We stayed for 2 weeks at Casa Sylvia last month. After a long, tiring journey we arrived there with some trepidation (having read the previous 1* review, written after we had booked). Our worries were unfounded...what a slice of heaven! The villa was clean and spacious with little homely touches. The kitchen was well equipped and there were some pantry items and a few welcome items already in the fridge. There was also a huge box of homegrown vegetables and fruit, delicious.
The private grounds were a delight. Pots of flowers everywhere and all manner of bushes, plants and climbers. Not to mention the orchard and vegetable plots. It was a pleasure to while away the hours reading, sunbathing and watching the spectacular show put on by the swallows over the pool. Of course the price for all this beauty is that it has to be tended and so Diego and Milagras quietly visit for a couple of hours daily, very early in the morning so as not to impose, often leaving more fresh produce. As you would expect for a rural villa, there were some ants and mosquitos, but we had come prepared for these.
The village is really peaceful, no more than a few houses really and any noise came from the occasional dog bark or cockerel crowing. If you want to be within walking distance of shops and restaurants this is not the place for you. The surrounding area is mostly untouched by mass tourism, a real taste of Spanish culture. The white hilltop villages are very pretty and the people friendly, we particularly liked Vejer and Medina Sidonia. The coast is within easy reach with beaches for all tastes, wide sandy stretches, small coves, supervised, non supervised, naturist, it has them all. We enjoyed a wonderful walk from Cape Trafalgar along the beaches and cliff tops to Torre del Tajo. Also don’t miss the very large sand dune at Bolonia (you can visit the Roman remains here too).
There were a few small niggles but these could either easily be addressed or were out of the control of the owner (some of the flyscreens were damaged therefore we couldn’t leave the windows open at night, there were no oven gloves & the internet was rather slow)
We had a fabulous holiday and would definitely recommend Casa Sylvia to anyone wanting a beautiful rural retreat.
