Delightful rural house set in a magnificent umbrella pine wood by the historic village of Hinojos on the edge of the Donana National Park. 35 mins from the vibrant flamenco city of Seville and miles of golden sandy beaches. This perfect rural get-away-from-it-all retreat house is ideal for relaxing, swimming in the child-friendly pool, sunbathing and enjoying a barbecue with friends. The peaceful house has air-conditioning, fans, 4 double bedrooms (1 en-suite) and a double sofa bed, fully-fitted kitchen, large lounge with open log fire and ample off-road parking. The private and secure 1000m2 garden is complete with orange and lemon trees, children’s play area & sand pit. There are bars and restaurants within a 15 minute walk and the centre of the village and supermarkets are a 5 min drive. The area is central to all the major birding sites in the Donana region and the rare Spanish Imperial Eagle has been regularly seen close to the house. This is a fabulous get-away-from it house which is very well located to many wonderful locations.
Delightful 4 bed house in beautiful woodland setting with private pool & aircon
- House1184 sq. ft.
- Sleeps: 10
- Bedrooms: 4
- Bathrooms: 2
- Min Stay: 3 - 7 nights
4 Bed, 2 Bathroom House with private pool between Seville and golden beaches
Bedrooms
Owner
Reuben Gates
- Speaks:
- english, french, spanish, italian
- Calendar last updated:
- Jan 21, 2019
About Reuben Gates
Ali and I bought this house for a number of reasons. The primary reason for buying the property was for us to be able to enjoy family holidays with our three children, especially while they are young. Another key reason was partly selfish because I love bird watching and coming here with my brother who is also an avid birdwatcher. Finally of course we saw it as an opportunity to rent this property out to other people who may also enjoy it for these and other reasons.
Reuben Gates purchased this House in 2003
Why Reuben Gates chose Hinojos
Because it is so well located to the best birdwatching arguably in Europe and also because it is off the beaten track with as few Brits as possible. We also chose this part of Andalucía because we wanted to ensure that the weather would be as good as possible, ie South Spain should be more regularly warm and lovely compared to say France or Northern Spain.
What makes this House unique
As mentioned pretty unrivalled access to wildlife and very much off the beaten track. The cowboy town of El Rocio is also totally unique.
Amenities
- Swimming pool
- Internet
- Air Conditioning
- Pets Welcome
- Fireplace
- Washer & Dryer
- Children Welcome
- Parking
- Heater
Bathrooms
- 2 Bathrooms
- Bathroom 1 (ensuite)toilet, shower, outdoor shower
- Bathroom 2 (shared)toilet, combination tub/shower
Location Type
- Rural
- Village
Meals
- Guests provide their own meals
General
- Parking
- Telephone
- HeatingOil Fill radiators provided
- Linens Provided
- Washing Machine
- Tumble DryerClothes line outside. The sun will do the rest and quickly!
- Fireplace
- Sofa Bed
- Air Conditioning
- GarageDetached and covered car port
- InternetFully functioning Wifi available
- Towels ProvidedBath towels provided. Please bring your own beach towels
- Wireless Internet
- Iron & Board
- Hair Dryer
- Elevator
- Living Room
Kitchen
- Grill
- DishwasherBought in 2015
- FreezerNew Fridge / Freezer bought in 2013.
- Stove
- Oven
- Microwave
- RefrigeratorAdditional refrigerator bought in 2015 for drinks!
- 4 Ring Stove
- Coffee Maker
- Toaster
- Pantry ItemsSupplies provided to make a cup of tea on arrival
- Dishes & UtensilsComplete as you would expect
- KitchenBrand new kitchen installed in 2015. Granite worksurfaces.
Dining
- Dining Room
- Child's Highchair
- DiningThere are also two outdoor dining tables with over a dozen chairs for al fresco dining
- comfy seating for 8 people
Entertainment
- Radio
- Stereo
- CD Player
- Audio Tape Player
- BooksA small selection of books and holiday novels and magazines
- GamesA selection of games is provided
- Toys
Outside
- Outdoor Grill
- Lawn / GardenWe are very proud of this beautiful garden created by Justin and Sylke and Doris/
- BalconyGreat for watching the sun go down.
- Child's Swing
- Sand Box
- Terrace
- Outdoor Furniture
- Porch Furniture
- Beach Umbrellas
- TennisThere are two public courts within 5 minutes drive by the polideportivo. I understand there is a charge of One Euro per hour! There is also a newly built 'Paddle' court if you fancy trying a new game.
