Family holiday review: a self catering villa in Andalucía, Spain

Carol Hewit and her husband Ron, had a relaxing week’s self-catering in a luxury villa near Mojacar in southern Spain with their children Murray, 4, and Rosie, 8.

“Ron and I wanted to go somewhere rural and quiet, but we didn’t want the kids to be bored. Casa Santiburi was perfect, being both a peaceful retreat with private pool amid stunning scenery, and just a short drive from a lively beach resort with loads of entertainment options.

Moorish delights

Perched high up in the Sierra Cabrera mountains, Casa Santiburi is part of a development of Cortijo Cabrera. The villas have been built in the Moorish architectural style but are only 10 years old so they’ve got all mod cons. Ours had en-suite bathrooms, double-glazing, Sky TV, air-con, dishwasher and a fab double cooker that made self-catering more of a joy than a chore. We also had plush, furnished balconies, a terrace and garden with amazing views of the valleys and mountains beyond.

We arrived quite tired after flying from Luton to Murcia and then driving for two hours (though you can fly to Almeria, which is only 45 mins away), so we were grateful to the owner Margaret for greeting us, showing us around and leaving a welcome pack that included supper! The villa was homely and full of games, toys and DVDS, and Margaret made sure we had everything we needed, like stairgates, linen, etc, and she provides cots and highchairs, too.

Hollywood calling

There was no time for the kids to get bored, as when they weren’t playing in the pool, there were activities in Cabrera, from horse riding to kids arts and craft sessions. A top day out was to Mini Hollywood, in the desert landscape of Tabernas. It’s got a zoo and Wild West shows and is where the spaghetti westerns and an Indiana Jones movie were filmed. There’s also a water park at Vera, caves in Sorbas and the gorgeous beaches of Mojacar, a 20-minute drive away. One of the kids’ favourite treats though was staying up late, lying by the pool and watching shooting stars.”