LA FUENTE DE LA HIGUERA
Cool hacienda hideaway set in Ronda’s stunning mountains.
GAZING OUT OVER ANDALUCIA’S RUGGED SIERRAS, La Fuente de la Higuera is more about siesta than fiesta – a laidback hacienda-style haven that’s the perfect chillout for weary urbanites. It’s also Ronda’s most romantic address.
Dutch-born Pom and Tina Piek fell in love with this former 18th century olive mill set amid the craggy Ronda mountains, and have turned it into a winning boutique hideaway whose leitmotif is laidback luxe. Fringed by olive trees and set around a pool perfect for honing that tan, it’s a lush garden oasis splashed with jasmine and bougainvillea.
Classic Spanish lines mix with crisp interiors and cooling shades at La Fuente de la Higuera. Walls are hung with contemporary Dutch artwork and an airy atrium is scattered with rattan sofas.
Hit the spot
Overlooking the Andalucian mountains ten minutes from Ronda.
Bedtime
Suite 2 (a deluxe) is the Honeymoon suite, with a wonderful lounge and huge bathroom. Suite 2 is also a cracker, while Rooms 9 and 10 have great terraces.
Be savvy
Come here to chill, not to party. And DO book well ahead for the high season.
Be smitten
Laidback and stylish Sierra hideaway.
Icecream-cool shades
Light and spacious bedrooms – immaculate and nicely private – are all about Sierra style relaxation. Icecream-cool shades are set off by painted wood floors, cotton bedspreads, eclectic artworks and Indonesian wood furniture. Gossamer drapes, ceiling fans, rugs and wicker armchairs add a splash of the tropics.
Each room at La Fuente de la Higuera has its own private terrace or jasmine-scented garden – some with fabulous valley views across the Sierra de las Nieves, snow capped in winter. We loved the terraces of Suites 9 and 10, with their private loungers and valley views.
Larger suites come with a separate lounge and an open fire for toasty nights in during cooler winter months. All have CD players (there’s a library of nearly 1,000 discs to dip into), though soap fans should note they are TV free. Roomy bathrooms have cool oriental stone floors, luxury shower lotions and lots of fluffy towels.
It’s all about chill-out time here where you can be as lazy as you like in a glorious setting. Cool off in the pool, lie in the shade of the acacia tree or simply bliss out on your terrace. There’s a well stocked honesty bar (which doubles as a library) where you can pick up a chilled bottle of wine, a G&T or an icecream.
There’s a relaxed house party vibe here, and you’ll be warmly welcomed by your nothing’s-too-much-trouble hosts. While you’re just ten minutes from Ronda with the sierras on your doorstep, we wouldn’t blame for not stirring far from your lounger.
Cooking is top notch, and you can dine al fresco on the terrace above the pool on warm evenings, gazing out at those stunning views. Perfection indeed.
La Fuente de la Higuera was reviewed by Room for Romance
Dutch-born Pom and Tina Piek fell in love with this former 18th century olive mill set amid the craggy Ronda mountains, and have turned it into a winning boutique hideaway whose leitmotif is laidback luxe. Fringed by olive trees and set around a pool perfect for honing that tan, it’s a lush garden oasis splashed with jasmine and bougainvillea.
Classic Spanish lines mix with crisp interiors and cooling shades at La Fuente de la Higuera. Walls are hung with contemporary Dutch artwork and an airy atrium is scattered with rattan sofas.
Hit the spot
Overlooking the Andalucian mountains ten minutes from Ronda.
Bedtime
Suite 2 (a deluxe) is the Honeymoon suite, with a wonderful lounge and huge bathroom. Suite 2 is also a cracker, while Rooms 9 and 10 have great terraces.
Be savvy
Come here to chill, not to party. And DO book well ahead for the high season.
Be smitten
Laidback and stylish Sierra hideaway.
Icecream-cool shades
Light and spacious bedrooms – immaculate and nicely private – are all about Sierra style relaxation. Icecream-cool shades are set off by painted wood floors, cotton bedspreads, eclectic artworks and Indonesian wood furniture. Gossamer drapes, ceiling fans, rugs and wicker armchairs add a splash of the tropics.
