property Description

La Molineta is a unique property which has been used for holiday lettings for many years and which combines substantial houses ( more than one suitable as a prime residence) and cottages with annual rental income and substantial capital growth. The property is available for sale in the region of 3.500,000 euros including the furnishings and furniture (excluding the antiques) with vacant possession in the autumn of 2006 or earlier by agreement.

Sometimes known as The Little Alhambra and one of Europes most unusual holiday properties for rent, La Molineta is a small hamlet of houses including two historic watermills on a hillside on the road between Frigiliana and Nerja. It has been lovingly restored by its English owner, a former diplomat, over a period of years and furnished with antiques, fine paintings and other works of art.

Set in colourful terraced gardens, there are 7 very special and charming houses of different sizes, each of unique character, and all offering much superior accommodation to the usual holiday home. La Molineta has been featured in several interior design magazines, including House & Gardens and Casa Vogue. More than one of the houses is well suited to being a prime residence.

Tumbling down a hillside, the houses are on different levels, and linked by a series of paths and steps passing through gardens filled with the colour of bougainvillea, hibiscus and geraniums. Four of the houses have private swimming pools, and one a plunge pool.

A feature of the gardens are the scented plants and fruit trees, including lemons, oranges, limes, grapes, apricots, avocados, pomegranates, figs and olives: guests are welcome to pick their own in season. The gardens are tended by a full-time gardener. With the gardens linked by paths and gateways, it is equally ideal for individuals wanting privacy and peace and for families wishing to share a holiday.

THE PROPERTIES El Rosario probably one of the most beautiful and unusual houses in Andalucia is at the heart of the mill complex, (with the millrace still visible above) and is approached from a piazza, with its antique water trough, planted with vines, oranges and olives. Internally there is an entrance hall and sitting room fascinatingly furnished with European, Middle Eastern and Oriental antiques and artefacts and provided with satellite TV, CD player and wood burning stove. The spacious, well designed kitchen is equipped with cooker, microwave, fridge/freezer, food processor and dishwasher. At the centre of the house is an impressive hall with a massive fireplace, wonderful carved sofas and a long dining table.

This leads to a large, leafy patio for dining outdoors and on to the beautiful swimming pool (pool - 7m x 3m, shallow end 0.9m) with its sun beds. Other pretty gardens and terraces lead off in all directions. The 4 bedrooms are upstairs - a double bedroom with its own secluded patio, en-suite bathroom and dressing area.

The twin room and the second double bedroom have stunning views down the valley. The other twin room has views onto the garden. There are 2 more bathrooms and a laundry with washing and drying machines.

La Casita is approached from the same piazza as El Rosario with a fountain, bench and orange and olive trees. The Casita presides over this charming square and also has its own pretty, secluded garden and patio at the rear. The views from the casita are of unspoilt hills rolling away down to the sea sprinkled with the little white dwellings typical of the region.

The cottage opens into the comfortable sitting room with its cushion covered seating area, wood burning stove, satellite TV and CD player. The kitchen dining room opens on to the secluded patio and garden. The kitchen offers all the necessary facilities - small oven/hob, microwave and fridge/freezer with a great view of the valley to the front and the garden to the back of the house.

Off the patio, are the extra lavatory and shower room and washing machine. Upstairs, are two bedrooms, one double and one twin and their shared bathroom. The third bedroom is downstairs, where there is a large comfortable double bedroom, dressing room and private bathroom with its own front door. All the bedrooms have electric blankets and heaters. The Casita, like the other houses, has the qualities of summer cool and winter cosiness provided by its thick ancient walls.

El Molino Viejo This old mill, has been sensitively restored, transforming it into an exquisitely beautiful and comfortable house, reflecting the quality of its position in an area of great natural beauty.

This house might also be chosen for a resident owners house. The kitchen is fully equipped cooker, microwave, fridge/freezer, dishwasher and washing machine - and is a well designed, functional space. The entrance and dining hall lead on to the comfortable sitting room with satellite TV, CD player and wood burning stove.

The house is built on the side of the hill. Upstairs, are three bedrooms, two doubles and a twin with two bathrooms en suite and a shower room, and downstairs on the ground floor is a large double bedroom and bathroom with its own little terrace.

