Finca Buenvino, a place to forget the world

Just over an hour from Seville, this classic mansion is set in the heart of the Aracena Nature Reserve, in Western Andalusia.

The views from the house are spectacular.
At night you can hear the cry of the owls, or the snuffling of the wild boar. Some mornings deer come to nibble the lawn just before sunrise.
Dawn is heralded by the cockerel’s cry, or the distant braying of a donkey.

Awaiting your house-party are wonderful walks, breathtaking views and the stunning
infinity pool.

A web of walking trails criss-crosses the wooded hills.

Although it feels remote, Aracena is 8-10 minutes away by car, and there are plenty of shops, several good supermarkets, an excellent local butcher and fishmonger.

Good restaurants and night-life are there if you want them.
Most summer weekends there are fiestas in the neighbouring villages.

Above all, the people of the sierra are friendly, helpful and welcoming.

2017 Rental Season: Last Availability 1st July - 29th July

In 2017 we only let our home between Saturday 1st July and the end of August , but August has already been filled. Additional September dates can be organised privately by email with the owners as long as there is availability.
 

The House, and the Rooms

If you are looking at this page you will already have seen some images of Finca Buenvino's cortijo or main house on our B&B pages.

Buenvino has been our family home for over thirty years, so please bear in mind that it is more shabby-chic than sparkling Ikea-new.

The house is arranged on a ground floor, mezzanine, first floor, half-landing and second floor.

On the second floor you will find the Yellow Room, which has a king-sized bed, which can be unzipped into twins if you wish. This has a small dressing alcove with sofa, library of books and dressing table. Across the corridor it has its private bathroom with walk-in shower,w.c, and washbasin.

Immediately opposite the Yellow room is the Pink Room, which is a twin-bedded room and has an en suite bathroom with bathtub, hand held 'telephone'-shower, w.c. and washbasin. The tub is set into the window embrasure so you can enjoy the evening light playing over the far side of the valley as you take your pre-dinner dip.

Down a few steps and through an archway we come to the half-landing. Here is the Corner Suite. It has a queen sized bed and a small adjoining sitting room with desk, bookshelves packed with books, and en suite bathroom with walk-in shower, w.c and washbasin.

On the first floor you will find the Master Bedroom, which has french doors out onto a private terrace with stunning views out over the wooded hills. Here there are chairs and a table. It is a perfect refuge or somewhere to enjoy star gazing before going to bed. This room has an en suite bathroom with bathtub and overhead shower, w.c. bidet and washbasin. As in all the rooms you will find plenty of books.

Next door to this is the Bird Room, which also has french doors onto its own private terrace. You can see the sunset from here. There is a private bathroom across the landing with walk-in shower, w.c. and washbasin.

Down a few steps to the mezzanine and through an arch we find the Blue Suite. This consists of a small bedroom with double bed, and en suite bathroom with bathtub, hand-held 'telephone'-shower, w.c and washbasin, and an adjoining dressing room, where a day bed can be made up or turned into twins.

On the ground floor you will find the high-ceilinged drawing room, the conservatory, the dining room, the study and the large farmhouse kitchen. You will find that you tend to eat breakfast out on one of the terraces, as well as other meals.  The study has the TV set, where you can play movies or plug in your i-pad.

The kitchen is well equipped. it is where Jeannie Chesterton runs her cookery courses for small groups, so you will find a 7 gas- burner SMEG cooker with two electric ovens. another gas hob with 5 burners. a semi industrial dishwasher which does the job in 25 minutes. 3 fridges. There is a large Magimix processor, a hand held wand mixer, an electric egg whisk, a Kenwood mixer, anda Gelato Chef ice-cream machine.

The Wifi router is housed in the kitchen and the signal reaches most of the house.

The Pool House

The pool house has another bedroom which can be either king-size or unzipped into twins. There is an en suite bathroom with walk-in shower, w.c. and washbasin. Adults only to sleep here, please.

The poolhouse is about 300 metres from the main house and those who are staying will be walking up there in the dark after dinner. There is a large colonial style sitting room with overhead ceiling fans, and an adjoining bar with dishwasher and fridge. In summer the bread-oven and barbecue are not to be used in case of fire.

Prices:

All prices for rentals are quoted in Sterling.

The preferred minimum rental period is two weeks, hence the hefty discount of £1000 for a two week rental period.

One week: £3500

Two weeks: £6000

Three weeks:£8500

Longer lets negotiable.

Rental includes a maid who will come in on weekday mornings only and tidy rooms and kitchen, change bed linen weekly, and do occasional laundry and ironing for you.

Someone will come in to water the plants several times per week, evenings or early mornings. and pool maintenance will be dealt with by our resident team.

If you prefer not to be doing the cooking, our chef, Charlie, will set up for breakfast, and cook lunch and dinner, and shop for you. His weekly rate is £1050. He has one day off per week. He will keep tabs on all purchases and give you the supermarket slips, as well as butcher's and fishmonger's bills so that you may settle up during or at the end of your stay. He will organise a regular delivery of organic vegetables from the finca's vegetable garden. Charlie will also advise you on delicious and affordable wines. If you so wish, he can lay in a supply before your arrival at the finca.

An excerpt from Minette Marin's Spectator diary, written in simpler, pre-millenial times:

Minette Marrin

Spectator Diary Sept 4th 1999

Last Sunday was my last day in the most idyllic place I can think of in Europe. We had been staying for three weeks in a beautiful rented house in Andalucia, north west of Seville, in the Sierras of Aracena, entirely surrounded by cork and sweet-chestnut forests, and looking across on all sides to mountains in the blue distance. It is as near perfection as a holiday house can get. There is room to have lots of guests, and there is room for them to escape from each other and from us. The light is very clear, the stars very bright, the days hot and the nights cool. Although the house appears to be in the depths of the country, there is an old-fashioned little town conveniently close, with all the picturesque glamour of backwardness, and Seville is only an hour away. I was extremely sad to leave.