Property Details

The Magic Torcal Townhouse is an exceptional offer for families and all sports enthusiasts! This is a well-maintained home with onsite owners in the tranquil Old Town next to the Castle of Antequera (AQ), near the unique Magic Torcal Nature Reserve and the most famous climbing/hiking/gliding area in Andalusia. AQ is located in a high plateau 40 minutes north of Malaga airport, a peaceful green area of rolling hills, lakes & lagoons, with a mild fresh non humid microclimate the year around, ideal for town+country holidays. Antequera is an elegant city of art, music and culture - it has the highest number of historic-artistic monuments per inhabitant in the whole of Spain.
The newly rebuilt, well-equipped townhouse is cosy in winter and cool in summer. It is furnished as a home, with a new kitchen, bath & wc, full air-conditioning & heating, 2 extra roof windows, a washing machine, and ADSL WiFi. It sleeps 4 adults and 1-2 children in 2 double bedrooms plus a semi-enclosed sleeping niche, in a low-insect, low allergen environment (see photo 3). The dining room has plants and a glass roof for sunny dining. Our sun & shade roof terraces with an electic kettle & fridge (a babypool in summer) have the best view in AQ (see main photo).
We provide expert babysitting facilities and welcome all variations of sport holidays and family holidays - single parents, families of three generations, 2nd-time-around honeymooners with children, pregnant mothers with small children. This is also a convenient, carefree, very safe location for longer lets with babies, children & older visitors, even in mid-summer, and can be enjoyed with or without a hire car!
There are 3 neighbourhood (municipal) in- & outdoor pools and several private pools within 10 minutes; no pool on-site. AQ is baby & childfriendly, uncrowded, ideal for family, town & country or sport holidays in any season, away from tour groups but with all the advantages of town. Our winter warmth excursion strategies for young & old have been well tested over the last 28 years.
The Magic Torcal Townhouse lies in cobblestoned street looking directly at the Torcal Mountain skyline but close to pubs, ancient monuments, fountains, tennis, sports, dining al fresco etc. There is free parking at the door on a level street and bus service every 30 minutes.
Only a 3 min walk from the nearest pub & restaurant, the 13th Century Moorish Castle, the Giant´s Gate, Cathedral Plaza, Medieval Museum & Roman Baths & Fountain. 10 min to municipal & private in- & outdoor pools, shops, playgrounds, 4 spas, and a special offer of golf by night!
AQ town is good value for money: clean, well lit, with varied nightlife but safe & secure at any age. Without traffic jams or tollroads, it has more reasonable prices, friendlier people, better air & a considerably less humid climate than the Costa del Sol. Since 90% of the ecological agriculture in Malaga Province is located in the plains in front of the town, it has become a center of research on preserving the ecology of the ancient Mediterranean basin.
There are no extra charges for help from the 28-year-resident onsite owners with organizing excursions, with tickets to the Alhambra Palaces & Gardens, etc (see www.magictorcal.com). Linen & towels, books & games, travel info in English/French/German are provided; for late & Sunday arrivals we offer basic shopping in advance at cost. B&B rates are available on request.