The lovely gardens are divided into two parts by a pathway; on one side are a shady lawn and two terraces for outdoor eating, on the other side is the orchard and private pool with summer pavilion. The pool 9m X 3.5m, shallow end 1.1m - is designed, with a waterfall edge, to make the most of the stunning views.

The pavilion, in classical style, has a table and seating for meals by the pool. There are also comfortable sun beds. Immediately outside the house there is a private parking bay with space for 1 car and a further parking bay lower down

El Huerto Just below El Molino Viejo, this enchanting cottage has a lovingly created, large and private garden and orchard. Along the entire front is a long, sunny terrace offering wonderful views down a rocky, tree and scrub covered valley to the sea.

A sheltered suntrap, with chairs and table for eating out, this provides an inviting place to enjoy the balmy days of winter, and in summer the vines and climbing plants shade the terrace.

The great fig tree in the orchard provides a cool haven on the lawn below, and the swimming pool has been beautifully landscaped into the garden. Inside, El Huerto is full of light and charmingly furnished to give a sense of space with a long sitting and dining room equipped with a CD player and wood burning stove to make it warm and cosy.

The kitchen and larder have all that is needed cooker/oven, fridge/freezer, and at the other end is the double bedroom, dressing room and bathroom. There is a private parking space within the garden gates.

La Media Luna is just a few steps up the path through the terraced gardens from the little piazza at the heart of La Molineta. Another possibility as the main residence of La Molineta. A particularly romantic house it curves along the hillside fronted by its sunny terrace garden, the path lined with cypress trees.

The swimming pool is on the terrace below and has a fine view of a deep Mediterranean green valley. In a shady corner of the terrace outside the kitchen there is a dining table for al fresco meals. Enter the house from the terrace, into the living room which extends almost the length of the house forming a particularly pretty sitting room with wood burning stove, satellite TV and CD player - with spacious dining area at the far end.

Next to the dining area is the fitted kitchen fully equipped with cooker, microwave, fridge/freezer. A door leads out on to the dining area of the terrace. The washing machine is in the laundry next to the kitchen. A flight of open stairs at each end of the house leads up to the bedrooms 1 twin, 1 double each with an en suite bathroom. 5 La Cuadra is at the very top of La Molineta, a quaint cottage reached by a garden path that meanders up the hill. It has a discreet raised sunbathing terrace and plunge pool, and a large shady terrace at the front for outdoor meals with a fine view down the valley to the sea and the lights of Nerja,

The open plan living room, including a kitchen area, is equipped with a CD player, wood burning stove, dining table and comfortable seating. The kitchen is compact and functional. The large double bedroom leads into a spacious bathroom

Managers Cottage This is situated at the entrance to the Molineta and as the name suggests has been occupied by the manager. This Cottage has comfortable accommodation with a vey large living room, kitchen, 2 bedrooms, bathroom and 2 patios.

In addition there are 3 large storage rooms / workshops which were originally garages. This unit has not been used for lettings but offers further scope to increase the income. The old garages also offer scope for development.

CONTENTS The majority of the furnishings and fittings are included in the sale. The antique items are excluded but are available by negotiation.

TENURE & STAFF The entire property is freehold with unencumbered title deeds. The property is for sale with full vacant possession on completion which can be in the autumn of 2006 or earlier by agreement. There will be no liability nor requirement to continue with existing staff although the purchaser may wish to do so. There is an excellent letting market in the area with an all year round demand for holiday rentals. and many other agents in the area offer full management and letting services.

6 THE AREA

Andalucia

Andalucia, the largest province in Spain, is especially fascinating for its mixture of Moorish and Catholic civilisation, so clearly present in the cities of Seville, Cordoba, Granada and Malaga. The narrow coastal plain with Malaga at its centre is blessed with a particularly agreeable climate, the warmest in all Europe in the winter but without the baking heat of inland Spain in high summer. This extraordinary climate encouraged the Moors to grow sugar cane, an industry which the Spaniards later took to the Americas. The Costa del Sol stretches from the Straits of Gibraltar in the West to beyond the beaches of Nerja in the east. There are many areas of the coast which have retained their charm. The mountains and hills are wild and staggeringly beautiful. In the foothills nestles the enchanting village of Frigiliana and, nearby, on the coast, is the charming old fishing village of Nerja, both less than an hours drive from Malaga airport.

