Zahara de los Atunes, Spain – Vacation Rental Home
Looking for a beautiful and relaxing place to vacation with your family? Want to enjoy the beaches and views of Zahara de los Atunes, Spain? Look no further. I have the perfect vacation home for you. This house, more like a mansion, is gorgeous, and is the perfect choice for your next Spanish getaway.
The House – La Finca Guatavita
This house, La Finca Guatavita, is a place that I will long to go back to again and again. It has everything that you need and more. Since the house is so large, it has been divided up into four cottages so several families can stay there at once. Even though you likely aren’t the only guests staying there, you feel like you are because it is so big. The different cottages are spread out, allowing you plenty of private space. Each cottage has their own private areas, as well as some shared areas. This house isn’t new by any means, but it is so well cared for and maintained that it feels clean, nice, and inviting. There is so much character and charm. It also would be perfect for a family reunion if you’re looking to rent a whole house for many people. The entire house had eleven bedrooms, twenty-six beds, and ten bathrooms, with a maximum capacity of thirty people.
The view of the house from the beach below.
Four Cottages
You Can Stay at Any Four of These Cottages:
*Guatavita:
5 bedrooms, 4 full bathrooms, living room, kitchen, dining room, office, loft, covered terrace, outdoor terrace, Andalusian patio, and gardens.
*El Dorado:
3 bedrooms (one with two bunk beds), 3 bathrooms, kitchen, living room, and terrace.
*El Paraíso:
2 bedrooms (one with single sofa bed), garden, covered terrace, living-dining room (adjoining house), shower room (adjoining), kitchen (adjoining) and roof terrace (adjoining house).
*El Patio:
1 bedroom, living / dining room with sofa bed, kitchen, and bathroom.
Our Cottage – El Dorado
We stayed at El Dorado. It is the cottage closest to the garden area and the furthest down the driveway. There were six of us staying there, four adults and two children, and we had plenty of room for all of us. There were two bedrooms with double beds and one bedroom with two bunk beds, four childrens’ beds in total. Laundry was available, washer and dryer, and air conditioning. We had our own private outside balcony area where we ate dinner each night. It was lovely to eat outside, especially during the sunset. A small flight of stairs from our private balcony conveniently led us up to the shared pool area. If there was a negative to El Dorado, it would be the kitchen. The kitchen was the smallest part of the whole house but was still very useable with a full-sized fridge and a dishwasher.
The stand out at El Dorado was the master bedroom towards the back of the house. Our friends were so nice and let Nate and I have this room, the best room in the house. Sleeping in that room was so dreamy! We slept with the windows open so we could hear the waves crashing all night long and felt a nice breeze coming through. In the morning we were greeted to a gorgeous view of the ocean and blue skies with nice salty fresh air. I wish I could sleep in that room year-round. Can’t we just move in? Please?
Front entrance of El Dorado leading into the kitchen.
The doorbell.
The view of the El Dorado private balcony from the shared pool.
El Dorado living room.
El Dorado kitchen.
El Dorado children’s bedroom with two bunk beds, four beds in total.
The flight of stairs from our private balcony leading up to the shared pool.
El Dorado master bedroom – the best part of the cottage!
El Dorado private balcony.
Parking
There is parking available at La Finca Guatavita, but it isn’t the most convenient or easy to use. They have two covered parking spots available and room for five other cars to park around the property. It seems to be available on a first come first served basis. Be careful though! The spots are tight and difficult to maneuver through.
The Infinity Pool
Hands down, my favorite part about this mansion is the pool. It is a gorgeous infinity pool that overlooks the ocean, giving you the illusion that you’re swimming in endless water. It’s an incredible feeling. It isn’t your own private pool but is shared with guests from the other cottages. However, it is a large pool that accommodates a lot of people. Because of the wide variety of swimming options around Zahara de los Atunes, the house pool seemed naturally staggered with the guests that used it. It never was uncomfortably crowded.
There is a community kitchen and lounging area next to the pool with a BBQ grill. It would be ideal if you wanted to bring dinner down from your cottage and have a pool party, using the kitchen to prepare your food. We had a blast with the giant pool floats! They were giant pillows that floated in the water, almost like big Lovesacs. There are also several lounge chairs lining the pool. It really was so dreamy floating in the pool with my feet dangling in the water, while enjoying the view of the ocean. I mean, can you really get any better than that? I think no.
La Finca Guatavita Infinity Pool.
La Finca Guatavita Infinity Pool.
The pool area entrance.
