Beauty

• A massage in your villa A full Thai massage with the very talented Ratcha. Wonderful. (Tel. 952874558/628617970)

Other ideas

• Great drive to El Burgo and Serrato Spectacular road through parque natural.
• Have a day out in Antequera Another beautiful and historical town around an hour from Ronda. (Can be combined with item 14).
• Visit some of the numerous museums in Ronda or the Arabic baths Many of which are only 2/3euros to enter.
• Another fantastic drive, along the lake-side to beautiful Zahara Stop for coffee and tapas and enjoy the views. Make it a round trip by taking the mountain road to glorious Grazalema, returning to Ronda through the cork oak forest.
• We are extremely lucky to be surrounded by some of the best vineyards and bodegas Perhaps a tour and wine-tasting at Chincilla (Bodega Dona Felisa Tel. 951166033) or Bodega Joaquin Fernandez (Tel. 951166043) . Please also note that good red wine is to be found at the bottom of the Estate drive. About 200 yards on the right once you have passed under the bridge.
• Spend a few hours in Setenil One of the `White Villages`, but, like no other! Less than half an hour from the Estate. Many of the houses, ventas and restaurants are built beneath the over-hanging rocks!
• A small single track railway passes near the property (hardly used) which can take you on a spectacular scenic route south to Algeciras and Soto Grande through fabulous mountain passes (featured on Michael Portillo's Great Continental Railway Journeys)
• Shopping for shoes? Opposite the Restaurante Panaramico and just a few doors down to the right on the main shopping street is a great shoe shop.

In addition to the recommendations above, please ask Lawrence/Terri or visit the Tourist Information office in Ronda. They can give you further info about visits to Bull Farms, The White Villages, ferias and other fiestas.

This ancient hill town straddles the extraordinary Tajo, a narrow gorge that plunges to a depth of more than 150 metres. Phoenicians, Celts, Romans and Arabs all passed through this area which was eventually reconquered from the Moors by the Catholic Monarchs.

The oldest part of the town, the original citadel fortress of the Moors, lies to the east of gorge, a labyrinth of winding streets with ancient mansion houses, churches and enchanting little squares. There are breathtaking vistas from many of the bars and restaurants out across the gorge to the surrounding mountains. The newer part of the town began to grow when the famous Ronda bridge was completed at the end of the 19th century. This is a bustling area of small shops, bars and restaurants and the site of Andalucia’s most famous plaza de toros.

To the east of the town is the pristine Sierra de la Nieves natural park, recently declared a Unesco Biosphere Reserve and just ten minutes to the west is the Grazalema natural park, home to some of the most diverse flora and fauna in Spain.

A series of traditional ‘Pueblos Blancos’ (white villages) are all within easy driving distance. The walking trails and birdwatching in the Serranía de Ronda are amongst the best in Europe.

The golden sand beaches of the Costa del Sol are as close as 45 minutes drive from Ronda, perfect for enjoying the sun without the noise and crowded restaurants of areas filled with package holiday makers.

Marbella's beautiful Casco Antigua (old town) is only an hour away and well worth taking a day trip to see. The world class shopping and museums of Marbella and Puerto Banus are easily reached, as is the marina where where some of the world's best known celebrities spend their summers.

Málaga and the Picasso Museum, the historic Alcazabar, and the biggest shopping district in the province are a little more than an hour away, though almost everyone agrees the bullring in Ronda, or the Roman ampitheatre at Acinipo are more impressive than in Málaga. Plan to spend a day in Málaga.

Of course no visit to Andalusia would be complete without taking a day trip to Granada, home of the World Heritage listed Alhambra, the palace of the Moorish Caliphs of Al-Andalus from the 12th century until the Christian reconquest in 1492. Trains from Ronda are the most relaxing form of transport to Granada, and you can even buy your entry pass to the Alhambra in Ronda, saving you time and hassle.

Córdoba and the Mezquite, the Mosque turned Cathedral with its gorgeous pink and white marble colonnades is also within easy reach of Finca Maridadi, you'll be able to enjoy seeing the cathedral, Córdoba's old town, and enjoy a wonderful lunch or dinner and still have time to return for night caps on your terrace.

Last but not least, we cannot forget Sevilla and her cathedral, the third largest in the world and the largest gothic church in the world, or the history associated with Andalucía's capital city, and formerly the capital of Spain during the days of the Spanish Empire.