Fountainhead - Malaga

Our review

FOUNTAINHEAD IS JUST THE PLACE to trade the crowds of the costas for the magic of the mountains. This Andalucian hillside hideaway with an ethnic vibe is made for us-time.

Fountainhead looks out onto wildest Andalucia. This is a chillout destination made for away-from-it-all recharging and relaxation. We stepped out of our car to breathe in the crisp mountain air scented with wild fennel, gazing out at utterly peaceful hillsides covered in almond and olive trees, with the craggy Sierra de Caramolos mountains rising behind. Only the tinkle of goat bells and the chirrup of crickets in the afternoon sun broke the stillness.

Four very private suites and a terrific restaurant make up this little mountainside nirvana. Each casita-style suite has mile-wide mountain views and a terrace with loungers and a private plunge pool where you can skinny-dip and get an all-over tan.

The suite life
Inside Fountainhead's four suites, you’ll find a kingsize bed, sofa, fans (no aircon), a CD player, binoculars for watching the wildlife and a mini kitchen. Mosaic tiled bathrooms with cotton robes are screened from the bedroom area. There’s a terrace for eat-as-you-please al fresco dining and even a log stove for nippy nights in the mountains.

Eclectic interiors are colourful and comfortable, with lots of decorative touches. Exotic fabrics – silks, satins and voiles – underline the theatrical and ethnic vibe, 

The Sultan suite features Ottoman style silks and damasks with splashes of turquoise and gold. Indian carries the Asian theme further with carved wooden doors and ethnic pieces. Oriental has a striking scarlet and black canopied bed and chaise longue, while Arizona – more contemporary in style – has its own jacuzzi bath.

Don’t expect TVs, mobile phones, techno-tricks and internet on tap here – Fountainhead is made for simple, away-from-it-all getaways. You’ll be left alone with everything you need, while your hosts are on hand if you need them. It’s a place to be at one with nature – and go au naturel if you like.

Rustle up eats as the fancy takes you. You’ll find a well-stocked fridge loaded with Cava, local hams and manchego cheese, home made jam and fruit, and a basket of warm bread and croissants arrives at your door each morning. Just brew the coffee, pour the juice or mix a sangria according to your whim.

For yet more unwinding, book a massage and float in the huge bath of the darkly embracing Bathhouse. Book a face treatment or have the rest of you scrubbed, seaweed-wrapped and buffed with Fountainhead's own body products for the ultimate wind-down.

Fountainhead’s intimate restaurant has won plaudits galore, and is one of Andalucia's gastro destinations. Mediterranean inspired dishes use local organic produce and olive oil from the hotel’s own olive crop, and there’s an intimate corner bar for pre-dinner drinks. If you can’t be bothered to leave your quarters, in-suite dining can be arranged.

This is a place to wind down and do as little as possible. But if you’ve got itchy feet, you’re just half an hour from the sea and an hour from the historic city of Granada.