get away from it ALL
Submitted: July 8, 2011
Stayed: June 2011
just returned after 13 nights stay at the barn at finca al-manzil.
found it a basic but clean, peaceful and wonderfully situated retreat.
owners are friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and very discreet.
the barn is large and airy, but can get HOT, esp. at night, so
prepare to sleep armed with COLD water bottles!
situation very rural so plenty of ALL KINDS of wildlife
RECOMMENDATIONS - hire-car (a must), a torch, binoculars.
trujillo, merida, guadalupe, caceres, monfrague, marvao (portugal)
ALL worth a visit. the whole area is charming so get out & explore
EATING OUT - montanera in montanchez is good, so are the three
restaurants by hotel las glorias (6 miles approx) on road to trujillo.
they all do 'menu del dia' which comprise good hearty local food,
at a price that won't break the bank.
one negative point, the barn claims a television, but as it does not have an aerial this is just a video / dvd monitor NO WIMBLEDON.
also watch your fingers in the side door!
Recommended for:
Age 55+,
Pet-friendly,
Adventure Seekers,
Sightseeing
Owner's Response: Quite a helpful review for future guests. But we would not describe the barn as basic, it has a cool,minimal feel with loads of space 130m2 just for 2! It is furnished in the Finca al-manzil style which is eclectic, a mix of old and new, decorative but not cluttered, lots of books, dvds and cds for entertainment, NO TV I am afraid.
It can get hot in the Summer but there are screens on the doors and windows so a cool night breeze can flow through, also thick wooden shutters for keeping heat out during the hottest part of the day. Because the finca is on the slope of the mountain it is cool in the mornings until 11ish so a good time to take a walk or ride directly from the finca into the mountain, then of course there is the pool for keeping cool during the day. Something to look forward to is dining on the terrace in the balmy temperatures of an Extremadura Summer night under billions of stars.
Spring and Autumn are sunny but with mild temperatures and the best times for the marvellous bird watching, wild flowers and taking longer hikes.
Besides the restaurants mentioned there are two charming olive grove restaurants only open in the Summer. Also Montanchez is one of the three most famous places in Spain for jamon, the air dried ham of Iberic black pigs, really delicious and available in any of the bars around the main plaza and can be bought in the Saturday market or in specialist shops in Montanchez.
Not sure about the fingers in side door warning, never had any probs. with this before.
Helpful votes: 1/1
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