Casa Canillas

Hikers’ paradise, breathtaking views, walk to local shops and cafes, sleeps up to 6!

Quick Facts

The Property: Casa Canillas is a 3/2 flat on two levels with a huge terrace overlooking the mountain village of Canillas de Aceituno, Spain, all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. The village is located in the province of Malaga – one of eight provinces making up the autonomous community of  Andalucía on the southern coast of the Spanish mainland.

About Canillas de Aceituno:

• Population: 1,704 (2022). Originally populated by the Romans, the current settlement is of Arab origin and dates back to the late 16th century.
• Nearest major city/international airport: Malaga (AGP). 67 km/1 hour by car. Malaga City has a population of 592,000 and offers bus service to Canillas de Aceituno via Torre del Mar as well as train service to Madrid (2.5 hours with the AVE high-speed trains).
• Popular hiking destination thanks to the village’s location bordering a natural park.
• Friendly community: fun and relaxing spot to chill in one of the many local bars and restaurants featuring tapas and other Andalusian fare at very economical prices. You can also enjoy musical evenings at El Refugio, an Argentinian pizzeria and steakhouse in the center of town. The local specialty is Chivo (goat) for the meat lovers! Or pick up a bottle of locally produced olive oil harvested from the many olive groves surrounding the village.

The Flat: Casa Canillas

The terrace: enjoy an expansive outdoor oasis, perfect for relaxing in the sun or entertaining. The rooftop space opens out from the upstairs kitchen and features its own built-in BBQ and sink, plenty of comfy seating and fantastic views – on a clear day you can see all the way past the Strait of Gibraltar to Africa!

The house itself is a four-story building split into two flats with two separate entrances. Casa Canillas is located on the upper two floors and has its own entrance around the corner from the lower two floors (look for the red arrow!):

Let’s take a tour!

the first floor: Bedroom 1, Bedroom 2 and living room

the second floor: Kitchen and Terrace

More About Canillas de Aceituno

From Wikipedia (edited):

Canillas de Aceituno is a municipality in the province of Málaga in the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. It is located in the east of the province and is one of the municipalities comprising the comarca of Axarquia and the judicial district of Vélez-Málaga. It is a small village, located right below the Sierra de Tejeda natural park with hiking trails leading up to “La Maroma” – the highest mountain peak in Malaga province at 2,068 meters (6,786 feet).

Canillas de Aceituno has an altitude of 649 meters (2,116 feet) above sea level. It is a prosperous, well-cared for town of whitewashed houses and narrow, cobblestone streets lined with flowers and examples of Moorish architecture.

The people of Canillas de Aceituno are called canilleros. Most work in the town or the surrounding campo, typically in construction or agriculture. Canillas de Aceituno has some small shops where one can purchase basic products as well as several restaurants and a weekly farmers’ market.

The geographic location of Canillas de Aceituno makes it the natural balcony of Axarquia. It borders on the Sierras of Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama Natural Parks to the north. The road to the village offers views of the Velez and Rubite valleys, through a landscape of hillside terraces planted with olive trees, vineyards, and avocado, almond and fig trees. This abundance of trees is made possible by the Almanchares, Bermuza and Rubite rivers, which are fed by natural springs. The area around Canillas abounds with natural caves such as the Cuevo de Fájara located within walking distance of the village.

The village itself boasts two natural springs that feed to an Arab cistern located at the town hall. One of the streets of archaeological interest is Calle Castillo, on which one can still find the remains of what was once an ancient fortress and which leads to a lower neighborhood via Calle Estación. At the top of the village, Calle Cemetario lies just above an old Arab cemetery.

Why Canillas?

Canillas de Aceituno is a special place. There are lots of little villages scattered across the Axarquia mountain range in southeast Andalusia, but Canillas feels especially friendly and vibrant. If you’re dreaming of a stay in Spain off the beaten path but aren’t sure where to go, Canillas de Aceituno could be the perfect spot.