Local Area Details

Antequera (AQ) has been called the "crossroads of Andalucia" since Roman times. It is currently rated the 7th best location in the whole of Spain for travel & infrastructure connections. It lies directly on the famous GR7 green EU footpath for offroad biking, riding, & walking from Tarifa in the Straits of Gibraltar all along the Med to Athens.
A car is generally unnecessary though useful for some excursions. According to the Andalusian Tourist Board, 80 percent of visitors to the Costa del Sol take at least one excursion to relax and experience the many attractions of the Inland Med.
Those who prefer inland accommodation choose to live in a restful manner whilst taking advantage of rapid lowpriced access by car, shuttlebus & train to the coastal world of beaches. shopping, dining, clubs, themeparks, aquariums, zoos etc.
Available onsite are a transport service, daily cleaning, an experienced babysitting multilingual "granny", mother&baby water exercises summer and winter, and a qualified tutor for reading, sciences & maths.
Resident artists also hold certificated weekly courses onsite summer and winter in English - DVD filming with imaging & sound, painting, photography, drumming, flamenco drumming & guitar and writing.
The meeting point of the provinces of Malaga, Seville, Cordoba, & Granada that is called the "4 Corners" starts from AQ northwards, with the borders to the other three provinces only 20 to 30 minutes away. This entire district is known for its wide range of sport activities, its traditional culture, its hospitality & its natural beauty, as well as for the still unspoiled ecology.
AQ is very convenient for walks or for the motorway, bus, & train to Ronda, Seville, Cordoba, & Granada, to the coast or the lake district beaches, with canoe, pedalo, windsurfing, sailing etc. There is a rapid shuttle service to nearby Med beaches in summer and a 70 min very scenic bus ride to the Sierra Nevada ski resorts, which are also wonderful in summer for hiking, birding, photography etc.
The Magic Torcal Townhouse is 10 mins from the championship golf course. Also 10 mins from 2 special nature parks which are unique in Europe - the Nature Reserve and the nearby Wolf Park Refuge, with its extensive Petting Zoo & Stables and wolves & their pups from 5 countries.
The Magic Torcal Nature Reserve is a listed EU Mediterranean Area of Natural Value due to its ancient undersea fossils and its unique habitat. It features no-charge unlimited entry to 17 sq km of guided & unguided walking, hiking, trekking, climbing & picnic trails - with 116 types of fauna and 664 types of flora - eagles, falcons, owls, other birds, mountain goats, Iberian wildcats & foxes, 30 types of orchids. These fascinating ancient limestone landscapes of tunnels, caverns and faces - from bizarre individual shapes to citylike group forms up to 1400 m high - were formed over many centuries by wind and water, see photo. There are splendid views south to the Med and all the way to North Africa on summer days. A wonderful way to teach children & adolescents about ecology whilst on summer or winter holidays!
The uncrowded 18 hole champion course AQ Golf (see photo) has lakes, ferns, 1600 flowering fruit trees, with green fees only half those of the Costa del Sol. 9 holes is only 30 euros, 18 holes is 40 euros. AQ Golf has English-speaking personnel, expert tuition on all levels, a clubhouse with an excellent restaurant, a pro shop, full equipment hire, practice courses, and putting & chipping greens. The Magic Torcal Townhouse features a year-round golf transport service and golf discount for all our guests.
Within a 20 to 30 min drive are the following summer and winter activities: Trout & other fishing in Riofrio. Beautiful Lake Iznajar (see photo). Hang gliding in the flight capital of Andalusia. Windsurfing, sailing, canoeing & other water sports in the nearby Lake District. Biking on offroad, quad, or motor bikes, or by snow buggy in the winter resorts. Rock climbing & cave walking next to the dramatic underground lakes near the famous El Chorro Gorge (see photo). Visiting the Donkey Sanctuary and the Pink Lagoon, the largest natural lake in Andalusia with its 40,000 nesting flamingos. Bathing in the old Roman hot springs spa near Carratraca. Riding "relaxed-style" at the Rancho Azul Stables on their champion American quarterhorses
To all local area destinations, taxi fees are only 5 EU per ride, with additional discounts if booked weekly. In AQ taxis are a reasonable option for guests who prefer not to drive. Distances: 5 min to the motorway on good roads, 25 min to the lakes, 50 min to Granada, 60 min to Cordoba & Marbella, 80 min to Ronda, 2 hrs west to the Atlantic coast or south to Gibraltar.
There are weeklong festivals seven times a year - Carnival, Easter week, the Jazz festival in May, several Blues festivals in the summer season, the AQ City Fair in August, & Christmas/New Year.
Flamenco drumming, guitar & dance can be enjoyed the year around. The spectacular 4500 yr old underground chambers, the 20,000 yr old cave paintings, & the parks, museums, etc all have no-charge unlimited entry.
We prefer couples and families, and 3 to 4 week lets in July & August. Along with a variety of discounts for longer lets, we offer special 20 percent discounts in July and August for stays of 10 days or more.
On booking we send our guests a proper written rental agreement, a map, and full arrival instructions: B&B rates upon request.
Please send for an email brochure to explore the various special interest holidays - children´s holidays, nature & sports, walking, water, aerial sports, birding, photography, history & archeology, geology, music, health & beauty, etc - that are available in this unusual "white town" of the Inland Med.
While only 40 minutes from coastal entertainments, tour groups and crowds, the Magic Torcal Townhouse in Antequera is a world away. After an exciting day out, guests come home to peace & quiet. Please ask us for any additional info or for more jpg photos.

