Finca El Regalo

A truly beautiful setting, with complete privacy!
We loved the Finca el Regalo because of its views, gorgeous terraces, pool, fruit trees and the Spanish feel. Fountains, tiles, huge pots of jasmine, lots of small detail that really gave the place a wonderful atmosphere.
The house itself was comfortable and clean and the kitchen, well equipped. It was handy having the pool house for snorers and was useful to have the extra space. The managers, Ad and Eric who live up the road, were so helpful at all times, sorting us out on a number of occasions , such as finding a back therapist (fantastic!) when I had a problem. The owners were easy to contact and the booking in process was easy. The Finca offers a restful, quiet space, so if you are looking for excitement or to be very near the coast, its not the place for you. The nearby town of Competa is charming and has everything you need in terms of food shopping and restaurants. The only thing we found challenging was the drive from the Finca to the road. Although it says in the info you don't need a 4 wheel drive, we wished we'd hired one as the track is awful in parts and every trip up and down, we were concerned about damaging the undercarriage of the hire car (a small family polo). I am an experienced, competent driver and found the daily trip a bit stressful! So, my advice is to get a suitable car. Other than that, it was a wonderful holiday and I would highly recommend a stay here.

Had a very pleasant stay here with extended family in July 2018. We've stayed in many rented houses in Andalusia over the past years and this is one of the nicest we've stayed in. The property is as described and as pictured.
But there are a things potential renters should be aware of. Firstly, you only have access to the bottom floor of the main house (top floor unoccupied). The shower room in the main house is in effect a walk through area. This wasn't a huge deal for us, but you might want to bear it in mind if you're sharing the property. The pool house is small, but can easily accommodate 2 adults and has its won toilet/shower. Secondly, as others have noted, the access to the property might be an issue for some drivers. The drive from Competa to the property takes about 15 - 20 minutes. Its a surfaced road but without edge barriers in some places. Most drivers will find it OK. The last 750 m or so from that road down to the property is an unsurfaced dirt track, steep in places, some of which are quite narrow. Its ok after you've driven it a few times, but there are only a few places where 2 cars can pass each other, so you may have to reverse up or down if you meet someone else on the track.
For us these slight negatives were outweighed by the positives. There's loads of outside space, so even if there are a few of you it won't feel crowded. There's a large shaded patio beside the kitchen, with a large table and chairs for mealtimes. There's a great charcoal BBQ and pizza/bread oven. The pool is a good size, with plenty of space around it for sun loungers. The property is mainly south facing and the views down the valley to the sea are super. Overall, I'd be happy to recommend it if you're looking for peace and quiet in a rural location.

Reply from Jaromir

Thank you Tony for a nice review. Unfortunately we can’t improve the quality of the access road to the Finca but it is rather common problem in rural Spain. It is mentioned in the advertisement, that the upper part of the main house will stay closed. We decided to do that trying to keep a little bit privacy for ourselves in the home where we are spending at least 6 months per year. As you noticed staying there you are awarded with a beautiful surrounding and total privacy.
Looking forward to see you again.
Best regards
Jaromir

We really enjoyed our stay at Finca El Regalo. The views are magnificent and the privacy exactly what we needed. The pool is a really nice size and we enjoyed many hours relaxing in and around the pool. We found the pool house very convenient as it has a toilet and is right next to the pool (it is a flight of stairs down from the pool to the main house). We stayed in the 2 bedrooms of the main house. Only one bedroom has air conditioning but there are plenty fans around the house. The Finca is clean and well equipped. We had some difficulty getting the TV to work. Ad, who gave us the keys, was very helpful especially when we were trying to find the house for the first time. We were also emailed directions before we left which were useful. We found the drive to the finca (the first 15 minutes) quite nerve wracking but it definitely got easier after we had done it a couple of times. It took us around 45 minutes to get to the motorway from Finca El Regalo. One has to be a good/experienced driver to feel confident on the roads in the area. We have come home with wonderful memories! Thank you!

Reply from Jaromir

Thank you for a nice review.
After many years driving to our Spanish home we consider the roads not as challenging as it it was in very beginning- 20 years ago. Imagine that dirty truck starting from Competa. I agree, first impression for a average urban driver me be challenging. But you are revorded with extreme privacy and tranquillity of the location . Next time try the road down from finca to Sayalonga. We will consider installing airco in studio as well. We hope see you once again in sunny Andalusia.
Kind regards
Jaromir

After searching for the perfect holiday villa for our summer holiday we certainly believe we found it in this villa. It is spacious, clean, well equipped and its location is just perfect. The journey to the villa from Competa is as described and is on some fairly steep unpaved roads but once navigated the villa is worth the extra effort involved in getting to it. There is ample space for families to relax whether some want to be around the pool or relaxing on the large covered patio with the most gorgeous view there are areas around the villa for everyone. The kitchen is well equipped and lacked nothing. If you want to be in a busy vibrant area this is not for you, but if you require relaxation, peace, quiet and beautiful surroundings then we can certainly recommend this villa. Good communications with the owner, local facilities including a supermarket in Competa all made for a highly enjoyable holiday.

Reply from Jaromir

Thank you for your positive review. We are glad, that you have enjoyed your stay in our holiday accommodation. If you can see some places for improvement, let as know. We know, that you had some problems to find the place. We will try to send to our customers more detailed information about driving direction. We will be glad to see you again. Kind regards. Jaromir the owner.

We had a wonderful time at the Finca El Regalo. As two couples with two babies the set up worked perfectly with each family having one self contained unit. The house was well equipped with everything you needed, and the chap who met us on arrival was only up the road, and very accommodating if anything arose.

The location is simply wonderful. Completely private with beautiful views down the valley to the sea. What this does come with is a challenging drive down the hillside. Once completed a couple of time the task seemed far less daunting, and would not put us off visiting again.

About a 15 minute drive is the village of Cómpeta where there are an abundance of restaurants, bars and shops but it retains a very traditional Spanish charm. The gellateria comes highly recommended!

As I've said, we would not hesitate to recommend, and we hope to visit again.

We were looking for a villa away from the crowds and this property fulfilled and pased these requirements. You need to do a little bit of pre tavel homwwork to find the location of this property which will pay divedends when you arrive. Once you leave the made up road you do wonder if you are heading in the right direction as the road is rough but follow the information provided. The Villa was superb, well equiped and met all of our needs with total isolation peace and quiet. The accommodation is split into two areas the lower unit, the main area and the upper unit with the pool annex. This is not suitable for very young children as they would be up there un-suppervised, The pool area has pleanty of space and areas of shade to get out of the sun. The pool is of a good size but with only a ladder for access into the shallow end, which I would estimate to be 1,25 - 1,5 Mtrs may not again be suitable for young children but for us this was not an issue. A fantastic Villa and we all had a really great holiday.