Sleeps | 2 |
Bedrooms | Studio |
Bathrooms | 1 |
Space | 269 sq. ft. |
Property type | apartment |
Minimum Stay | 7 nights |
Be tantalised by turquoise lakes flashing in and out of view on the way to this old
farmhouse. It stands alone amid wild flowers, and borders the National Park where
golden eagles soar, and olives and peppers ripen in the sun. Rikke and Michael (who
live round the back) have created a little beach by the lake and there’s magical footdangling
to be had from the pontoon. These spotless open-plan studio apartments with
their kitchenettes, shower rooms and terraces are cosy, bright and functional; three are
upstairs and three are down. Bag one of the bigger ones on the first floor for
mesmerising views over one of the three lakes. The apartments are simple but there are
some individual touches too: hand-stitched quilts, family paintings. Listen out for the
baker who brings deliciously fresh bread three times a week, and note the onsite shop
for bare essentials. Lap up the unspoilt outdoorsy flavour with fantastic walking,
kayaking, biking, swimming and fishing – or just relax.
Activities: By the lake you will find different restaurants and picnic sites as the area is a quite popular excursion spot. Here you have the option to do different water sports such as kayak or canoeing. You can even fish in the lake, we have a couple of fine fishing rods for free disposal. Do you enjoy walking or mountain biking you will find several marked walking paths across the fields. And the mountains behind our finca have some of Spain's best possibilities for mountain climbing. Paragliding and Repelling is also very popular. The beautiful lakes and the amazing mountains are just outside the door of your holiday apartment. Kayaks and water bikes are rented out at 3 different places by the lakes. Here you also find different picnic places where you can enjoy yourselves for a whole day. Paragliding points are only 1,5 km. from the finca and the mountains behind gives you some of the best climbing or rappelling challenges in Spain. Also endless kilometers of hiking and biking routes.
Nature: The nature reserve by our finca is called Desfiladero de los Gaitones and has an area of 2.016 hectares situated between the municipalities of Ardales, Antequera og Alora. The area is characterized by its many funny and fascinating stone structures which have evolved through thousands of years by water and wind. A dramatic and lovely tourist attraction is La Garganta del Chorro; a 3 kilometer long and 400 meter high gorge, which connect the three lakes; Embalse de Gaitanejo, Embalse del Conde de Guadalhorce og Embalse del Guadalteba-guadalhorce by the river Guadlahorce that runs to the coast of Málaga. The area's flora is a true pleasure for everyone. There are lots of aromatic pine, eucalyptus, olive, oak tree, cactus and cypress. Smaller vegetation as rosemary, thyme, wild roses and different flowers make small bushes up to 40 cm high. No matter the time of the year the nature is always covered in the most beautiful colors and the air is fresh and clean.
Culture: El Arpa is close to Malaga and some of the World's most appreciated cultural treasures such as the impressive Alhambre Palace in Granada, the big Moorish mosque in Cordoba with the beautiful columns, La Giralda cathedral in Seville and not to forget the bullring and the impressive bridge in Ronda. Malaga has been going through a huge development both cosmetic and cultural during the last 10 years. In 2003 the opening of the impressive Picasso Museum took place and today it exhibits more than 200 pieces of his art. Also a visit to the village museum by the Alcazaba-Gibralfaro- fortress and the roman theatre is very interesting. Picasso's native home and the magnificent cathedral. Or maybe just a walk through the city with all its life, small alleys with busy coffee bars and modern shops on the renovated main street Calle Marques de Larios. Everywhere lots of life and joy. Antequera is a very historic city and the city with the highest amount of churches per inhabitant in Spain (200).
We are a Danish couple and came already in the early 1990's to Andalusia, where we left our hearts. Back then we worked as tour guides and after having been around Europe we returned more than 10 year ago and have been living and working here since then.
Rikke & Michael purchased this apartment in 2007
We bought and restored the old Andalusian farmhouse 'El Arpa' in The Lake District of Malaga, where we let apartments to hikers, birdwatchers and other nature lovers - and we live here ourselves.
Panoramic views over the lake. Even lake views from your bed!
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at El Arpa.
The old farmhouse is located in the middle of nature without a house in sight. The view from the terrasse is wonderful and it is only a 2 min. walk to take a dip in the lake in front of the house.
There are lots of beautiful walking trails nearby and also some nice restaurants within short driving range.
After a week we felt refreshed and energised.
Thank you to Rikke and Michael for their hospitality and greetings to Hugo too.
