Casa Rural Villacinta

We (two couples) were travelling by car through Spain and into Portugal, and booked a night at Casa Rural Villacinta before we went to Lisbon. We parked right outside the house and were greeted by the owner, a lovely lady who didn’t speak a word of English. My ‘Spanglish’ got a bit of a workout, but we managed. Our ensuite rooms were comfortable, high-ceilinged, old Spanish rural style, with beautiful views of the mountains and the obligatory Spanish Castle/Fort across the valley. There was a large communal living room with a fireplace, dining room and kitchen where our host would provide us with breakfast the next day at precisely 9.00am. There were also a couple of patio areas where we could sit outside with a drink and enjoy the views and the quiet. Cortegana really is a lovely small village in the Sierra de Aracena, with cobbled streets, magnificent views, fresh mountain air, and friendly people. One tip - check what times restaurants and bars are open, as we had problems getting fed until after 8.30pm, as is often the case in Spanish towns. In the morning, we had a swim before breakfast in the lovely pool which looked out to the castle. It was refreshing. Breakfast was served by our host promptly at 9.00am. Coffee, toasted breads, jamon, homemade chunky tomato sauce, olive oil, marmalades, cheese, pate. Very good. We had a lovely stay at Villacinta, and got a taste of real, rural Spain. If we hadn’t already booked accommodaton in Lisbon, we would probably have stayed another night.