The House
La Golondrina was built in traditional style in 2006, on the site of an old ruined home, parts of which have been retained in the new building. There are three bedrooms (two doubles and a single), two bathrooms, and on the top floor, a big open plan area with kitchen, breakfast bar, dining and living areas, a wood-burning fire and French doors leading onto the roof terrace. The views across the village and the valley beyond are magnificent. Only very small vehicles can negotiate our street, Calle Altillo, so you will have to park on the main street and walk to the house.
The Village of Juviles
About two hundred people live permanently in Juviles, and the only regular traffic we get along our narrow lane is a couple of mules and a small flock of goats passing by on the way to pasture. Although it is very quiet for most of the year, Juviles has three bars - all of which serve tapas and meals - a pharmacy, a bank, a small supermarket, and a new village swimming pool which is open during the summer months. There's also a little gym in the village, and a tiny library, which offers free access to PCs with broadband. Nowhere in the village is more than five minutes walk from our house. There are some interesting sites in and around Juviles, including the sixteenth-century village church and the remains of a Moorish fortress, but the main attraction is the lovely countryside and its rich flora and fauna. The GR7 walking route passes right through the village, and there are hundreds of excellent day walks around and about. Above the village there is some more serious climbing and hill-walking country in the Sierra Nevada itself. The bigger villages of Trevelez and Berchules are a few minutes away by car and the town of Cadiar, where you will find all main services and a sizeable English-speaking community, is twenty minutes.
The Alpujarras
The area is studded with white-washed villages featuring the characteristic architecture that has hardly changed since the Muslims were expelled in the 16th century. This really is an unspoiled corner of Spain, and few local people speak any English. Granada province is one of the last places in Spain where tapas are generally still given free, and in the bars here you will often get quite substantial free food when you order beer or wine. The nearest airports to the Alpujarra are Granada (flights from London, Liverpool, Nottingham, Milan, Frankfurt, Madrid, Barcelona) and Almeria (flights from London, Manchester, Munich and Dusseldorf, amongst others). Each is less than ninety minutes away. Malaga airport has many more services and is about 3 hours away (the new motorway should lessen this journey time considerably). Airports at Murcia, Seville, Jerez and Gibraltar (each around 5 hours) are not out of the question if you get a good flight deal. At this altitude it can get very cold in winter, but Spring comes early, and for most of the year you can expect bright sunshine, hot days and warm nights.