Wir waren im August bereits das 2. Mal auf El Arpa, weil uns der Urlaub im letzten Jahr schon so gut gefallen hat. Auch dieses Mal gab es nichts zu meckern. Das Appartement war sehr sauber, geschmackvoll eingerichtet und einfach gemütlich. Rikke und Michael sind ganz liebevolle Menschen, bei denen man sich sofort wohl fühlt. Ihre Finca ist ein Traum und das ganze Grundstück ist einfach wunderschön. Auch in der Umgebung gab es wieder sehr viel zu entdecken, auch wenn wir die Meiste Zeit auf El Arpa geblieben sind um das tolle Wetter und den wunderschönen See zu genießen.
Danke für einen unserer schönsten Urlaube :)
Wir haben in El Arpa gefunden, was wir suchten. Abseits vom Tourismus und doch nah an den Topsehenswürdigkeiten Andalusien. Hier konnten wir die Seele baumeln lassen und die Schönheit der Natur genießen. Die mit viel Liebe gestaltete Finca ist mit allem ausgestattet, was wir brauchten und was nicht vorhanden war, brauchten wir auch tatsächlich nicht. Rikke und Michael sind sehr, sehr nette, immer hilfsbereite und engagierte Vermieter. El Arpa ist ein sehr guter Ausgangspunkt um viele schöne Ziele Andalusiens zu erreichen (Ronda, Malaga, Granada, Cordoba, El Torcal u. Caminito des Rey, herrlichste Seenlandschaften uvm.), Urlaub mitten in den herrlichsten Naturparks, das ist Luxus pur. Hier wird einem bewusst, was Luxus wirklich ist! Wir können El Arpa wärmstens weiterempfehlen. Birgit und Leander aus Hamburg
Wir haben in El Arpa gefunden, was wir suchten. Abseits vom Tourismus und doch nah an den Topsehenswürdigkeiten Andalusien. Hier konnten wir die Seele baumeln lassen und die Schönheit der Natur genießen. Die mit viel Liebe gestaltete Finca ist mit allem ausgestattet, was wir brauchten und was nicht vorhanden war, brauchten wir auch tatsächlich nicht. Rikke und Michael sind sehr, sehr nette, immer hilfsbereite und engagierte Vermieter. El Arpa ist ein sehr guter Ausgangspunkt um viele schöne Ziele Andalusiens zu erreichen (Ronda, Malaga, Granada, Cordoba, El Torcal u. Caminito des Rey, herrlichste Seenlandschaften uvm.), Urlaub mitten in den herrlichsten Naturparks, das ist Luxus pur. Hier wird einem bewusst, was Luxus wirklich ist! Wir können El Arpa wärmstens weiterempfehlen. Birgit und Leander aus Hamburg
Einfach eine traumhafte Unterkunft. Sehr geschmackvoll und liebevoll eingerichtet. Tolle Terasse mit super Ausblick. Vor allem sehr symphatische und hilfsbereite Besitzer.
Es war einfach toll
Eine Woche Klettern in El Chorro. Wo fährt man da hin? Wir haben uns diesmal nicht für El Chorro selbst sondern dieses wirkliche schöne Appartment an den nördlich gelegenen Stauseen entschieden. Und die Entscheidung war goldrichtig! Sehr schön gelegen - direkt oberhalb des Stausees. Der Sektor Desplomilandia liegt direkt hinterm Haus. In El Chorro ist man mit dem Auto in 15-20 min. Die 6 Appartments sind wirklich mit Liebe zum Detail eingerichtet. Ein gelungener Mix aus nordischen Elementen (Die Gastgeber sind Dänen) und andalusischem Flair. Ein schöne Außenanlage rundet das ganze ab. Was uns besonders gut gefallen hat: Super Betten und eine Küche, in der man wirklich selber kochen kann.
Our finca is situated near Ardales and El Chorro, this area is a true Mekka for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts, no matter age. The lakes are divided into three different lakes called; Embalse de Gaitanejo, Embalse del Conde de Guadalhorce and the biggest of them all Embalse del Gualdalteba-Guadalhorce, which is the one in front of our finca. By the lake you will find different restaurants and picnic sites as the area is a quite popular excursion spot. Here you have the option to do different water sports such as kayak or canoeing. You can even fish in the lake, we have a couple of fine fishing rods for free disposal. Do you enjoy walking or mountain biking you will find several marked walking paths across the fields. And the mountains behind our finca have some of Spain's best possibilities for mountain climbing. Paragliding and Rapelling are also very popular. The neighboring villages are Alora, Antequera, Pizzara, Bobadilla and Campillos. El Torcal is also nearby.
Other Activities: Rock climbing, canoing, kayaking, hiking, rappelling, arch shooting, etc.
Golf: 60 golf courses in Andalucia - Antequera Golf is the closest (30 km).
Ski: Ski resort Sierra Nevada 200 km
Fees | No additional mandatory fees |