When you go to a country with as much history as Spain, wouldn’t it be interesting to spend your holidays in one of the old houses? Well, it could be and it should be, but you have to be careful with the choice. A 400-year-old house, yes, but not one with 400-year-old plumbing or equally old bedsteads…

So where are these venerable vacation homes? Where is the story? The answer is the high mountain world of La Alpujarra in the Granada province of Andalusia, southern Spain.

Those familiar with Spain and its sleek, modern cityscapes may be surprised to drive up the (good) mountain road that takes you up the sunny southern slopes of Granada’s Sierra Nevada and end up in small whitewashed villages that seem as if time has passed. passed them by. And it is that La Alpujarra has always been a traditionally poor area. If the wealth had been floating around decades ago, many of the houses here would have been torn down and rebuilt anew.

In fact, there is an element of this today, although there are strict rules about maintaining architectural styles, with flat roofs and idiosyncratic fireplaces. They date back to the time of the Moors, who took refuge in La Alpujarra after the capture of Granada in 1492. It is no coincidence that the houses bear a striking resemblance to their Berber counterparts in the Rif of Morocco: a mountain range occasionally visible from La Alpujarra crossing the Mediterranean Sea.

The properties we are interested in are old houses that have been carefully saved from ruin and restored, but without discarding everything that gives them character and charm. Solid chestnut beams and beam and slate ceilings are typical, as are the thick stone walls that keep the spaces cool in summer and warm in winter. Open fireplaces or wood-burning stoves are the norm in the cold months when snow blankets the mountain bottom, but the Andalusian sun beats down, especially in July and August, and a cool interior is bliss.

In La Alpujarra there are quite a few of these on the holiday rental market. But buyer beware!
Some of these rental houses can be a disappointment. They are simply too “original”: austere, uncomfortable and poorly equipped and furnished. The best guarantee is to use a reputable vacation rental company that has done all the legwork for you, separating the wheat from the chaff and ending up with only quality properties.

The Alpujarra is a wonderful holiday destination, with fabulous excursions, cheap meals, a quiet, traditional atmosphere and lovely accommodation – just be careful. Book direct with the owners if you want to save a few bucks and take your chances, or buy a property with a good agency and have that guarantee of quality that can safeguard your vacation satisfaction.