Villas in
Spain are easy to access as they are spread out all over the country. While most people think of tacky Costa del Sol residences which are put together with all the charm of a council estate in
Liverpool, with a bit of searching you can get off the beaten track and indulge in some real Spanish agrotourism.
Just a two hour drive from
Malaga international airport you can get to the lovely Dar Hajra villa in Andalusia. This showcases all the best qualities of southern Spain as it is surrounded by a pine forest with gorgeous mountain views of the Grazalema.
If you have a larger party the Casa de los Espejos at Alma de Granada, Andalusia, is a wonderfully restored old building. You can get here in one and a half hours from Malaga airport.
Another luscious two person villa is the Sa Teulada in Mallorca. Within an hour of
Palma airport you can drive to this east coast hideaway which overlooks some spectacular beaches. An even closer drive from Palma airport is the Serelleta, one of the nicest villas in Spain. The outdoor room here is the 'piece de resistance' as it encompasses comfy sofas and a barbecue on which to cook your food.
If you really want to splash the cash stay in C’Awanui in Mallorca which has the décor of a five star hotel with all the privacy of a villa.
To immerse yourself Spanish history stay in a disused watermill in Cantabria. El Molino sleeps four people and overlooks a pretty stream.
You get all the charm of the Spanish countryside by only driving 45 minutes from
Santander airport. You could also try La Torruca, a six person villa in Cantabria which has a stone façade and bundles of character. Catalonia also has two of these larger villas, Nostra Pau and the Portal de Burgos. The former is only a few kilometres from the beach and has its own swimming pool while the latter is a merger of an old 19th century house and a 14th century gate tower.
You can also stay at the six person Mar Bona which is only an hour's drive away from
Girona airport. Imagine sitting in your spacious pool while staring out across the Mediterranean Sea.