- GolfA fabulous golf course is only 15 minutes drive from the house. See www.lasminasgolf.com
Suitability
- suitable for elderly or infirm
- Long-term Renters Welcome
- smoking allowed
- Singles
- Groups
Pool / Spa
- Outdoor Pool
- Private PoolAvailable all year round
Notes
- Please note the house is fully cleaned and beds made up on arrival. House is available from 2pm and must be vacated by 11am
House Rules
Check-in: 4:00 PM
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Cancellation Policy
100% refund if canceled at least 30 days before arrival date. 50% refund if canceled at least 14 days before arrival date.
45 Reviews
Lovely week in quiet area, with easy access to seville and the beach.
Family of 7 including two under 3's, had a nice relaxing break near the traditional village of Hinojos. The villa is well stocked in the kitchen and bathroom areas, the bedrooms are more suited to children sharing than adults due to space. The gardens and pool area are a lovely sun trap but require TLC (the gardner and pool cleaner were away when we occupied the villa) several of the local restaurants were closed due to their vaciation the week we were there (4th to the 11th september) the mercadonna in pilas was excellent, around a ten minute drive and the cafe next door to the shop were very friendly! locals in general are very friendly and accomodating. the outside bbq area was the place to be from 6pm onwards for a G and T with the portable bbq. Our 3 year old loved the swing and playhouse as well as the provided inflatables for the pool. Lovely relaxing week and cant wait to return to seville for a weekend break! Thank you to Rueben for his excellent communication before and during our stay, also the villa has plenty of information and useful tips also car hire is essential
Beautiful area and well equipped villa.
We had a very enjoyable week in Casa Donana. The villa is very clean and well equipped - Reuben is keen to listen to feedback and is always making improvements and so we found everything to be well-organised: lots of crockery, lovely bathrooms, shelter for the car etc. There are a many things to do in the area and there are only a few English tourists which we enjoyed. The beaches are lovely and quite empty if you go along from the main urbanisation and the sea was warm. Seville was easy to get to on the metro and we were impressed by what a beautiful, clean city it is. The pine woods close to the villa and spreading across the national park are very attractive.
Excellent family holiday,Great Location
Our first time abroad for a while, My wife & I wanted somewhere peaceful & our two teenage daughters wanted a pool, Casa Donana didn't disappoint.
The villa is set on a quite estate and within walking distance to the surrounding woodland.
The bedrooms are basic, clean with comfortable beds. the bathrooms & kitchen are modern and the kitchen is well equipped. We found the villa very comfortable.
We spent most mornings by the pool before avoiding the midday sun in the air conned villa, (it was well into the 40*), and then back out in the early evening.
There is plenty to do within the area if you want to, Gaby sorted out a hire bike for me which was delivered and picked up from the villa, some nice rides on good tracks in the woods towards Almonte and down through Doñana National Park, the roads are quite and flat. We had nice days out in Sevilla and at the beach and a full day driving to Arcos de la Frontera & Ronda.
We had good communication with Ruebens and Gaby before our arrival with made our stay go smoothly
We all had a excellent time and Casa Donana was a great place to stay
Spacious and peaceful property but outside area in need of more care
Overall we enjoyed our stay - it’s an authentic Spanish house in a great location for exploring Andalusia and even for popping over to Portugal. The inside seemed clean enough on arrival, with an updated kitchen and nice bathrooms, but it would benefit from a deep clean - lots of the kitchen utensils and crockery were dirty. The outside area was very disappointing on arrival - the patio’s were not swept and we actually had to clean up dog poop, the garden furniture shabby and full of dust and bird droppings, the BBQ had not been cleaned after it’s last use (so my husband cleaned it all, but I’m afraid we left it the way we found it) and the pool was unusably dirty - which I had to request to be attended to. The property owner and the housekeeper were, however, very responsive and pleasant to deal with and the pool was attended to immediately. It was not the way to start a holiday, though. This could be a great property if it was looked after better.
Dear Nicola, thank you for your review; we appreciate it although naturally disappointed and very sorry. Permit me to address each point in turn:
Re. the house requiring a deep clean: we were so surprised to read this as Gaby has such incredibly high standards of cleanliness and every time we or friends have stayed everyone has always remarked how clean the place is. I am particularly surprised about the point re crockery / utensils because Gaby always rewashes - by hand - everything prior to the arrival of the next guest even if the previous guest has already washed everything through the dishwasher! I can only think this a one off and we are still scratching our heads. I'm really sorry.