Each room at La Fuente de la Higuera has its own private terrace or jasmine-scented garden – some with fabulous valley views across the Sierra de las Nieves, snow capped in winter. We loved the terraces of Suites 9 and 10, with their private loungers and valley views.
Larger suites come with a separate lounge and an open fire for toasty nights in during cooler winter months. All have CD players (there’s a library of nearly 1,000 discs to dip into), though soap fans should note they are TV free. Roomy bathrooms have cool oriental stone floors, luxury shower lotions and lots of fluffy towels.
It’s all about chill-out time here where you can be as lazy as you like in a glorious setting. Cool off in the pool, lie in the shade of the acacia tree or simply bliss out on your terrace. There’s a well stocked honesty bar (which doubles as a library) where you can pick up a chilled bottle of wine, a G&T or an icecream.
There’s a relaxed house party vibe here, and you’ll be warmly welcomed by your nothing’s-too-much-trouble hosts. While you’re just ten minutes from Ronda with the sierras on your doorstep, we wouldn’t blame for not stirring far from your lounger.
Cooking is top notch, and you can dine al fresco on the terrace above the pool on warm evenings, gazing out at those stunning views. Perfection indeed.
La Fuente de la Higuera was reviewed by Room for Romance
|
Click on any picture to enlarge it and move through the gallery. |
|||
Dining in
Look forward to freshest Mediterranean cooking with garden-grown veggies and a daily changing menu. Starters might feature rabbit terrine or goat’s cheese salad, with mains including local game, rack of lamb or cod (there’s always a veggie option, too), local cheeses and yummy desserts.
There’s a great wine list too featuring plenty of excellent local reds, and a lunchtime poolside menu of salads, club sandwiches and snacks.
Dining out
Nearby Ronda has a wealth of restaurants. Great choices include the fish restaurant Los Cazadores, Almocabar and Casa Maria. For a splashy night out, you could try the Michelin starred El Tragabuches.
Where?
La Fuente de la Higuera
What’s cooking?
A bouillabaisse fish soup for starters, followed perhaps by fresh cod with red pepper marmalade and rounded off nicely with a mango dessert with white and black chocolate.
Top table?
On the terrace in summer with stunning valley views.
See & Do
Ronda is Spain’s most visited city, so try to go early evening when the sightseeing crowds have melted away. Don’t miss the bullring (one of the oldest in Spain), the famous gorge-spanning bridge, the Palacio Mondragon, leafy Plaza Duquesa de Parcent and the cobbled streets of the old town.
See some of Andalucia’s famous “white villages” in the Parque Natural de la Sierra de Grazalema, where you can go hiking (guided walks can be arranged) and spot eagles and buzzards. Daytrips are easily arranged to the cities of Seville, Granada and Jerez.
Thrill seekers can try paragliding, caving, hot-air balloon rides or a 4x4 safari in the sierras. You can also rent a mountain bike or go riding from nearby stables.
Shop
With its wealth of shoe shops, Ronda is a great place to buy summer sandals. You’ll also find lots of little shops selling local hand-painted ceramics.
Spa
Book an in-room Thai massage treatment or even a yoga session. Other spa treatments can be arranged at La Fuente’s sister hotel in Ronda.
After dark
Rummage through Tina and Pom’s huge CD collection for some mood music, pick up a bottle of wine from the honesty bar and watch the mountains and moon from your terrace.
Dates
April
See the parades and colourful costumes in the big holy week festival Semana Santa.
September
Feria Goyesca de Pedro Romero – Ronda’s best known festival – kicks off with a bullfight and a procession of horse-drawn carriages.
Look forward to freshest Mediterranean cooking with garden-grown veggies and a daily changing menu. Starters might feature rabbit terrine or goat’s cheese salad, with mains including local game, rack of lamb or cod (there’s always a veggie option, too), local cheeses and yummy desserts.
There’s a great wine list too featuring plenty of excellent local reds, and a lunchtime poolside menu of salads, club sandwiches and snacks.
Dining out
Nearby Ronda has a wealth of restaurants. Great choices include the fish restaurant Los Cazadores, Almocabar and Casa Maria. For a splashy night out, you could try the Michelin starred El Tragabuches.
Where?
La Fuente de la Higuera
What’s cooking?
A bouillabaisse fish soup for starters, followed perhaps by fresh cod with red pepper marmalade and rounded off nicely with a mango dessert with white and black chocolate.
