Just out of the water from your morning dip, you’re in time to watch the dawn mist evaporate above the mountains as you stroll back towards the patio and the house where the smell of coffee beckons. Pass the lemon tree and notice the brown squirrel clutching its morning meal and leaping from branch to branch in the date palm.

There aren’t noisy neighbours around here. The views are panoramic as we sit with a coffee looking out to sea. Discover the pond with its fish gliding through the crystal clear water. You may notice a little toad crossing your path, at a snail’s pace. Then there’s the chameleon hiding behind its favourite tree not to mention the lizards who prefer ‘la vida nocturna’ – the mysterious life in the garden after dark.

El Monte Bajo is an appealing terracotta roofed home with views of the garden, the sea and the precious Sierra Almijara mountains. A hidden holiday gem not visible from the main road and known only to a handful of locals. Your own piece of heaven where the air is clean and the birds sing. Snuggle up with a book in one of the many quiet corners next to the fruit trees. Float away in the serenity of the pool under a cloudless sky, your view only interrupted by the subtle rattle of the palms in the breeze. Drinks are waiting at the poolside cabaña while you select your favourite songs to stream.

As daylight fades, the garden is illuminated, the moon crawls into the night sky, the garden is illuminated and the lights of Nerja twinkle below. These are moments to savour, pinch yourself, ‘stay in the present’, you are really here!