Category: Casa Rural Spain

Family Friendly Holidays in Spain

Family Friendly Holidays in Spain We received an enquiry from Karin and her family last year, asking about the possibility of visiting us last October. However, due to family circumstances they were not able to make the trip so we were delighted when they contacted us again early this year with a view to visiting us in June. Karin, Rogier and their eighteen month old daughter Maite arrived from Holland in the late afternoon and were happy to take advantage of our evening meal service that night even though they were renting our self-catering apartment – there was no need to rush out to the shops straightaway! They soon settled in to the apartment, and found it suited their needs perfectly. They were staying with us for twelve days so were glad of the extra space, as well as the cot and high chair for Maite, of course! They became firm friends with our dogs and cats and Maite especially loved playing with them around the pool. Most days they would spend some time in the gardens and pool, although Maite was not an enthusiastic water baby to begin with! However, by the end of their stay she had become…

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Gandia Las Fallas 2014

Guests for “Fallas Fortnight”! Quite a few months ago we received a booking from Sandy and David who wanted to stay in our self-catering apartment for nearly a fortnight, to coincide with the local fiesta of Gandia Las Fallas 2014. Las Fallas is the famous Valencian fiesta which sees enormous satirical effigies constructed in each town (or in each area of larger towns). These are then judged on their merits and finally burned to the ground on the night of March 19th – St Joseph’s Day, the patron saint of carpenters. In the run-up to March 19th there are daily parades with marching bands and local ladies and young girls bedecked in the most elaborate of traditional dress. Sandy and David are very keen on the whole tradition of the Fallas fiestas and have been coming to the Valencian region to view the spectacle for a number of years. However, this was the first time they had decided to spend their time in Spain with us and we were delighted to welcome them and show them to the self-catering apartment that would be their home for the next two weeks. They were of course very familiar with the area already…

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Spring Spanish Property Hunters

Spain or France for Property? We have recently been aware that more guests have been visiting us for the purpose of looking for a Spanish property on the northern Costa Blanca. Spanish property prices are now at a very realistic level compared to many other places in Europe (northern Europe especially), and this has been reflected in a gradual increase in the number of property hunters – once an almost extinct breed! Colin and Helen arrived to stay with us on one of our Property Hunters Packages, and booked with us for five nights recently. They are very taken with the idea of a home for their retirement and would love to find somewhere that offers a good and healthy lifestyle, reasonable living costs, and of course better weather. They have been turning the idea over in their minds for some time, and are torn between either France or Spain for this big life changing decision, so this trip was very much a preliminary reconnoitre – basically to see what this part of the country is like and whether it is somewhere they could add to their list. They had not contacted any property agents, but rather wanted to get…

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Spring Activity Holidays in Spain

Spring Activity Holidays in Spain The cooler months of the year give a great opportunity to enjoy all that the Costa Blanca has to offer in the way of outdoor activities, many of which would be impossible in the height of the summer. Rock-climbing, mountain biking and bird watching are all hobbies and activities that visitors can take part in, and local tourist organisations are now beginning to promote the area as somewhere to come for more than just the traditional summer attractions of sun and sea. Recently we were very pleased to welcome Jean-Marc and his wife Nathalie who are from Quebec in Canada. They were in Spain visiting their daughter who is studying in Barcelona, and as part of their trip they wanted to spend some time in the northern Costa Blanca birdwatching. They booked one of our all-inclusive 3 night Birdwatching Packages, which basically takes care of everything they need, with all evening meals included, packed lunches, and 2 days guided birdwatching. They arrived on the Monday afternoon and settled in, enjoying a leisurely dinner that evening before meeting their guide the next morning. They set off to the Albufeira wetlands just to the south of Valencia…

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Vegetarian bed and breakfast in Spain

A Vegetarian Stop-over! We recently welcomed the Subrahmanian family to Villa Florencia, as they wanted to stay overnight on their way to a holiday villa they had rented near Malaga and they had been looking for accommodation that would offer them vegetarian cuisine.  Originally from Mumbai, Chitra and Ram moved to Switzerland about fifteen years ago, and their daughter was then born in Geneva five years later.  They love travelling around Europe during their holidays, but had never explored Spain until now.  They stayed with us because they had been looking not only for a guest house conveniently located between the north and south of the country, but also one that was happy to cater for vegetarian preferences, and also welcomed pets as well.  They were travelling with their two beautiful, white Swiss Shepherd dogs, so our apartment suited them perfectly with its spacious bedrooms and living area. Since they were only staying with us for only the one night during their journey (they had already stopped near Perpignan the previous night after leaving Geneva), they wanted to dine in with us, rather than making use of the kitchen in their apartment or searching for a suitable restaurant.  This was…

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Spanish Property Hunters Galore!

Property Hunters Galore! Maybe the title is a slight exaggeration, but it is undoubtedly true that we have seen a significant increase in the number of guests who have stayed with us recently with the intention of looking for a Spanish property in our part of Spain. Some have been looking for a holiday home and others for a permanent residence – or even sometimes with the intention of eventually moving here but only holidaying here to begin with. Obviously, everybody has different tastes and requirements (and of course budgets!) but at the present time there is a wide choice on the market so it’s a good time to think of buying, whatever your situation. Spanish property is now being recognised once again as representing good value for money – and not only for purchasers from the UK. An additional consideration for non-EU citizens is the concession that the Spanish government has very recently introduced, whereby residence entitlement is automatically granted in the case of Spanish properties that are purchased for a price in excess of €500,000. Full details can be seen in the article here: Golden Visa to non-EU citizens Amongst our guests from countries other than the UK,…

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