Top table?
On the terrace in summer with stunning valley views.
See & Do
Ronda is Spain’s most visited city, so try to go early evening when the sightseeing crowds have melted away. Don’t miss the bullring (one of the oldest in Spain), the famous gorge-spanning bridge, the Palacio Mondragon, leafy Plaza Duquesa de Parcent and the cobbled streets of the old town.
See some of Andalucia’s famous “white villages” in the Parque Natural de la Sierra de Grazalema, where you can go hiking (guided walks can be arranged) and spot eagles and buzzards. Daytrips are easily arranged to the cities of Seville, Granada and Jerez.
Thrill seekers can try paragliding, caving, hot-air balloon rides or a 4x4 safari in the sierras. You can also rent a mountain bike or go riding from nearby stables.
Shop
With its wealth of shoe shops, Ronda is a great place to buy summer sandals. You’ll also find lots of little shops selling local hand-painted ceramics.
Spa
Book an in-room Thai massage treatment or even a yoga session. Other spa treatments can be arranged at La Fuente’s sister hotel in Ronda.
After dark
Rummage through Tina and Pom’s huge CD collection for some mood music, pick up a bottle of wine from the honesty bar and watch the mountains and moon from your terrace.
Dates
April
See the parades and colourful costumes in the big holy week festival Semana Santa.
September
Feria Goyesca de Pedro Romero – Ronda’s best known festival – kicks off with a bullfight and a procession of horse-drawn carriages.
GETTING THERE
Location
Partido de los Frontones, E-29400 Ronda.
Parking
There is free guest parking. The hotel will supply detailed directions if you don’t have satnav.
Trains
Ronda station – 6km
Taxis
Around EUR 130 from the airports. However, you’ll need a hire car to get around.
Airport
The hotel is roughly 90 minutes from Malaga, Seville, Gibraltar and Jerez airports. EasyJet flies to Malaga from nearly a dozen points in the UK, while Ryanair flies from London Stansted to Jerez.
Rooms and suites
11 rooms, including 8 suites
Special features
Stylish and spacious suites come with a private terrace, open fires, CD players and ceiling fans.
ESSENTIAL INFO
Rates guide
EUR 148 – 280
Open/closed
Open all year
Check-in
15.00
Check-out
12.00
Minimum night stay?
Two nights
Breakfast
Buffet breakfast (included, with chargeable a la carte options) is served until 11am. Look forward to local Andalucian cheeses, hams and freshly squeezed juices – in bed if you prefer.
Room service
Available morning and evening.
Children
Welcome
Pets
No
Air conditioning
No, but there are ceiling fans and you’re up in the hills.
Wedding license?
No, but wedding parties are welcome on an exclusive hire basis. You could also throw a party in Rise Lodge – a separate luxury lodge sleeping 10 or more, set in 20 acres nearby with its own pool.
Location
Partido de los Frontones, E-29400 Ronda.
Parking
There is free guest parking. The hotel will supply detailed directions if you don’t have satnav.
Trains
Ronda station – 6km
Taxis
Around EUR 130 from the airports. However, you’ll need a hire car to get around.
Airport
The hotel is roughly 90 minutes from Malaga, Seville, Gibraltar and Jerez airports. EasyJet flies to Malaga from nearly a dozen points in the UK, while Ryanair flies from London Stansted to Jerez.
Rooms and suites
11 rooms, including 8 suites
Special features
Stylish and spacious suites come with a private terrace, open fires, CD players and ceiling fans.
ESSENTIAL INFO
Rates guide
EUR 148 – 280
Open/closed
Open all year
Check-in
15.00
Check-out
12.00
Minimum night stay?
Two nights
Breakfast
Buffet breakfast (included, with chargeable a la carte options) is served until 11am. Look forward to local Andalucian cheeses, hams and freshly squeezed juices – in bed if you prefer.
Room service
Available morning and evening.
Children
Welcome
Pets
No
Air conditioning
No, but there are ceiling fans and you’re up in the hills.
Wedding license?
No, but wedding parties are welcome on an exclusive hire basis. You could also throw a party in Rise Lodge – a separate luxury lodge sleeping 10 or more, set in 20 acres nearby with its own pool.