FAQ - 30 things to know about El Monte Bajo
The property is 2km west of the centre of Nerja, 5 minutes by car and 25 minutes on foot along the beach. The road is perfectly asphalted to the front door.
Completely private. It’s not overlooked by any neighbouring property. A wall shields El Monte Bajo from the quiet road. It has its own entrance and private pool. It has unbroken views over Nerja, the bay and the Sierra Almijara mountains with the lighthouse at La Herradura in Granada province visible in the distance.
It’s recommended as it’d provide flexibility, you’d be able to reach hidden beaches and little villages off the beaten track.
You could walk into Nerja along the beach or you could take taxis (we’ll introduce you to Roberto & family who knows us and the house well), it costs around 12 euros into town. There’s a bus service, if you prefer.
Playa Playazo is 1km away, it is a more nautical slightly underdeveloped beach with a long ‘paseo’ walkway stretching to the centre of town. The real sunbathing tends to go on at the neighbouring Playa Torrecilla or at the extremely tranquil Playa de Restinga. In the centre of Nerja, there are two pretty town beaches located in sheltered coves either side of the Balcon de Europa, Playa Calahonda and Playa Salon. ( The best secluded beaches in the area are east of town and best reached by car. The most popular beach in Nerja is Burriana, good for children, restaurants, bars & watersports. A bit too commercial I fear for some but it contains the famous beachside Chiringuito, ‘Ayo’! well known for its ‘eat as much as you like’ portions of paella and the story the owner can tell about how as a schoolboy he and his friends discovered the Caves of Nerja in neighbouring Maro, now one of Spain’s most visited tourist attractions.
There are a handful of places to eat close by such as the Restaurant Avalon, five minutes away on foot & the bar/restaurant, La Restinga overlooking the beach. The best selection of for eating and drinking is further afield scattered around in the town centre of Nerja, Frigiliana and beyond.
El Monte Bajo was we think built in the 1950s and then expanded and modernised in the early 1980s. In the last decade it’s undergone further remodelling. ‘El Monte Bajo’ is ‘the lower mountain’ and refers to the terrain on which it’s located and gives a clue to the breathtaking views. The finca sits on a plateau. It’s has been fully refurbished and expanded in recent years in sympathy with its traditional style. There’s a poolside cabaña to provide shade with a shower, WC, a drinks cooler and streaming music.
Well … the house pays homage to a rustic Spain from days gone by. If you’re attracted to history, tradition, old fashioned Spanish style and you demand a high level of maintenance and cleanliness then you should be very satisfied here!
We pay meticulous attention to detail and ensure a high level of maintenance in a property that exudes Spanish rustic character and tradition. If this isn’t of interest to you, there are many alternatives and more modern properties to suit all budgets. If you want a place to stay footsteps away from tens of bars & restaurants you should look elsewhere. There are options in the centre of Nerja to match all budgets.
Danny Bowers has owned the property for more than 20 years and is actively devoted to its upkeep. He leads the maintenance team including Jose, an understated intelligent ‘hombre’ who’s looked after the swimming pool and provides general maintenance and guidance since 2005. His wife, Ana is in charge of cleaning and with her ‘sharp eye’ for detail ensures everything is perfect & everyone is happy. We speak every few days throughout the year. Beatrice ‘Bea’ cleans regularly like nobody else (we headhunted her some years ago when we realised how terrific she is). Like Premier League footballers, there are good and average cleaners. For gardening, we have Gustavo, Alejandro and family who know when to snip the yucca trees, trim the hedges and chop the palms. They bring creativity and a touch of south American flavour. Because we’ve been all working together so long we’re effectively a family, everything is personal and we transfer that passion to how we treat our guests.
The rustic farmhouse, El Monte Bajo can accommodate 6 people ( 3 bedrooms all ensuite) or 8 people (with an extra bedroom and ensuite added in). For larger groups, renting El Monte Bajo and the neighbouring cottage, Al Ladino can provide extremely accommodation for up to 12 people.
There are four bedrooms (the fourth one is provided on request at additional cost). There’ a spacious kitchen which serves as a hub for family life, a separate dining room and three other salons including a main lounge with double aspect views. The ceiling height is more than 4 metres in places. Facilities include, smart TV, internet, A/C and streaming music from your phone. Each bedroom has ensuite facilities, a strong shower, towels and a hairdryer. There’s a private pool, poolside facilities including a w/c & shower, fridge, sink and music facilities. There are several sun patios, shaded areas and places to dine outside to enjoy the views. After dark, the poo and garden are subtly illuminated.
The options are, a wood burning chimney (the most atmospheric) or electric heating from the wall units (the A/C units).
Everything you’ll likely need but by design we don’t have a microwave.
No, not from the tap and beware, even boiling the water doesn’t make it drinkable because all the water in the house is softened using salt to ensure super smooth powerful showers everywhere. Bottled water is the way to go, available to buy everywhere.