The Garden
The garden was Jimmy’s favorite part of the mansion. Until then, he thought that fruit and vegetables came from the grocery store, so he was completely amazed that he could pick them out of the dirt and take them in the kitchen to cook for dinner. This was a whole new concept for him, and he was obsessed with it during our stay. It actually got a little annoying at times because all he wanted to do was pick more veggies from the garden. Luckily for us, the garden is open for all guests to use and partake of, however much you please. Since we love cooking with fresh veggies and herbs, we definitely used our share of it and made all sorts of yummy dishes. We made roasted carrots, zucchini, and onions a couple of nights as well as mint in a fruit salad, and cucumbers with dill dip. It was so delicious and healthy! Besides being so fun to eat from the garden, it was also fun to walk around and enjoy the beauty of the garden. The garden itself is so picturesque and well cared for. There are two full-time people working year round on the garden and house landscaping. During our stay, no one else seemed to be using it, so it felt like our very own secret garden. What a treat!
Nico, Jimmy, and Mikelle, in the garden area at La Finca Guatavita.
Jimmy’s garden finds.
The Views
There are many great views from this house to enjoy during your stay. On the balcony, you look one way and can see the neighboring houses on the hill, and WOW! There are some completely gorgeous houses that I’m sure are also amazing to stay at. The houses in this area are anything but small. There is also the view of the ocean, the view I’m fondest of. We could see the beach perfectly from our balcony. But, the most interesting view is being able to see Morocco, in Africa. If you look close enough across the water, you can see Morocco on the other side of the ocean. It doesn’t seem like it, but Southern Spain and Morocco are very close together. It is strange that they are so physically close, yet in culture, language, religion, and practically everything else, they couldn’t be more far apart. It is crazy to think while I was there, that Morocco was just a short swim away. A difficult swim that’s for sure, but if you were bound and determined to swim it, it would be possible.
The Beach
You’ll find some of the most gorgeous beaches in this area of Spain and the best part is, they aren’t even crowded! The water is so clear and beautiful with velvety white sand. A total dream really. When I was there, I swore that I wasn’t going to leave. There are a lot of choices for beaches too, so feel free to ask the owner of the house when you arrive about the different beach options. There is even a nude beach very close by if you’re into that sort of thing! Quite an eye opening experience for me I must say!
Since the house is up on a hill, walking to the beach is quite a long process, so I’d recommend either driving or biking. Before you head to the beach, make sure to check out the beach toys in the garage that are free for all guests to use. They have a little of everything in there for a fun time at the beach – boogie boards, wet suits, buckets, flippers, beach chairs, beach towels, and even bikes!
Jimmy napping at the beach.
Extra Services
When we were staying at La Finca Guatavita, we had a car with us, so we did all the errands and food shopping on our own. We drove to a local grocery store and market to purchase food for the week at the beginning of our stay. We also used the garden, like I mentioned above, for veggies and herbs in our meals. Ask the hotel managers what markets and grocery stores they recommend and how to get there. If you aren’t wanting to do the basic things on your own, the house employees provide extra services for the guests. Besides clean your cottage daily, they will gladly run errands for you, do your shopping, make your meals, bring you the newspaper, or deliver fresh pastries to your house in the morning. Of course all of this comes with a cost, so talk to them and see what you can setup. Such great extras to make your stay even easier and more enjoyable.
Prices
Here is a list of prices for all four of the cottages as well as the whole house. July and August is high season, therefore, it is the most expensive. May, June, and September are mid-range, the second busiest months of the year. The rest of the year is low season and is the cheapest time to visit. Prices may vary.
*Guatavita –
July and August – €4,600 a week
May, June, September – €3,400 a week
Rest of the Year – €2,475 a week
*El Paraiso –
July and August – €1,430 a week
May, June, and September – €1,100 a week
Rest of the Year – €770 a week
*El Dorado –
July and August – €2,590 a week
May, June, September – €1980 a week
Rest of the Year – €1,210 a week
*El Patio –
July and August – €700 a week
May, June, September – €484 a week,
Rest of the Year – €330 a week
*The Whole House –
July and August – €8800 a week
May, June, September – €5,830 a week
Rest of the Year – €4,455 a week
How to Rent the La Finca Guatavita House
Check out their Facebook page and listing on Airbnb for more information on how to rent this beautiful house for your next Spanish getaway!
I hope you love your stay at La Finca Guatavita. Enjoy your time in Zahara de los Atunes, and please leave me a comment below if you have any questions! I’d love to hear from you. Adios!
