High altitude relaxation at family-run hotel in Granada’s charming Alpujarra
During my recent visit to the Alpujarra, I was the guest of Hotel Finca Los Llanos, run by the Lopez family.
Location
It’s high up, in the Alpujarra region of Granada province, close to the Sierra Nevada National Park, in the picturesque village of Capileira. The hotel is just above the village, towards the top of the Poqueira gorge, at about 1500 metres. The area is known as the ‘roof’ of Iberia.
Ambiance
The property is a 3 star ‘Hotel Rural’ and is built in the traditional Alpujarra style, with flat roofs, distinctive chimney pots, and white washed walls. The feeling is relaxed, family-friendly and informal. When I was staying there was a mix of international and national guests, ranging in age from parents with young and teenage children, younger hikers and walkers, to retired couples. The décor is rustic and simple.
Rooms
The rooms are found in different buildings of traditional Alpujarran architecture, named after Spanish and international writers, poets and Hispanists, such as Washington Irving, Federico Garcia Lorca and Gerald Brenan, all of whom loved this part of Granada province.
Rooms have a simple, Andalusian style, using regional materials such as terracotta, slate, local chestnut and walnut, ceramics, and local Alpujarran fabrics.
I stayed in the spacious ‘Rafael Gomez Montero’ suite, named after the late Spanish journalist and poet, another writer who was very fond of las Alpujarras. As a family friend of the owners, he wrote and dedicated a poem, ‘Viajero’ (Traveller) to Los Llanos and its guests, and it is immortalised on decorative ceramic tiles on a small fountain, standing in the shade of a walnut tree, in the hotel gardens.
The suite has two terraces – one east facing with a bench at the entrance, and another, west facing overlooking the swimming pool and offering views out across the village to the hills beyond.
The bathroom was spacious and equipped with a spa bath, and integrated shower, W.C, bidet and wash basin. Toiletry amenities were very simple, – sachets of gel and shampoo and classic hotel soap – I recommend packing your own amenities.
The bed was super king size and very comfortable, and the wardrobe space was very generous. There was a small flat screen TV, but no other entertainment. Wi-Fi reached the room, but was not especially fast.
Breakfast
The first meal of the day is served in the main dining room, which as a restaurant is also open for lunch and dinner to residents and non-residents.
Breakfast is a classic buffet style meal, with choice of breads, cheese, ham, Andalusian tomato pulp, olive oil and garlic, cold cuts etc.
The hot plate was fried eggs.
Coffee was from a self-serve machine, but guests can also order fresh machine coffee too. The staff was friendly and helpful.
Later in the day the restaurant serves a homely menu that reflects the changing seasons of the Alpujarras. The hotel has its own ‘huerta’; an organic vegetable and fruit garden that supplies the restaurant. Décor is typically Andalusian, with varnished wooden tables and chairs, in a large open space with electric overhead ceiling lights. Some guests might find it lacking in intimacy for dinner.
Wow factor
The location, gardens and pool are the wow factor. The pool is a real bonus in a mountain village hotel like this; offering a refreshing and relaxing place to spend summer days when it is too hot to hike or mountain bike. The view across the chimney pots of the village to the valley is stunning. The gardens are continually fed by mountain spring water that cascades down one of the banks, so the grounds are lush and green. Even in high summer when I visited, there were flowering hydrangeas, lavender, roses and more – unexpected in July in Andalucia.
The Highs
- Location is a ‘high’ at 1,500 metres. This means fresh summers days and comfortable summer nights, unlike the valley below
- Large swimming pool with sun loungers
- Onsite restaurant supplied by hotel fruit and vegetable garden
The Lows
- Don’t expect luxe ‘boutique’ style, instead this a more rural style property.
- The rooms don’t have tea or coffee making facilities – you need to go to the bar
- Small car park, so in high season you may need to park a few extra metres away from the hotel
Hotel Finca Los Llanos
Carretera Sierra Nevada
18413 Capiléira
(Granada) Spain.
+ 34 958 76 30 71
reservas@hotelfincalosllanos.com
#ForbesSuiteLife
Disclaimer:
I was hosted by this hotel but not by the restaurants but this has not influenced by piece. Please bear in mind that this site and my articles are intended as entertainment only and not a definitive resource for purchasing decisions. Before making any travel or purchasing decision I recommend that you seek as much information as possible from various sources including review sites, guide books and other blogs. If you act based on my writing you do so at your own risk. If you wish to add anything to this piece, simply comment using the WordPress or Facebook plug-in.
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