Sightseeing, visiting the Caves of Nerja, the bonito white washed pueblo of Frigiliana, Kayaking and other water sports at Burriana Beach, hiking inland through the Rio Chillar, and climbing the ‘Pico del Cielo’ mountain which towers above the coastal plain with views of the coast of Morocco on a clear day. There’s horse riding and Yoga classes on the beach. Nerja with its historic streets and quaint houses sits on a cliff top and it slopes down to beach level on its western flank. This small town is varied and a real treasure with something for everyone. There are tens of restaurants serving Spanish cuisines, fresh fish and tapas bars and more international cuisine. There are imaginative art & craft souvenir shops aplenty.
There are so many places, the white washed mountain village of Frigiliana beckons with its medieval streets and abundant charm. It’s 15 minutes from the house, you can spend an hour or a morning there and and it can work well for dinner at one of a handful of appealing restaurants with elevated views. You might take a day trip to Granada (1:10 hrs by car), the old Arab fortress of the Alhambra will likely leave you gasping. Close by, the Sierra Nevada mountains make winter time skiing possible in the morning and then back at the coast you can sunbathe in the afternoon. Just south of Granada and 40 minutes from the house are the Alpujarra mountains dotted with tiny hamlets and the former roman villages of Lanjaron (famous for its mineral water). Neighbouring Orgiva is a favourite of a more bohemian ‘free living’ set. In the other direction from El Monte Bajo, 50 minutes west along the A7 autovia is Malaga, the capital of the Costa Del Sol. It has plentiful shopping, beachside restaurants, portside bars and galleries with museums to rival the more sophisticated European centres. There are more medieval streets, a castle on the hill ‘La Alcazaba’, a roman amphitheatre and the Picasso museum, it can be a rich experience. The legendary cities of Ronda (2 hours), Cadiz (3 hrs), Seville (2:50 hrs) and Cordoba (2:25 hrs) can all be reached with ease along pristine autovias. If you go to Seville, please ask me for our favourite restaurant recommendations.
Not usually! 95% of bookings start and end on a Saturday. Guests leave at 10am and the the next visitors at 3pm. Very occasionally, we can accommodate an earlier arrival or a late check out.
The check in time is 3pm. If you need to arrive sooner, we can store your luggage until the cleaners have done their work and can hand over the property to you. Check out is 10am on the day of departure.
Early check in is not normally possible because previous guests need to vacate and the cleaners need to do their work but feel free to ask. However, if you arrive very early, feel free to drop off your cases while the cleaners get the property ready for you. On your day of departure, check outs beyond 10am are not normally possible.
No. Payment is by bank transfer in £ sterling or € euros or other currencies.
A deposit of 50% of the total amount due is required to secure a booking.
Booking direct is your route to paying the least. Global travel websites can charge commissions of up to 25%+ They are mass market fast booking services that often demand guests do an ‘instant booking’ on their website without the ability to communicate with the host beforehand. That’s not our sty;le. We think that’s risky because it can be difficult for guests to really know the finer details of what they’re booking. Our goal is to maintain the high satisfaction score from our guests. We would advocate booking direct and talking to the owner. Everything should be clear before money changes hands. We advertise on a couple of smaller niche websites but we prefer to rely on ‘word of mouth’ and repeat bookings.
Prices start at £1300 a week during low season to £3400 in August. Check your dates here. It’s a three bedroom property but if you have a larger group (up to 8 people) we can add our exquisite fourth bedroom ensuite (‘Luna de Miel) for a supplement of between £300 and £500. If your party is even larger, we can accommodate 12 people by combining El Monte Bajo with the neighbouring private independent cottage, Al Ladino See the price guide.
Tell us as soon as possible and we can make arrangements to do repairs immediately, or on your check out. We want to prevent inconvenience to the guests who come after you. Items that vanish without explanation cause annoyance to us and possible inconvenience to the next guests.
Yes, that’s the idea. Rarely is any deposit held back in part or in full and if something isn’t right, we will talk to you first. Our responsibility is to provide the best service and give guests the benefit of the doubt but we would hold back a deposit if significant damage is done (and especially if we’re not told about it). Please be careful not to lose door keys and ensure that no one in your party fiddles or disconnects cables from wifi routers or resets the equipment which is there for you to enjoy.
The reviews are genuine and the secret of the good reviews is that apart from being well located with remarkable views, the property is constantly maintained to a high standard (akin to what you would find in a 5 star boutique hotel). We listen carefully to guests and fully answer questions before you visit to be sure we can meet (and hopefully exceed) your expectations.
The pool is approximately 8m x 5m. For the cooler months we have pool heating if required ( it can be available at an additional charge to recover the cost of the electricity). It takes 2 to 3 days to heat up to the required temperature and then the temperature can be maintained by leaving the pool cover in place when the pool is not being used.
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