Casa San Ian - Paradise in Andalusia, Spain.

Arriving at Casa San Ian… 

6 minutes from the stunning white painted Andalusian village of Competa, situated 1 hour west of Malaga international Airport, and 25 minutes from the coast, 600 meters up into the hills of the National park named  “Natural de Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama”, a 40,000-hectare natural park known for its impressive mountain peaks, natural beauty and hiking trails.

Only 25 scenic minutes from the fantastic beaches of the amenity rich coastal towns on the Mediterranean coast

Cycling, hiking, motorcycling are all fantastic ways to appreciate this area’s beautiful scenery and the warm welcoming people.

Arriving along the easily driven access road, an ancient roman road, the last 200 meters has been upgraded to a high order,  reinforced into the impressive natural stone retaining wall built by the present owner, in residence here since 2008. 

At the main electrically operated gates, you stop, and take in on your left, the impressive 3 car 2 storey building,  “The Garage” which doesn’t really do justice to this very versatile building, which is a key asset of this property. 

If you park in the garage, you can gain access to the villa, either by walking the slowly curving gently rising private driveway, with its picturesque curved white painted retaining wall, flanked by palm trees and olive trees, giving the villa its lush atmosphere, in its 3000 m² plot.

The other access is through a gate, towards the rear of the garage and up the stairs, leading up to the villa, climbing past the solar heating panels for the pool, the pool pump house, built into the pool foundations, up to a tiled sunbathing area, area, past the master bedroom patio doors, and onwards to the covered porch, with its Andalusian style arches, running full length of the front seaward south easterly facing aspect of the villa.

You can, of course, drive up to the villa utilising the remotely operated electric gates and use the ample fully concrete-printed parking areas adjacent to the villa, easily accommodating 3 to 4 cars if required. 

On arriving in front of the villa you are greeted by a fantastic area of wooden well looked after decking, complete with the substantial bar at the westerly end of the decking, with a large beautiful swimming pool, stunning views down to the sea, and fantastic views of the natural park which borders the rear of the property. 

The property is surrounded by mature trees to the east, which gives total privacy, and great relief from the rising sun, shading the property until the sun gets above the trees about 11:00 am.

The rear has olive trees, and mature mediterranean pines. The olives are very old, but still produce beautiful black olives which are harvested every year for your own olive oil, with over 30 olive trees on the property. 

Areas

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Villa house

The house really benefits from it’s southerly orientation, with the guaranteed katabatic cool mountain morning breeze, flowing beautifully in through the rear windows, taking any stuffy hot air out through the large front patio doors, and main front door, with their built in insect screens, dissuading any insect pests.

The afternoon seaside anabatic breeze, guaranteed daily in the summer makes the shaded decking area, and bar a wonderful place to enjoy that breeze and the views.

This is not a small windowed, low roof traditional converted finca property, this conversion was designed and built to German standards, and adding 3 upper windows into the high roof space, make for an incredibly bright and airy, all year around, and keeps the public spaces cool in the height of summer, a very clever feature in the design.

Spectacular views down to the coast are found from every window and patio door, and of course the decking, and the bar, and even the pool. Not to be outdone, the other windows all have the unique and beautiful views, either up to the natural park which is immediately behind the property, or out over the well tended garden areas, plus over the swimming pool. 

The large high two storey ceiling space in the main lounge carries through the adjoining passageway to the office utility room and through to the kitchen diner, enjoying the light and airy modern architect designed vibe of the villa. Keeping it cool and avoiding the suffocating low roof feel found in older properties in the summer months.

The tiled areas outside used for sunbathing and entertaining, have easy access to the villa tand have access importantly, to The Bar! During entertaining night or day, casual or formal, the villa, decking and tiled areas are easily accessed by the many doors so keeping everyone fed and watered is simple.

Garage

The Garage can accommodate 3 cars and multiple bikes and motorcycles , the owners have had them all in the past safely ensconced in this high quality building.
Presently has a fully fitted lovely wooden varnished bar downstairs, hand made in the Middle East, which nicely accommodates behind it a small fridge and a large chest freezer, utilising the many electrical points installed throughout. With its own toilet area by the rear access door. 

Well lit by industrial style floodlights inside, plus night and day security lighting / cameras  to the front in period style light fittings.
A separate steel security door with multi locks in the frame gives easy access to the side of the garage, which is a good option to the very large cavernous door to the front, being used every time.
This very large remote controlled electric roller shutter was the largest available at the time and maximises the access to the garage, which has no internal concrete columns / roof supports, and gives great access to any vehicles when entering and leaving. This is accomplished by designing in a huge steel reinforced beam to provide integrity to upper the mezzanine floor, allowing a very large flexible space, unhindered by concrete pillars.
Presently a racking storage system is installed directly to the left as you enter. This gives a second level of storage in the garage, accessed by ladder.
The main garage floor has recently have been painted, in industrial paint, and the interior walls upstairs and downstairs have been painted recently.

It truly is a remarkable asset / space, which has many uses, for hobbies, to store your toys, or indulge perhaps a woodworking hobby, or a creative arts space, or run a business out of the space. The possibilities are endless, and that's only the lower floor! `

The upper floor is an entirely different space, and has been used as a man cave, a working office with access to WIFI etc, an art studio, and has a perfectly functioning sleeping area, complete with shower and toilet, again endless possibilities. 

Garden

As we are nestled below the slopes of the national park, the earth is productive, and we enjoy that great morning katabatic breeze, air, and the mediterranean anabatic breeze in the afternoon. 

The mature garden has a centre piece of a beautiful 20 m tall Washington Palm Tree, called Ethel.  