Frigiliana

Frigiliana is rightly proud of its reputation as one of the most beautiful white hill villages of Andalucia just 4 miles inland from Nerja and its beaches. The area is surrounded by olive and grape vine covered slopes, and by weathered boulders and plunging ravines, which reveal glimpses of the shimmering sea. Nearby, the white-washed hamlets, retaining much of their historic charm, provide a soothing contrast to the pressure of urban living. Frigiliana is nonetheless well-endowed with small shops, bars and rustic restaurants. Where they have bowed to the pressure to expand, it has been achieved with unusual sensitivity.

Nerja Nerja is on the coast, where the weather, the year round, has attracted sun-lovers since Phoenician, Roman and Carthaginian times. It offers a huge range of different activities from sporting to historic and nature tourism and remains one of the most attractive resorts with a cheerful family atmosphere. The Balcon de Europa is a palm-fringed promontory that reaches out over the sea looking towards Africa, providing a vantage point from which to survey the coastline, not to mention the local population promenading each evening for el paseo. The streets meander through Nerjas pedestrian old town bustling cheerfully with cafés, restaurants, shops and lively bars. Lazy days can be enjoyed on long sandy beaches lying at the foot of dramatic rocky cliffs and bordered by bars and restaurants or on more secluded sandy coves. Playa Burriana, just outside the town centre is the largest and most popular beach, with its rocky cliffs falling abruptly down to the sand. The astounding prehistoric caves - the Cuevas de Nerja near Maro, with their Neolithic art and more grizzly recent remains, are well worth visiting. For those interested in music and dance, the vibrant annual fiesta takes place in early October. Flamenco is sometimes performed in the bars in Nerja and Frigiliana has its own award winning troupe. Inland from Nerja lie mountains with impressive scenic roads snaking past whitewashed villages perched precariously on Mediterranean hillsides. Here nature lovers and walkers can discover some sensational national parks and a little touched environment. Nerja is only an hour or two away from some of Spain's greatest and most awe-inspiring treasures; the rocky fortress town of Ronda, and the Moorish splendours of Granada, Seville and Córdoba.

7 Sights The huge caves of Nerja with the world's longest known stalactites. Pretty inland villages of Frigiliana, Mijas, Competa and Benahavis and many more. Central Malaga for shopping and the sights of the old parts of town, including the castle, Cathedral and Picassos birth place and Museum. The ancient town of Antequera. The impressive city of Cordoba. The town and gorge of Ronda with its ancient bridge and bullring . The Alhambra Palace and city of Granada. Sports facilities Tennis courts are available at the Parador in Nerja and at the Tennis Club de Andaluz on the road out of Nerja towards Almunecar. These must be booked in advance. Golf courses are plentiful on the south coast of Spain and there are several within a reasonable distance. Riding stables offering horses for hire are located on the road from Nerja and trekking may be possible depending on availability. Swimming The houses in the Molineta complex all have their own beautifully landscaped pools for private use except for La Cuadra which has a plunge pool and La Casita. The Parador in Nerja has another pool and there is a municipal pool in Frigiliana. The latter two pools are only open in season. Nerja has a variety of lovely beaches and a naturist one also. The largest, cleanest and most popular is the Burriana beach which has a wide range of beach restaurants and shops. For the more adventurous, there are coves below the Almunecar road that are delightful, although some are more difficult to get down to. Water Sports In season, the beaches in the area offer a full range of water sports such as sailing, wind surfing, water skiing, aqua gliding, banana boating, pedalos etc. Some offer tuition. Hiking The mountains around the Molineta are part of the national park of the Alpujarras and offer superb opportunities for walking cross country and there are also countless dirt tracks leading off into the wilderness for the less intrepid. Good detailed maps of the area are available including some giving details of particular walks of outstanding natural beauty. Skiing The main ski resort is Sierra Nevada near Granada about one and a half hours drive away and getting closer with an extending motorway! VIEWING Strictly by appointment with the Agents