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Welcome to
Finca La Maroma

Andalusian farmhouse apartments in a tranquil and peaceful location only one hour from Malaga.

Self catering holiday apartments in a restored rural farmhouse in the Axarquia region East of Malaga.

Solar heated pool, Jacuzzi, sauna, meditation cottage, on-site shop and mountain bikes only one hour from Malaga

The finca

Finca La Maroma is an old andalusian farmhouse, rebuilt and extended in 1999. The main house of the finca occupies a quiet spot by the side of a private lane with no passing traffic 5kms from the beautiful village of Sedella, one of the delightful small white villages in rural Andalucia that can trace their layout of winding streets back to moorish times. The ridge on which the finca is perched has an elevation of some 420m and from the finca there are spectacular views in all directions, towards La Maroma in the North, at 2.069m the highest peak in the Sierra Tejeda-Almijara mountain range, and in the West as far as the Torcal near Antequera on clear days. Thanks to the absence of fences and walls there is a great feeling of space at the finca and one can roam freely for miles through the surrounding olive and almond groves where one is more likely to encounter a herd of goats then any other traffic.

 
No road is visible from the finca, only a few stretches of the local tracks on which there is hardly any traffic, and on most days the only sound you will hear are the bells of the goats, the birds in the valley and a farmer calling to his mules while they are ploughing the hillside. Thus the finca is the ideal location for a quiet and truly relaxing holiday, the peace and tranquility here at the finca making it a perfect retreat from the stresses of everyday life. It is an excellent location for a walking or mountain biking holiday and a good base to explore Andalucia, to discover the beauty of its countryside and the architectural treasures hidden in its towns, shaped by their Moorish and Christian heritage alike.
 
 

The holiday apartments 

In the main house of the finca there are six self-catering apartments for two people each. A cot is available and can be booked in connection with some of the apartments and one of the apartments has an additional sofa bed (1,40m x 2,00m when extended). There are apartments with a double bed and some with twin beds; they are all different but all are comfortably furnished and welcoming and the bathrooms are equipped with showers, hair dryers and electric heaters. There are stereos with CD players in the apartments. All but one of the apartments are equipped with wall mounted fully enclosed gas convector heaters for the cooler times of the year. Mostly these are only needed in the evenings and mornings, rarely during the day.
 
  All the apartments have their own terrace with a table, chairs and a parasol. In addition there is a communal terrace by the side of the pool with more tables and chairs as well as plenty of sun beds.

The kitchens of the apartments are well equipped with four-burner hobs, double sinks, fridges with freezer compartments, toasters, coffee makers, kettles, good quality pots and pans and all the utensils and crockery you will need. To make your stay at the finca as comfortable as possible, we provide you on arrival with a starter pack of groceries. In addition we have a small on-site shop for our guests. Please click here for a list of items we normally stock and details of the welcome pack. At the shop there are also a washing machine which you are welcome to use, some board games and a selection of books you may borrow. We live at the finca and are usually around to help you with any information you need, to change your gas bottles when necessary and just generally ensure your holiday is as enjoyable as possible.

All linen including towels is provided and replaced once a week and there are different duvets for summer and winter. We would only ask you to bring your own beach towels if you are planning any trips to one the beaches in the area.

Please click here to view the gallery of pictures of the finca where you will find many pictures of the apartments.

The apartments are available all year round. Minimum stay is two to five days, depending on the time of year. Please enquire.

The pool, Jacuzzi and sauna 

  The pool measures 5 x 10 m with a depth of between 1.40 m and 1.70 m and is illuminated at night in summer. It also features a solar heating system, so that it can be used for most of the year but it is always open and cleaned so the braver souls can use it in January as well. Next to the pool, in a separate roofed area, there is a Jacuzzi which also may be used at any time. It is a special experience to lounge in the Jacuzzi in January when the almond trees are blossoming or in summer when the grapevine that grows around it has built a shady parasol of vine leaves. During the cooler times of the year a sauna is available for use at no extra charge.

The meditation cottage 

  Set a little bit away from and below the main house you will find a small house with a timber floored room of some 4 x 8 m. This is our meditation cottage, in which our guests are invited to practice any meditation, quiet contemplation, Yoga, Tai-Chi or similar, either on their own or in the company of other guests. Whenever there is demand we also offer introductions to some of Osho`s meditations. There is a stereo system inside the meditation cottage which our guests are welcome to use and outside the cottage there are a couple of benches overlooking the valley and the hills of the Axarquia.

