This secluded country estate with endless space and sea views combines charm and ecology. The beautiful estate of Cortijo El Albaricoque is located in the heart of a protected nature. The house is a traditional farmhouse or cortijo of 290 square meters with annexes, patios and porches. The cortijo is nestled in one of the most picturesque mountain ranges on the Andalusian Mediterranean. This house with natural spring and spacious pool in an excellent location make this a wonderful property. The cortijo reflects harmony with nature. This harmony can be felt throughout the house. The main entrance is indicated by a tattoo on the terrace floor. An antique door opens into a serene interior. The interiors are made of organic materials and textures with floors and bathrooms in polished concrete. Natural tones combine beautifully with the pure white and warm wood. There are luxurious ethnic touches and elegant hints of bohemia. The home is a testimony of worldly travels, an innate sense of style and a respect for nature. The cortijo can be used as one spacious home, with 2 bedrooms in the house, 2 apartments and one studio totally independents, making it an intimate retreat for family and guests at the same time. The main part of the house consists of a living room with beautiful fireplace, a kitchen with access to a large covered terrace, two spacious bedrooms, a separate room with walk-in closet, office corner. All rooms in this part of the house have access to the immense roof terrace, a beautiful courtyard with barbecue and to the covered terrace on the Southeast-side. From this main part, a short staircase descends to the living space in the second part of the house. There is a charming wood-burning stove, a kitchen corner in a dining room opening onto the South-facing terrace. Next to this living room is an ample bedroom with shower and toilet. Separate from the house is an apartment with living space including kitchen corner, a generous bedroom and bathroom. There is an intimate terrace at the entrance of the house and access to both the covered terrace and the courtyard. The last part of the living areas is about fifteen meters away from the South-facing terrace. It is a small but ravishing studio with a kitchen with bench, a few steps higher is a box bed with a small bathroom next to it. The studio also has a private terrace. At 50m from the house you can take a dip in the natural swimming pool of 15 by 5 meters surrounded by lush vegetation, plenty of shade under the tall trees with an endless sea view in between. At and around the house are beautiful sun- and covered terraces, a spacious courtyard with barbecue and masonry benches, here and there a swing hangs in a tree and there are intimate places to relax with a good book in the ‘wild’ gardens. Adjacent and slightly lower than the Southeast terrace is an orchard where you can pick oranges, mandarins, lemons, figs, apples, pears and cherries right off the tree. There are more orchards on the property with olive and almond trees. The finca is located in the protected nature reserve of the Sierra de Alhamilla. In the morning you can see deer drinking from the pool, mountain goats pass along and the birds provide an appropriate soundtrack throughout the day. There are also three eras at the cortijo and the ruin. An era is a circular plateau where grain was threshed, up until the last century. The eras are nicely demarcated with natural stone. Of course there is much more to discover on this estate of over 75 hectares. The natural water emerges directly from a mine in the mountain. This natural spring is used exclusively for the finca. This drinking water is connected to the house, where it enters an enclosed water reservoir and from there it provides all bathrooms and kitchens with running water. This spring water also fills the pool and irrigates the orchard and gardens. Water is heated by solar panels. The cortijo is not connected to the electricity grid. There is a brand new installation of solar panels with battery storage and small emergency generator. The cortijo was just renovated, is in perfect condition and move in ready. There is internet via satellite connection. The finca is located at 750m altitude and is 10km from the nearest village, Cuevas de la Medina, where you have a few restaurants, a shop, some bars and a bakery. The majority of this ride is on an unpaved road, which means that the trip takes about 15 to 20 minutes. From Cuevas de la Medina it is a 10 to 15 minute drive to Retamar and El Toy. Retamar is a hamlet of the city of Almeria with 9,000 inhabitants. The luxurious urbanisation of El Toyo was built in 2005 to be used as a village for the athletes participating in the Mediterranean Games. El Toyo has been designed with many green areas, cycle paths, terraces and a golf course. The 18-hole golf course is surrounded by low-rise apartment buildings and villas with private pools and gardens. There are several four-star hotels and restaurants in the area near the beach. El Toyo has a boardwalk with access to the beaches via wooden walkways. You can enjoy a wide range of water sports such as scuba diving, SUP or kayaking. It also has recreational areas and an artificial lagoon. One of El Toyo’s most modern infrastructures is the public hospital, opened in 2005, which has since become a reference point in Almería’s health care system. From Retamar and El Toyo it is 13 km to the city center of Almeria. Retamar borders the Cabo de Gata National Park. The beautiful beaches of Cabo de Gata start at 19 km from the house. Cabo de Gata has a 70 kilometer long coastline. The highlights of this natural park are the beautiful beaches. There are many beaches, some crowded and near villages such as San Jose, Las Negras or Rodalquilar, others are unspoilt and accessible by country or hiking trails. Other beaches are completely hidden and only accessible from the sea. You can consult a fairly complete list of the beaches of Cabo de Gata-Níjar on this page. The Cape of Cabo de Gata can be seen from the property and shows the Mediterranean Sea on both the east and south sides of the park. The daytime temperatures in winter are around 14-20 degrees at the finca’s altitude and around 28-34 degrees in summer. At night it quickly gets a bit colder, which provides a welcome cooling in the summer. The nearest airport is Almeria about 22 km from the house, a drive of about 40 minutes. Malaga airport is two and a half hours away.
