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Casas rurales (rural houses) and apartments |
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The “casa rural” is an official Spanish category of holiday accommodation that allows private owners to rent out their property, provided it complies with the stipulated standards; the properties are all regularly inspected. There is an incredible range of self catering houses and apartments. They range from the simple and comfortable to the luxurious and are priced accordingly, in line with regional recommendations. All the owners take great pride in their houses; many casas rurales have been in the family for years. This is not mass produced holiday accommodation. In 99% of cases, you will find beautiful fitted kitchens, comfortable bedrooms, original features, well tended gardens and an owner who wants to provide you with whatever you need for an enjoyable holiday. Some of the larger houses have been divided up into two, three or four smaller apartments, but retain their original charm. They often share the garden, swimming pool and other outdoor facilities but are well equipped for self catering and are a great economical option for families. On the whole you may find things take a little longer, and are more quaint and rustic than on the Costas for example, but you certainly won’t just be handed a bunch of keys and left to get on with it! | |
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Rural guesthouses or B&Bs |
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Spain has been left with a wonderful heritage of beautiful historical buildings and farmhouses, as agricultural life changed and many people went to the cities. Although not classed as hotels (by Spanish law), many of these guesthouses do a lot more than just provide bed and breakfast. As with the casas rurales, many of the buildings have been in the families for centuries although some are now run by younger people making a real business out of it. You’ll find lovely houses, many with facilities you can use all day: gardens, lounges, bars, restaurants and swimming pools depending on the part of the country. Some even offer the use of kitchens to prepare your own food, although many will also cook your evening meal, if you wish. The owners are particularly welcoming to foreign visitors, but also very professional in their approach. They are keen to adapt to what you want; they may offer special prices for longer stays and want to make sure you come back! It’s a beautiful Spanish experience and there is a huge range of different types of properties to stay in. The Basque Country has many beautiful working farmhouses where you can eat fresh produce in the restaurants; Cantabria has lots of Country Inns decorating its lovely coastline; converted watermills, castles and forts in inland Spain; the old landowners’ “cortijos” in Extremadura and Andalusia; medieval, country houses in Catalonia. And while all this may sound all very grand there is also plenty of choice for those who like smallness and intimacy, tiny guesthouses with three or four rooms tucked away in pretty Spanish villages lost in time... the list is endless. | |
Prices and expectations |
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Outside the high seasons of July and August (and indeed in some areas of the country even in high season) renting a casa rural can be a very economical option particularly for families or larger groups of people. The large country rural houses sleeping more than ten people can work out at very good value indeed, and they tend to have a lot of extra living space too. However, while the houses are great value compared with the typical holiday villa on the coast, it’s also important to remember there is usually always a cost / quality relationship with the property you rent. A simply decorated village house for 400€ per week won’t be as luxurious or as well equipped as a converted, rustic barn with swimming pool and gardens for 1000€. The casas rurales haven’t been designed with the foreign holidaymaker in mind either; you sometimes find they are missing basics like a kettle and tea pot but are much better equipped for young children. Remember casas rurales are Spanish country and village holiday rural houses not mass market villas and they are all unique and different. If you are in any doubt about what your chosen house may or may not have, write to the owner and find out.
Be aware too of the vagaries of the Spanish pricing system. While the casas rurales and the hoteles rurales have to publish their prices by law and submit them to their local authorities, they are allowed to change their prices and they are not bound by law to keep their prices up to date on our website for example. Most prices are roughly correct but it’s always best to check before you make a reservation just like all Spaniards do. The delightful thing about the haphazard way the Spanish go about establishing their price lists is, that you are just as likely to get a discount as a price increase. So it’s well worth asking if there is one for your group, especially if you are a large number, staying for more than a week, or travelling off season.
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Communicating with the owners in rural Spain |
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On the whole, even if you don’t speak any Spanish, you won’t find it much of a problem to get by in rural Spain. Many of the older owners of the small casas rurales won’t speak much English, but knowing the “foreigners” are arriving, they often line up a son, daughter or neighbour/friend as interpreter to welcome you. The friendliness of the Spaniards and their desire to welcome newcomers to their country easily make up for any language problems you may have. Although part of enjoying a holiday away from the masses is really trying to communicate and you will get much more out of it if you learn some basics before you go. The larger rural inns and guesthouses will usually have someone who speaks English (although not always fluent) so you have to do your bit too and keep your language simple. Most of the time it is good fun and obviously if any major problems arise on your holiday, there are emergency services with English speakers in every town and no one is likely to leave you stranded in this part of the world. | |
Making a booking or requesting information |
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Many of the casas rurales and hoteles rurales on the Colours of Spain website speak or write English and can answer your requests or take a reservation. However for the ones who don’t speak English we have a bilingual dictionary on site for you to use to write and receive answers from the owners of the rural houses. Click on the “Contact owner” link in each ad to find the bilingual dictionary. |
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