The land 

The Sierra Tejeda-Almijara which provides the backdrop for the finca is a nature reserve with an abundance of wild plants and animal life. Since we are close to the end of a small private track which is only used by us and our neighbours there is virtually no passing traffic apart from the odd mule or herd of goats . The land around the house slopes steeply in most places and is dotted with almond, olive and carob trees as well as with some vineyards and the odd holm oak. Mules are still widely used to plough the land and to carry the harvest back to the farmhouses. The Muscatel grapes which grow on these slopes are dried for raisins, which are much sought after in all of Spain, or are turned into the strong and sweet "Vino de Terreno" or "Malaga wine". Due to the protection of La Maroma we enjoy broadly the same mild climate as places on the coast with little rain (320 days of sunshine per year on average), pleasant winter temperatures and mostly clear starry nights. If you are planning a visit but are unsure of the climate at the time please don't hesitate to ask us. The land which belongs to the finca extends right down to the bottom of the hill where a brook carries water in winter and spring on those rare occassions when there has been rain. For many months each year in winter and spring the hillside is a riot of colours and scents, thanks to the profusion of wild flowers and herbs. Lavender, thyme, rosemary, poppies, wild orchids, corn-flowers and many more flowers grow on these slopes and in late January and early February the hillsides around the finca are covered in pink and white clouds of fragrant almond blossoms. We have laid out a path so that our guests can more comfortably reach the bottom of the valley and we have placed a few benches under trees for them to sit and soak up the fragrances of the land and the many songs of nature. There are also a couple of hammocks under one of the carob trees, popular with our guests on those lazy summer afternoons.

The area

Sedella, 5km away, which nestles in one of the folds of La Maroma at an altitude of almost 700m is a beautiful and charming village with the usual narrow meandering lanes of the "white villages". It has around 500 inhabitants and there are several bars and restaurants, a pharmacy, a couple of small shops, an olive mill and a small Roman bridge. A little bit further away, 10kms, you will find Canillas de Aceituno, a larger village with more than 1,000 inhabitants and more bars, restaurants and shops. Our guests frequently walk into Sedella (75minutes) and occasionally into Canillas de Aceituno (two hours), both pleasant walks with frequently changing vistas.

Vélez-Málaga,18km away, the capital of the Axarquia region and a busy market town with an interesting old quarter, ancient churches, monasteries and a ruined fortress but with virtually no tourism, is half an hour away by car, the coast at Torre del Mar or Caleta de Velez five minutes further. Less than one hour takes you into the old part of Málaga (50km) with Picasso`s birth house and the Picasso museum, the beautifully restored Alcazaba, the Cathedral with its lone tower and the Castillo Gibralfaro. Alternatively one hour also takes you to Alhama de Granada, an ancient town North of the Sierra Tejeda-Almijara, built along a deep gorge and blessed with hot thermal springs which were popular with Romans and Moors alike in days gone by and still attract plenty of Spanish visitors. It takes a little longer to reach Antequera (Where there are the stunning rock formations of the Torcal), Granada (where many of our guests go to visit the Alhambra), Cordoba (again very popular with our guests and highly recommended by us because of the stunning mezquita) or the Sierra Nevada the snow covered bulk of which towers beyond Alhama de Granada in winter, rising to 3,482m at its highest point, the summit of Mulhacen.

Walking at Finca La Maroma

Even though Velez Malaga and the motorway A7 are only 18km away the finca is deep in the heart of the andalusian countryside which has been largely spared by the excesses of the building boom of the mid-noughties which has seen many other areas lose their magic during the onslaught of holiday homes. The numerous winding tracks in the area are ideal for short strolls to longer walks of several hours and due to the nature of the terrain the vistas on these walks are constantly changing. When walking through ancient olive and lemon groves on old mule tracks which link traditional white villages the only people you are likely to meet are the occasional goat herder or farmer tending his vines. The nearby Sierra de Tejeda and Almijara, too is ideal for everything from a short walk to a full day's mountain hike. From the paths up in the sierra there are stunning views, towards the Sierra Nevada in the East, towards Malaga in the West, far into the fertile plain in the province of Granada which spreads below the mountains in the North and out over the Mediterranean towards Africa, where on a clear day you will be able to glimpse the Atlas mountains. There are several paths which lead up to the summit of La Maroma. Although little information on walking in the Sierra de Tejeda is published in Northern Europe we have locally published details (in English) of numerous walks both in the immediate and wider area. We also stock a detailed map of the Parque Natural de Sierra Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama (1:40.000).

Ian Brown of Foothills walking shop in Sheffield, England (see link at the bottom of the page) has spent many weeks at Finca La Maroma and will gladly offer advice on the area. If you have any questions on walks in the area, the equipment you need, where to buy maps and guides, when to walk etc. please contact him at hovis@foothills.co.uk or ring during normal shop hours 00 44 114 258 6228.

If you prefer to explore the area with a mountain bike there are two of these you can hire. We offer airport transfers for the guests who don't want to hire a car. If you would like to explore the wider area we recommend that you hire a car though. We can arrange this through our partners at Rentacarolé. Click here for details of the car hire.

Massages

We can arrange therapeutic full body massages, aromatherapy facials and aromatherapy full body massages here at the finca with a qualified practitioner.