Re the outside area, we are extremely sorry. Gaby has been trialling a new gardener for the past couple of months since the last gardener had to stop due to health problems (leading to the garden falling below our and our clients' expectations). We were promised so much by the new gardener but he has let us down terribly. He will not be returning and we have just recruited a new gardener (Hans) who lives on the same urbanisation with a wonderfully maintained pool and garden (which he does himself).. We are taking immediate steps to address all the issues and are confident the garden will be returned to its former glory soon. So sorry re the dog poop: we haven't had any dogs staying so can only imagine it is a fox or something comparable. Either way it should have been picked up of course (Dogs are allowed to stay on condition owners pick up dog poop). With regards to the area not looking swept we have a policy of ensuring the place is swept the day before or the day of the arrival of our guests. I've invested in a petrol leaf blower to help make it easier for the gardener to do this. N.B. the house is in a rural setting so leaves can fall off the mulberry tree quite quickly and dust can come in to the grounds. As an additional measure, I have given the green light to Gaby to add an additional screen to the front hedge-line to ensure minimum dust can come into the grounds. The bbq not being cleaned is inexcusable; this should have been done by the gardener. This won't happen again. Once again, please accept my sincerest apologies for your stay not being up to scratch. Gaby has worked so hard to provide a super customer experience and a great-value-for money holiday. We've taken quick measures to ensure this high standard resumes and continues. Sorry again. Reuben and Ali.
Great family holiday in peaceful villa
We spent 12 lovely days at Casa Donana. The house was perfect for our 3 kids (ages 8/6/4). The rooms are small but it’s spotless and kitted out with everything you need. The pool area is great, there’s a bbq & shaded eating area and a big yard for kids to run around. It’s off the beaten track in a very quiet residential area so you need to be prepared to drive around. With the car there’s easy access to local (lovely) beaches (approx 30 mins). It’s also a really good base to explore Seville. You can drive to the city in 45 mins or drive and park at a metro station (approx 20 mins) and take the metro into the city centre. Reuben & Gaby were great to deal with, checking in to make sure everything was ok, but without being intrusive. Gaby was waiting for us when we arrived to show us around and give us all the local info and although we didn’t have any issues we knew she was close by if we needed her. I’d recommend Casa Donana to anyone looking for a family holiday in this part of Andalusia. We’ll be back!
Excellent family holiday location
This was our first family holiday abroad and wanted somewhere quiet and secluded for some quality time with our two young daughters….We were not disappointed!
Casa Donana is set within a quiet estate with beautiful surroundings and is very peaceful. The villa is well equipped and has everything you need for a nice relaxed stay. The rooms are basic, very clean and the beds were comfortable. The bathrooms are modern and have both showers and a bath. Overall the villa is comfortable, basic, clean and well maintained.
The place was great for our kids. With the main gates closed, there is plenty of room for them to run around and play safely outside. There is also a child’s play house, which our daughters turned into their own little café!
The pool area is excellent and we spent most afternoons chilling out on the sun loungers watching the numerous birds flying about their business. It’s a wonderfully secluded spot in beautiful gardens and defiantly the main highlight of the villa.
The villa is located approx 40 mins from Seville and on the one day that it did rain, we drove into the city for a bit of an explore. There are good directions and information on where to park within the welcome pack at the villa, which we found very helpful. A visit the Cathedral is a must!
The beach is a pleasant 30min drive away and we spent most mornings there. There are plenty of shops, bars and restaurants and the beach itself is clean and very picturesque. As the tide goes out, it leaves a small lagoon on the beach which is perfect for the kids to safely play in.
Overall, we loved staying here and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone! The only problem with the place was………… having to leave!
We shall definitely be returning! Thank you Rueban and Alison!
Steve,
Thank you so much for the really kind review. We really appreciate it and are so pleased you guys had such a fab holiday. We would love to welcome you all back soon!
All the very best
Reuben and Ali.
Map
Other Activities: Bird Watching
Availability
33% (not 50%) deposit is required to confirm the booking. Min. 3 nights. You can have any combination of days provided there is availability. This will gives you access to cheaper flights. I am happy to receive payment in £ or Euros via (on-line) bank transfer but can also accepts cheques. As soon as the deposit is paid I will put you in touch with my local agent for your arrival requirements. Please ensure property is vacated by 11am on day of departure.