Our roadtrip around Andalucia has introduced us to some incredible places, and definitely places we probably wouldn’t have otherwise discovered, if we hadn’t been “in between homes”. One such place which will stay in our memories for a very long time, is a hotel in an 11th century castle, in Castellar de la Frontera. We wanted to have a night somewhere remote, and away from it all, with a restaurant so the decision making about dinner was out of our hands, and we could just relax. And this is exactly what we found. Although not so remote, that we couldn’t see the imposing Rock of Gibraltar in the distance…
Hotel Tugasa Castillo de Castellar has a real privileged hillside setting in a Medieval walled enclosure, set around an ancient fortress in the Andalusian countryside. It really is an authentic Spanish castle, surrounded by the wonderful scenery of the Alcornocales Nature Park, and sitting high over a well-preserved village of characteristic, whitewashed houses, giving it a peaceful atmosphere in which you can really relax. The small car park is situated under the castle, and it’s necessary to do the last 300 metres or so on foot. (Although I think if you are laden with luggage, the hotel will assist). It’s worth noting that the access road is a cobbled one, which is quite steep and winding, and so if mobility is an issue it might be worth phoning ahead to see what assistance is available. However, there are plenty of stopping points, where you can catch your breath – and the views are stupendous!
This is not a Disney-fied hotel, made to look medieval – it is the real deal. Restored very sympathetically, original features are in abundance. The wooden furniture feels authentic – in other settings, I’d probably think it was a bit old fashioned and uncomfortable looking, but in this castle setting, it was perfect. Thick, thick stone walls, huge wooden doors, tiny windows (obviously with defence being the first thing in mind, when the castle was constructed) and beautiful original tiled and mosaiced floors were all present. The phrase “stepping back into history” is a bit overused, but this really, really was stepping back into the past.
Somehow, and we’re not sure how, we managed to be allocated the “Turret Room”, and this was a real treat. I thought we had booked a double room, which it was – but a whole lot more too. Being the turret room, it was located right at the top of the castle, so again, anyone with real mobility issues, just be aware if you ever find yourself here. There is a lift, but it only goes to the first floor, so the rest of the way is winding corridors and stairs – but it’s worth effort when you get there. The actual bedroom itself, was huge, with a wrought iron four poster bed and a large bathroom. But leading off from the bedroom, was another corridor, and further stairs which opened out into a large room area, and then up further to another large bedroom and second bathroom. And, it didn’t end there. Up another set of stairs and you are on your own roof terrace, right at the top of the turret, with the most astonishing views across to the mountains and down to the Bay of Cadiz, and overlooking the beautiful Guadarranque reservoir.
Dinner is served in the hotel restaurant, although it’s not served actually IN the hotel. One of the whitewashed houses in the very, very pretty village which lies at just outside the entrance to the castle, is the restaurant. This enables you to really experience the village, rather than staying in the castle – as spectacular as that would be, it was lovely to explore and to realise that lots of the beautiful houses are actually accommodation, too. However, this village has been renovated and restored so well, that it really feels like an authentic Andalucian pueblo blanco. There really isn’t a hint of over-tourism or over commercialisation. It really reminded me of the albergo diffuso concept in Italy – a form of hotel where guest rooms are spread out in various buildings within a small town or community, generally of historical significance. The concept was launched in Italy in the early 1980s as a means of reviving small, historic Italian villages and town centres off the usual tourist track. The term is translated into English as “dispersed hotel”, “scattered hotel” or “virtual hotel”. It has to conform to the following conditions, which is how this castle concept seems to operate –
- Run directly by an individual owner and providing normal hotel services;
- Rooms distributed in existing converted buildings in historic centres;
- Central reception area with food available;
- Part of a genuine community so that guests can be part of local life.
Dinner was amazing – and sadly, so good that I failed to take many photos as we were too busy enjoying the meal. However, my fish main course, with black rice and asparagus was pretty stand out and I managed to capture this before devouring it…
The village itself is absolutely picture-perfect and I am so glad, on our short stay, we were forced to leave the hotel, because might otherwise not have seen it. It’s pretty much everything you’d expect of an Andalucian village – white houses, tiled roofs, tumbling plants, colourful flowers, cobbled streets. Just gorgeous.
We had a one night stay at the castle, and it probably was just the right length of stay. Unless you are going to head out and hike in the surrounding countryside, an evening of relaxing on your terrace and then going out for dinner, with a wander around the village, is probably all you’ll need to do, especially if you just want a night of peace, quiet and calm. Leaving the hotel, we took the opportunity to savour the views on the way back down and to appreciate the remote location. A very special place, which we are delighted to have found.
