and plenty of other activities.
The Unique Benefits of this House
Our house is not more than 10 minutes' drive from the modern motorway tying Granada to the Costa Tropical but it feels as though you're moving back about 50 years in time to a slower pace, the real Spain, and wonderful people and surroundings. Our house is private yet easily accessed (well, the road is a bit steep!) and sets up wonderfully for staying at home or as a base for exploration. There are lovely walks to many nearby villages - hikes that can get a bit wild and take several hours, or shorter walks if you prefer (we have trail guides in the house). Our pool is generally regarded as one of the best (if not the best) in the valley and our night-lit bocce court may be unique in the area!
Property Photos
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- Casa Cristina - garage underneath and steps to the front terrace and main entry - Spain Vacation Rental
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- The pool is 15 m long by 6 m wide, shallow at far end and ~2 m deep at near end - Spain Vacation Rental
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- Looking from the shady end of the pool out towards the Sierras - Spain Vacation Rental
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- Front Patio - a great place for breakfast or tea/drinks anytime!
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- The back patio - vine covered in summer - looking down from the pool area
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- The living room, with flat screen TV, DVD, books and views out to the Sierras!
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- Looking back towards the dining area on the right and the kitchen on the left
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- The kitchen, fully equipped with induction cooktop and all modern appliances
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- The master bedroom with a kingsized bed and views out towards the Sierras
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- The 2nd bedroom on main floor with twin beds, ensuite bathroom and Sierra views
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- The third bedroom (lower floor) with twin beds and bathroom with tub nearby
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- Bedsitting room with double sleep sofa and setup for computer (wifi) and printer
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- Downstairs bathroom with full tub and shower
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- Lower floor kitchen area
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- Our beautiful village in the Lecrín valley - the arrow points to Casa Cristina
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- The wonderful Lecrin valley with Restábal on the left
Traveler Reviews (15)
Delightful Gardens
Guest: Christina
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Date of Stay: 10/20/11
Review Submitted: 01/17/12
Such a welcoming stay. The house was super - lovely comfortable main bed and linen - we would definitely recommend. The gardens and outside spaces are delightful!
Recommended for:
A lovely week at Casa Cristina
Guest: Peter
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Date of Stay: 08/27/11
Review Submitted: 09/13/11
We have had a lovely week at Casa Cristina - your house is beautiful and the views over the mountains fantastic. Everyone in the village has been friendly and Rosario gave us a very warm welcome.......
Recommended for:
Paradise
Guest: Brock & Patricia
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Date of Stay: 09/25/10
Review Submitted: 09/13/11
Expecting a spartan rental, we were so pleased to find Casa Cristina not only well equipped but beautifully decorated and situated in a paradise of fruit trees and gardens....we hope to return.....
Recommended for:
Guest: The Hyes (Texas)
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Date of Stay: 03/16/10
Review Submitted: 11/02/10
Your house is beautiful, well equipped and close to a breathtaking city yet far from the hustle and bustle...we truly enjoyed our visit...thanks so much!
Recommended for:
First (10) of (15). View all Reviews | Write a Review
Vacation Rentals by Owner Listing #116468
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Date last modified - Tuesday, January 17, 2012