Over 30 mature (ancient in some cases) productive olive trees, with accompanying vetiver grass to stabilise soil and add a barrier to insects, along with our lemongrass, a serious amount of aromatic rosemary and lavender, hardy cactus, pink, white and red flowering oleander, with bougainvillea in pink and purple draped over the arches at the front of the villa, and a Jacaranda tree at the top of the driveway, give a sample of what the villa has to offer.

Two very mature Carob Trees on the property produce Carob pods, which are very useful and taste like chocolate, and are situated in the two opposing corners, which the locals tell us, gives safety and security to the property and Andalusian Feng Shui.

Add productive lemon and orange trees young and healthy, plus a quince tree, and unusual local strawberry trees, finish of the flora.

Pool

The pool itself is private, with the steeply sloping natural park above, our only visitors are the very infrequent visits of the park rangers, and the fireman cutting firebreaks into the park, maybe once a year, and of course our goat herd, who regular as clockwork at 1330 normally passes along the track below, behind the large 6m tall retaining wall, and they return to the goat farm, where fresh goats milk is available, at sunset. He occasionally navigates through the park above, to access fresh pastures. This provides great theatre watching his flock nimbly navigating their way up the hills above, with the atmospheric clanging of the goat bells.  

The Olive trees immediately to the west, near the pool railings, and the villa to the east, completes your privacy, with views down to the coast, from the southern pool edge. 

Pool views are stunning down to the coast, as could be expected, but this pool has an added dimension. Most outdoor pools give you the sky above as the view, unless you strain above the pool sides, but this pool gives you unobstructed views of the national park rising up above you, where local wildlife, squirrels, foxes, wild mountain goats similar to antelopes, eagles etc are often to be spotted. 

Come night time, warm 30 plus degree romantic moonlit swims listening to music from the bar, looking over the lights of the coast, and the surrounding hillsides, all under the moonlight and stars is a very special part of the Casa San Ian experience.

Bar

Planned to supply the decking and alfresco dining, sunbathing and pool area’s, it perfectly  straddles these areas comfortably allowing easy relaxed bar service to family and friends, and who knows, perhaps, paying guests.

Heavily constructed from large timbers, giving a “Bali Beach” bar vibe, with the rope decorated sturdy wooden support pillars, set into concrete foundations, it’s a very secure and peaceful place to be. 

Supplied with running water, the usual abundance of electrical sockets, mood lighting, and a romantic 2 seater lounging area, with the best views in the villa, behind the bar, your  experiences are limited only by your imagination.

With its extended overhangs, you are protected come rain or shine, and the barbecue / pool party can continue on…

We use a mobile barbecue, but there is the possibilities of building a pizza oven etc in the area, we just haven’t gotten around to that just yet. 

The shade from the sun, assisted by the large sun shade erected over the decking / al fresco dining area in summer, makes it all a summer breeze at Casa San Ian. 

Facilities

Fully secured lockable outside storage space.

Boiler room near rear drying area, very useful for gardening tools, leaf blower, and DIY tools.

Pool Pump Room, has large storage shelves etc, useful for equipment and pool maintenance materials and chemicals, and of course houses the pool pump and filters and valves, alongside the multi purpose garden water pump. 

Log Burner in the lounge 

The wood burner fire, in the main lounge more than adequately heats the entire villa through the winter, backed up if need be by mobile oil filled radiators that have never really been needed since the log burner was fitted and the fireplace area refurbished about 8 years ago.

Logs are stored in a purpose built wood store to the rear of the villa, with additional local handy wood storage provided under the arches by the lounge patio door, if thats what you prefer.

The local reclaimed olive wood, is a marvellous wood to burn, without chemicals or a lot of ash, reclaimed from olive groves that are too old, and need replanted with new olive trees. 

High Quality Double Glazed low maintenance PVC Units 

2 meters high units, really make living here the best experience, opening up the fantastic views to the sea, and up over the mountain hills. 

3 Patio doors with large incorporated side windows, all in floor to ceiling style. You do not find this normally in Andalusian country villa’s.

Burglar resistant locking mechanisms top bottom and middle, operated easily by single handle with “Scandinavian” style - open, and tilt facility.

Built in insect screens, multi pleat, chain operated, for ease of access, through the large openings, make them easy to live with. Included in the units are matching theft resistant Security Blinds, which also act as fantastic blackout blinds, giving surprising peace and quiet. No awkward poles or handles, just efficient and ribbon operated, from inside.   

8 Windows in total, 5 are doubles, 3 are single, but all operate with open and tilt and have fly screens and security blinds, a very comprehensive set of windows.

Security Cameras 

Garage (inside and out), rear access to property, pool, villa front door and bar area roaming cameras.

Toilets, Showers etc 

Every bedroom has either an ensuite, or a dedicated shower room / wc, so all are in fact private, with no sharing required. 

Septic Tank is as per regulations, and was actually fitted above an old sceptic tank, so you get the benefits of double storage, and settling. Have only had to have it emptied twice since 2008!

Water Heating

Two independent solar heating units at the villa.

They work so efficiently that we shade them in the heat of the summer, but they are great at extracting that heat from the winter sun. One is located as usual on the villa roof, and the latest one is ground mounted for ease of access, as its multi purpose.

Backup Gas Hot water heater, for the winter in the unusual event of no sun, and an optional electric heating element is available to be fitted to the ground mounted system, if required.

Combined Air Conditioning and heating units

All with remote controls, found in all the bedrooms plus shared areas. Every bedroom has a large quiet multi speed fan, controlled from wall mounted bedside controls, as has the main lounge area. 

Electric sockets are abundant in this villa, you are never far away from a connection. There are multiple outdoor connection sockets situated in the decking, and at the bar, and all around the villa perimeter. The garage is similarly festooned with sockets.

Questions?

We can answer any questions at all, feel free to email.

 

Location

Casa San Ian

Competa

Malaga

Spain