Enjoy quality time socialising together with your family or friends in the comfort of this privately owned, spacious, 3-bedroom, village home. It is the perfect place to unwind, relax and recharge. There is a choice of areas to enjoy quality time together, either in the living room, patio or up on the roof terrace, but also enough room to spread out. Even with 5 people staying, you will not feel crowded.
Although old, the house has been thoughtfully updated, decorated and fully-equipped to provide a holiday 'home from home', whilst maintaining it's traditional spirit. The hosts truly have tried to make your stay comfortable.
The modern, fully-equipped kitchen, 2 bathrooms, large patio courtyard and roof terrace make sharing this space with friends and family a pleasure.
A favourite with everyone, is the big, private patio courtyard, with its traditional wood or charcoal fired BBQ. It is attractively decorated with plants and other items and is where you will probably spend most of your time. The patio has a large dining table and chairs as well as a separate comfortable seating area for 5 people. You can therefore cook and have dinner outside, and then relax together with a drink or two. It is the perfect place to unwind and socialise after a busy day. Also, you don't have to worry about children or pets wandering off, because the patio is completely secure.
The roof terrace is accessed by metal stairs from the patio and is the only area not on the ground floor. It is furnished with another large dining table and chairs, plus two sun loungers. From here you can enjoy a morning coffee and watch the sunrise over the village roof tops and hills, relax and sunbathe with a favourite book, or in the evening breeze with a sun-downer drink.
The owners have thoughtfully tried to provide everything you need for your holiday; not only is the kitchen equipped for you to cook and dine at home, but items such as kitchen paper, dishwasher tablets and washing up liquid etc are provided, as are both bath and beach towels, and a large paella pan and BBQ equipment.
If you are travelling with young children or pets, or plan to work from home, please contact the owner who can provide extra equipment to help make your stay comfortable. (For example, among other things, a high chair and travel cot, a dog bed, food bowls, cat litter tray and blankets, or a basic desk can be provided on request).
As for the location, the house is positioned in the historical heart of Castello de Rugat. Castello is a small, friendly town nestled between mountain and hills and picturesque countryside. It is a quiet, rural location, yet it is conveniently located very close to the excellent and picturesque CV60 road. It is just 30 minutes inland from the large coastal resort of Gandia.
Whilst only small, the town has all the essential amenities you should need. Just a short walk from the house there is a selection of supermarkets, a pharmacy, a few shops, a bakery, a couple of bars, restaurants and food takeaway places, as well as free parking on the surrounding streets. The larger nearby towns of Gandia, Oliva and Xativa offer a wide selection of shops, restaurants and amenities.
The location is excellent for people looking for an active holiday, especially walkers and cyclists. The town is surrounded by beautiful countryside and quaint little villages. You can even walk up to the summit of the Benicadell mountain straight from the house.
It is also a great base for those who want to explore all that this very affordable area of Spain has to offer. Especially if you wish to visit the busier towns and coastal areas but also to spend some days relaxing away from the crowds.
There are stunning soft sandy beaches, busy coastal resorts, historical Xativa and Gandia, and gorgeous Valencia all within a 30 to 60-minute drive.
There truly is something to please everyone in the area, with castles and museums, river & lake swimming, hiking and climbing, cycling, bird-watching, go-karting, bodegas, local street markets, and of course eating out in the very affordable cafes and restaurants of the area.
For summer guests, there is a large open air swimming pool at the local sports centre on the edge of the village which opens from mid-June to early September. It is a great place to cool off after a busy day. Scattered around the town are areas with free-to-use gym equipment. Plus, if you enjoy playing padel tennis the village has its own court, with views to the Benicadell mountains behind. Just bring your sports kit and padel racket. The hosts can help you book the court.
For beach lovers, there is no need to limit yourself to one beach, you can sample several! Within a 30-minute, easy drive you will find the 7 kms of glorious, blue flag, soft sandy beaches of Gandia, and also the sand-dunes, wilderness and space of lesser-known local beaches such as at Oliva and Daimus. During summer you can have paddle board, surfing and kite boarding lessons.
A must visit is the beautiful city of Valencia, just one hour north, with its’ iconic futuristic City of Arts & Science, Cathedral, museums, and indoor market. The Science Museum, Animal Park, and L'Oceanografic Aquarium are all big favourites of previous guests. For those that prefer not to drive into the city, you can catch a train from Xeraco, Gandia or Xativa straight into the heart of Valencia.
Alicante, Altea, Javea & Benidorm and other popular coastal resorts are within easy reach. This means you can visit and take advantage of their theme parks, water parks, and other tourist activities but escape the crowds, and expense, by returning to your comfortable home from home afterwards.
The thick walls and shutters of the house mean that it usually stays cool in summer, without the need for environmentally damaging air-conditioning. This means if the outside heat gets too much you can escape to the living and dining room, with its Smart TV and stereo. (Just remember to close all of the windows, doors and blinds during the day to keep the heat out).
For chilly winter nights there is an easy to operate pellet fire which quickly warms the house, and additional electrical heaters for the bedrooms and bathroom.
The modern, spacious kitchen is well equipped and opens out onto both the patio, and to the inside dining area, making it easy to prepare, cook and eat at home.
Main features:
- 3 comfortable bedrooms, sleeping up to 5 people.
- Well equipped, modern kitchen with dishwasher and large fridge/freezer
- Modern bathroom which has a bath with an overhead shower and twin sinks
- Additional shower room accessed through the patio
- A gas fired boiler supplies plenty of hot water
- Partly covered outside area plus a roof terrace with sun loungers
- Washing machine and clothes lines (situated at the back of the patio)
- Black out shutters on the bedroom windows
- Insect nets on the bedroom & bathroom windows
- free Wi-Fi
- a Smart TV, Small Bluetooth stereo and DVD
- The traditional, thick walls help the house to stay cool in summer
- The patio is completely secure making it great for children and dogs, and the ideal place to store bicycles,
- All the living accommodation is located on the ground floor
- The roof terrace is accessed from external stairs from the patio - a stair gate can be provided if you have young children - please request this before arrival if required
- A high chair, travel cost and other baby equipment can be provided - please request this before arrival
- The covered area of the patio means you can relax outside regardless of the weather
- If you wish to work from the house, and aren't using the single bedroom, we can set up a desk and office chair in there to give you a dedicated workspace just please ask at the time of booking.
- The owners live a few streets away and are available to help with any questions or problems
IMPORTANT: FIESTAS & OTHER CELEBRATIONS
Whilst this small town is normally a quiet sleepy place, this changes during fiesta time, particularly during the main fiestas in mid-August and early December, but also for other occasions such as Easter and the Saint Antonio fiesta in the middle of January. During these events there can be fireworks, parades, parties, outside discos, additional church bells and other somewhat noisy celebrations, some of which go on well into the night. If peace and quiet is important to you please check the dates of these fiestas before booking. Alternatively, if you want to experience the enthusiasm and wonderful sense of community and tradition of Spain, fiesta time might be the perfect time to visit.
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
To comply with new legislation, reservations equal to or less than 10 nights will be considered tourist rentals and covered by a Tourism contract.
Reservations/stays of more than 10 nights, will be considered a seasonal rental in accordance with Decree Law 9/2024 of the Generalita Valencia, and you must sign a seasonal rental contract with the owner of the house.
Also, it is a legal requirement that all guests must show their passport, or official identification card, and complete a registration form before at at check-in. Failure to do so will result in cancellation of the booking and no refund will be issued.