Additional Information

About Weather/Climate/Temperature

Sunny Winter Warmth - sit back & relax in the sun or go climbing, hiking, trekking, visiting cities & towns, skiing etc in mild non-humid weather - enjoy the nearby El Chorro subtropical area. How to stay cool in summer for young and old: Get up relatively early and breakfast on the shaded terrace while looking at the mountains, then go walking in the nearby Magic Torcal Nature Reserve which has a no charge 24 hr admission policy and is min. 10 degrees cooler than elsewhere, or lie on the grass and swim in their pool (see photo 2). Stay indoors with a cold lunch while the children splash in the baby pool on the terrace, take a long siesta, then stroll through the town and have dinner al fresco under the stars. If the children should happen to fall asleep, it is a short, well lit walk home.

About Ferries

Many visitors like to take advantage of their trip to Antequera by seeing a bit of North Africa. Driving to Tarifa (approx. 2-2.5 hrs), and taking a day trip on the 30 min. ferry to Tangiers with a city guide is a pleasant and safe way to have an unusual and well-priced holiday experience.

About Transport

15 car hire companies are available in the airports. Antequera is also accessible by bus (50 min. ) and taxi (€50 from Malaga airport, €70 from Granada airport). Trains are available northwards to Cordoba and Madrid (fast train 1 day return 2 1/2 hrs.), westwards to Seville (1 hr. by fast train), eastwards to Granada, and to local stops in between. There is an 80 min very scenic train route westwards to romantic Ronda which takes twice as long to drive and has major parking problems in summer. (The new fast train southwards towards Malaga that will eventually connect to the city metro is nearing completion.) Malaga features museums, shopping and Mediterranean dining al fresco. Ronda is very romantic and Cordoba has a quite striking mosque; their picturesque city centres are easily accessible on foot. Granada is world famous for the Alhambra Palaces, the extensive Generalife Gardens, the Moorish street bazaars and the mysterious grottos for flamenco music and dance. Seville has an immense glittering baroque Cathedral, an Old Town and the tomb of Christopher Columbus. The Atlantic coast 2 hours away, has whalewatching, good beaches & excellent windsurfing. Gibraltar, also 2 hours away, is a shoppers´ paradise with very clever apes and outstanding views of North Africa.

About Beaches

There is a regular 30 min. shuttlebus to coastal beaches in summer. The beach at Lake Iznájar (see photo) and the coast of Malaga are 30 & 40 mins. away, & offer a variety of watersports, fishing, sailing, whalewatching etc. Within 30 mins. drive to the east are troutfishing rivers. 30 mins. to the west are the lakes of Guadalhorce & Chorro, & the beach at Ardeles whose vivid unspoiled gorges & freshwater swimming with glimpses of the glistening Med to the south are great favorites. The nearby lake beaches have waterside access and pedalo & canoe rentals. In Antequera there are also 2 year round communal indoor pools & many outdoor pools June-Oct.

About General Entertainment

In the Antequera area, visitors can use their holidays to recuperate in a relaxed manner from chronic discomfort or from on-going injuries due to sports or accidents. In addition to the nearby hot springs, there are 4 spas in AQ. There is a growing tendency for doctors & high-level rehabilitation professionals from northern Europe to move to the Inland Costa del Sol with their families and their practices. Guests can also benefit from the support of one of the qualified international teams that serve the nearby coastal clinics, for example, the new Wildman-Chard Health and Beauty Clinic in Rincon Victória. Please let us know if you wish any additional information about a Health, Spa or Cosmetic Intensive.

About Golfing

The superb new 18-hole year-round Mediterranean hill course designed by Champion José Cañizares is just 10 mins. from the townhouse (see photo). Its facilities include a well-appointed clubhouse, golf bag/trolley/buggy hire, a cafe/bar, meeting & entertainment rooms open to visitors. The course has well-priced expert tuition for beginners, intermediate & advanced players, & features a rooftop putting green/solarium in winter and illuminated golf by night in summer. This is an exceptionally beautiful course with 14 lakes & water hazards, fountains, bridges, rock gardens, many trees - almond, lemon, orange, carob, olive, oleander & cypress trees, holm & kermes oaks - fragrant borders of lavender, rosemary & roses and southern ferns, palms & firs. In the local tradition of hospitality, over 1600 flowering fruit trees of 10 types - apricot, peach, nectarine, apple, pear, cherry, fig & pomegranate trees - have been planted next to the links so that golfers may enjoy the delicious fruit during their games. (Adjacent properties are still available at reasonable prices.) Golf-Med Intensives held by experienced profis at different proficiency levels can be booked with the townhouse. An innovative multi-media DVD process helps golfers discover their top form & provides them with a unique souvenir. Please request additional info in English, German or Swedish on an individually tailored Golf Intensive.