Here’s what I personally love about Canillas:

• It’s beautiful, in ways that let you feel the deep peace and tranquility of this ancient rural village. Plus, life moves at a slower pace here. People take the time to greet each other on the street, charmingly offering a few obligatory words of explanation (“On my way to the doctor!” “Taking grandma out for a spin!). There is no hurrying here; no one will mind if you’re a few minutes late wherever you’re going.
• It’s cheap to eat out! For breakfast, you’ll typically pay around 3 euros for a cafe con leche and pitufo (baguette sandwich). A menu del dia (appetizer, entree, alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink plus coffee or dessert) is typically under 10 euros. For a finer dining experience, there are two excellent restaurants with fantastic chefs (El Bodegon and La Sociedad) where most entrees range between 10-19 euros. Fun fact: Spanish people rarely entertain at home, preferring to meet out in cafes or restaurants. Not even children’s birthday parties are held at home; parents reserve space at a local restaurant (service + easy cleanup!). Thus it’s important for Spanish social life that prices are affordable. The biggest change in the 20 years I’ve been visiting Spain was an increase in the price of a standard coffee or beer/soft drink from 1 euro to 1.20 after the pandemic. Too bad, it was great not having to deal with small change!
• It’s a great base for exploring the area! When you’re in the village, it feels almost like you’re in a time warp, a million miles from civilization. But don’t let that fool you. For closer excursions, the beach at Torre del Mar is just 30 minutes away. Nerja, a popular tourist destination with the Caves of Nerja and the Balcony of Europe (a former 9th-century fortress), is a 40 minute drive, and the vibrant port city of Malaga is one hour away by car. Granada, with its famous Alhambra world heritage site, is reachable in under two hours. The Moorish town of Ronda, set dramatically above a deep gorge, is just over two hours away. And let’s not forget Sevilla – reachable in 2 hours 40 minutes by car.
• Hiking, hiking, hiking. No need to take the car or bus to experience something new. Casa Canillas is situated just meters from the start of the hiking trail up to La Maroma mountaintop and the El Saltillo suspension bridge connecting the paths between the villages of Canillas de Aceituno and Sedella.

The trail starts just above the town’s central plaza, winds up through the village and then continues around the mountain offering breathtaking views of the mountain landscape all the way to the Mediterranean Sea.

Pricing:

We believe in transparent, simple, all-inclusive pricing for everyone’s convience.

Minimum stay: 1 month // Price: EUR 1,995/month: includes fibre-optic wifi, all utilities and bi-weekly cleaning // Additional weeks: EUR 550 after 1st month

VISA INFORMATION from the Spanish government website: “US citizens and citizens from other visa-exempt countries, holders of an ordinary passport, can visit and stay in the Schengen area (including Spain) for up to 90 days in a 180-day period without the need to obtain a visa, for tourism, business, sport, study purposes, etc.”

Thus most passport holders are able to visit Spain for up to three months at at time. After three months, you have to leave for three months and then you can return (“three months in, three months out” rule).

About your host:

SUSAN originally hails from the suburbs of Washington, D.C. in the United States. She began travelling to Spain back in 2004 when she was living and working in Berlin, Germany, and Spain quickly became her go-to escape from the ridigity of German life!

Susan’s career as a freelance German translator made it easy to travel because she could work from anywhere. She attended translation conferences all over Europe, but when travelling privately, the destination was always Spain. She spent time in nearly all of the Canary Islands before falling in love with the city of Cadiz on the Spanish mainland, and then later, Malaga – the province in which Canillas de Aceituno is located.

Fast forward over ten years and we find Susan living in Malaga, Spain with her musician fiancé, Will, after having decided for reasons of health, lifestyle and cost of living to leave the U.S. where they’d been living for Spain. In 2017 they moved to Malaga where they rented a small apartment on the city beach for a mere 600 euros a month – unthinkable in any U.S. coastal city! Canillas de Aceituno was the next stop, where they initially went to escape the summer heat. As a musician (and an American with a big ready smile) Will quickly became popular in the village, jamming with talented local musicians all over town. But Will died unexpectedly in February 2018, and Susan had to rethink things.

Susan remained in Canillas for another year and a half. And it was during this time that she really got to know the people of Canillas. Later, she thought that if you absolutely had to go through a difficult time of life, this was the place to do it. The townspeople opened their hearts to her and were there to support her in any way possible, for which she will always be grateful.

Canillas de Aceituno is such a welcoming and friendly place, and Susan’s mission now is to faciliate others in discovering this beautiful, stress-free area of the world, with so much to explore!

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Questions? Ideas? Reach out and let us know how we can help make your dream a reality!