recommendations for Andalucia please, please please

[lingle]

DH, the two DSs (8,5) and I would love to spend the second half of April (including Easter) in Southern Spain. I have happy memories of a trip to Granada/Cadiz/Seville 20 years ago - from the tiny window in the room in our cheap pension, we were just able to see the feet of a couple practising flamenco on the flat roof ... I can still hear them.....

Prefences would be either - small villa in quiet hilly place

or

place in characterful/romantic town

we are interested in knowing where the locals do good guitar music

seaside optional, character more important. We went to France last year. Hated the seaside Eurocamp. Loved pottering inland...we do like sea but can do without big resorts.

The kids get on well with each other so we don't need to hook up with other English families - would rather the kids played pool in a bar with Spanish kids IYSWIM.

definitely self-catering as they are fussy eaters....

Oh, and no doubt the children would like it to be within distance of some kind of kiddie-friendly theme park - once they get bored of the peace and quiet....

I would be very grateful for ideas on location or accomodation.

bump!

Had a fabulous holiday in a "sugar-cube" village called Gaucin 2 years ago. About an hour from the coast. we could see Morocco from our terrace. booked a stunning and inexpensive house with a pool through owners direct. We flew to Seville, stayed there a couple of nights then drove down.

ooh that sounds nice. will look up owners direct (do you have a link?)

thanks!

\link{http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/\owners direct}

\link{http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/\holiday-rentals}

We have used holiday-rentals several times & been very pleased. They have a lot more properties than owners direct so more choice

\link{http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/Spain/Costa-del-Sol/Ronda-area/r1201.htm\Ronda area} covers Gaucin but Ronda itself is lovely too

and \link{http://www.andalucia.com/home.htm\andalucia.com} has lots of helpful inf about the area

ooh lovely - I'm going to settle down for a nice evening's web browsing and imagine those lovely Easter processions as well (I wonder if we dare be in SEville when they have their huge Easter festivals?)

we stayed near \link{http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/p415754\Alhaurin de la Torre, where this place is} at Easter a few years ago - it's a lovely small town and it has its own Semana Santa processions, which are a lot more accessible than the city ones I think. \link{\youtube clip of still images from 2010} - Easter Sunday is a nice cheery daytime event & there are also sombre evening processions on Thursday & Friday. The clip gives you a good idea of the look & size of the town & the atmosphere - there are hundreds (maybe actually thousands ) of local participants, including masses of children in costume down to tiny ones in buggies.

Alhaurin is really well placed, handy for Malaga airport (but not on top of it) & also for touring in Andalucia & a bit of seaside if you want. Tivoli World at Benalmadena down the coast is a theme park & there is a \link{http://www.bioparcfuengirola.es/en\really lovely little zoo at Fuengirola} where you can get very close to the lemurs (if they're in the mood)

Easter was about a week earlier the year we went, the weather was mostly nice & warm (bar a couple of chilly wet days) but the pools don't tend to be heated & the water's a bit chilly in April! From there you can do days out to Gibraltar, which is fascinating, & Granada, and Seville too although that's quite a long drive.

We have had 3 holidays in that area & really enjoyed them all

sounds wonderful! off to print out the thread. thanks guys!

I've stayed at the most wonderful farmhouse, in Zahara de la Sierra, called Cinco Lunas

It's the most wonderful place. They provide you with a breakfast, but you can also use the kitchens to cook your own food. You can even use the organic veggies from their gardens. There's no swimming pool, but you can cool off in the little river running through the garden.

I'm not sure how old your kids are, but this is a farm too, with loads to do and explore, it might keep them occupied.

Nearby is the village, full of character and charm and wondeful people. Got very drunk once on the most amazing sherry

There's also a great big reservoir where they do water sports activities, or just lovely for a picnic.

It's a beautiful part of Spain, well worth exploring. I want to live there

thank you wubbly. must book. don't know if all the Spanish book up the places to stay at EAster....