About Skiing

The Sierra Nevada ski station Sol y Nieve in Pradollano is 70 mins. away, with excellent motorway links and regular same day shuttle bus service. It offers skiing, night skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, sledding, snow buggies, family sleigh rides with huskies, and ice skating from November to March with 79 runs covering 84 km: 8 green, 33 blue, 34 red, and 4 black runs. In summer it is also a favourite protected spot for walking, birdwatching, photography, climbing, picnics, etc.

About Parks

The Magic Torcal Nature Park is the most outstanding European nature reserve of its type, with 116 types of fauna and 664 types of flora, 17 sq. km of intRicate & unusual limestone formations, some delicate and some many stories high. It is filled with salamanders & unusual lizards, with almond, chapparal, carob, oaks, hawthorn, maple & olive trees, climbing plants, countless berry bushes & succulents, and with 14 types of wild peonies, gladiolis, iris & 30 kinds of orchids. The park has open visiting hours and charges no entry fees. Pleasantly warm during the day in winter, it also remains cool and fresh during the entire summer, except in the mid-day hours.

About Children Activities

There is a wide range of on site summer and winter courses for children. The courses range from music, including drumming, to sports & coordination activities, to fully qualified professional tutoring in a "fun" setting for remedial reading, languages, maths & sciences. There are also children´s courses to remedy shyness & poor body image, as well as practical, easily-learned mother-baby exercises for colic, sleeping difficulties, prolonged crying, poor muscular development, obesity, etc.

About Family Activities

The unique European Wolf Park which provides a refuge for wolves from 5 countries & their pups (!) includes an excellent Petting Zoo & riding stables, with multi-lingual young people from all over Europe as child-friendly guides who demonstrate the habits and needs of a wide variety of animals. The wolves themselves are not for petting, but their pups are wonderful to watch. A great favourite with families. The owner-trainer of the Rancho Azúl Stables was the UK Amateur Champion in 2002/03 and offers beginning & intermediate western-style riding lessons on champion American quarterhorses. She specializes in relaxed "natural horsemanship" in a safe & family-friendly environment among tranquil almond & olive groves.

About Local Restaurants

In Antequera, you can savour a relaxed Inland Mediterranean ambiente away from tour groups and create an individual balance of town & country leisure activities. Here in Inland Malaga you can find a peaceful, an athletic, a gourmet, or an exciting holiday combination with fresh, mild weather & reasonable prices. A wide range of bars, pubs, cafes & restaurants offers Italian, Asian & Indian cuisine, authentic Spanish “Tapas”, British specialties & vegeterian selections. We particularly recommend El Escribaño, 2 mins. walk away, and San Francisco 10 mins. away.

About History

Antequera is a very historic town. With its 30 monuments, it has the highest rate of artistic-historic monuments per inhabitant in Spain! In the sunny Cathedral plaza 3 min walk away are the Arabic Castle with its Watchtowers & the AQ Medieval Crafts Museum which shows the rehabilitation techniques used for the medieval mosaics, frescos, and the ancient city wall. The AQ Craft School trains apprentices in this type of rehab for the whole of Andalusia. This main plaza reserved for pedestrians also features pubbing or dining al fresco with a panoramic view which overlooks the streambed & the old Roman baths. It directly faces the surrounding mountains & the majestic “Indian” cliff profile looking into the sky that is Antequera´s oldest landmark (see main photo). This cliff profile so impressed the Megalithic cavedwellers that they settled at its foot and painted it on their cave walls over 20,000 years ago. Nearby are a series of very impressive underground chambers called Dolmens built for ceremonial purposes 5,000 years ago which visitors may tour at no charge. There are fascinating workshops for children to demonstrate to them the ancient techniques used to construct the Megalithic Dolmens.

About Shopping

Antequera is a quiet but quite sophisticated town of 45,000 inhabitants, so there are many shops of different types, which are generally open from 10 am to 2 pm, and 5 pm to 8 pm. The prize-winning local herbs or olive oil in decorative bottles, & the pastry or pork products make unusual gourmet souvenirs. There are also very good prices on Spanish ceramic, leather and raffia products including shoes, bags and jackets, or on fashion jewelry and trinkets etc for both adults and adolescents.

About Nightlife

There is a good variety of international night life and dancing for young and old, particularly in the months of May-October, with dancing discotheques in summer, although there are no exotic, striptease or gambling locales, etc. Just walking and taking in the fountains, the lights and other sights at night is a traditional activity, with or without the entire family, including children, who often stay up quite late, having taken a long siesta at mid-day. Antequera is the headquarters for the police force of Andalusia, who are very patient and helpful with visitors. It is well-lit, clean and orderly. In particular many women from highly populated environments comment on what a novel and pleasant activity it is to go walking at night if they wish to do so, while being quite safe even when alone on the streets.

About Sailing

Sailing and other freshwater sports are available at the lake beaches within 25 minutes, saltwater sailing, dolphin and whalewatching at the Mediterranean ocean beaches within 30 minutes. Surfing, sailing etc are available at the Atlantic beaches within 2 hours.

About Fishing

Excellent freshwater fishing for trout etc is available within 20 minutes at Riofrio, or at the many lakes nearby, while there is saltwater fishing at the Mediterranean beaches within 30 minutes.

About Scenery/Beauty Spots

Although easily accessible on good roads and motorways, this is a dramatic and scenic area. The Magic Torcal Nature Reserve (see below) is a unique park, only to be compared with the Grand Canyon, and has been frequently used as a background for commercial films. Other favourite areas for summer photography & films are the nearby Flamingo & Waterbird Lagoon, and the skiing areas in the nearby Sierra Nevada, reachable by car or shuttlebus summer and winter, and next to Los Alcornocales, the largest cork forest in Europe. AQ is easy excursion distance to many spectacular caves like the La Pileta cave with its 20,000 year old cave paintings, or the scenic Ardales Cave.

About Local Attrcations

There are many attractions which are fascinating for families, for example, the 3 different ancient underground ceremonial chambers called Dolmens that were the first built dwellings in Europe, which even have workshops to demonstrate the ancient building techniques. There is a variety of other archeological and geological formations. In addition to many sports and nature attractions, there are several elegant hotels and spas in the Antequera area, including a five-star hotel with restaurants, lounges and outdoor attractions which is one of the 3 best in Spain.

About Driving

Driving is very easy on the good roads and motorways. There are no traffic jams or toll roads here and one can be in 3 provinces other than Malaga province within 20 minutes. To certain locations like Ronda we recommend the scenic train rides which are brief and reasonably priced, since the train is more convenient and pleasant and avoids summer traffic. Specific info on road excursions is available on request.

About Walking

The Antequera area is a walker´s paradise. Please see info above on the Magic Torcal Park and the GR7 greenway EU footpath.

About Bars

Please see info under nightlife.

About Airport Information

15 car hire companies are available in the airports. Antequera is also accessible by bus (50 min. ) and taxi (€50 from Malaga airport, €70 from Granada airport). Trains are available northwards to Cordoba and Madrid (fast train 1 day return 2 1/2 hrs.), westwards to Seville (1 hr. by fast train), eastwards to Granada, and to local stops in between.

About Tourist Board

According to the Andalusian Tourist Board, 80 percent of visitors to the Costa del Sol take at least one excursion to relax and experience the many attractions of the Inland Med. A car is generally unnecessary though useful for some excursions. Those who prefer to reside inland may live in a restful manner whilst taking advantage of rapid lowpriced access by car, shuttlebus & train to the sophisticated coastal world of cruise liners, yachts, beaches, shopping, dining, nightclubs, themeparks, aquariums, zoos etc. The meeting point of the provinces of Malaga, Seville, Cordoba, & Granada which is called the "4 Corners" starts from AQ northwards, with the borders to the other three provinces only 20 to 30 minutes away. This entire district is known for its traditional culture, its hospitality & its natural beauty, as well as for the still unspoiled ecology.

About The Gay Scene

Although the inhabitants are quite tolerant, the gay scene is not at all developed in Antequera.

About Diving

For diving activities, one can go to the Mediterranean (30 min.) or the Atlantic coast (2 hrs.), or to the "lake district" (25 min.). Please see beaches and sailing info.

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Property Features

* Has a Pool
* Close to a golf course
* Pets are allowed
* Children are allowed

Contact Information

Name:	Lissa Dells
Telephone:	+34-690-189216
Alt Telephone:	+34-952-840373
Fax:	+34-952-840373
Its completely free to send an enquiry! Use this opportunity and email the owner below to ask as many questions as you wish about this property advert.