A walk through our history

In the 18th century, Malaga was famous for its wines and liqueurs exported throughout the world and mainly to England.

Wine was made in people’s houses, called ”lagares”.
But in 1878 the arrival from France of the grape phylloxera caused the destruction of the vineyards.

The inhabitants of the Mountains of Malaga were forced to leave their homes in search of a new way of life.

Therefore, the wine presses were left in ruins or transformed.

Very few of them have survived until the present day.

Lagar los Pilones

Lagar los Pilones today

Lagar los Pilones is a classic example of this ancient way of life.

It has been preserved given that it has passed down through generations for three centuries.

The house was renovated in 2003 maintaining its original structure and winemaking features, such as the press that crushed the grapes or large clay pots buried into the ground for the wine to ferment.

Nowadays, Lagar los Pilones is a meeting place for several generations of the same family that do not usually see each other or groups of friends who want to enjoy their holidays together.

Walls loaded with history

Life took all of you to different cities and countries.

And life goes by so fast that we need to squeeze the moments we spend with those we love most.

Moments as precious as a meal around a big table, the laughter of the little ones, or an endearing conversation under a tree.

The walls and gardens of Lagar Los Pilones are full of simple stories that were magical for those who lived them.

Are you willing to contribute to expanding these stories with your own experiences?

Testimonials

WHAT OUR GUESTS THINK ABOUT EL LAGAR LOS PILONES?

Scott
10/09/2017

My wife and I spent months looking for the perfect place to celebrate both my 50th birthday and our 10-year wedding anniversary with a large group of friends. We wanted to stay somewhere in southern Spain, and were hoping to find a unique property that could accommodate 10-12 people. After a long search, we finally came across Lagar de Pilones. Even the photos don’t do it justice! We could see by reading the information that the place was historic and unique, and that the host, Carmen, was a wonderful woman who was happy to share the property with groups who appreciated it. The only concern we had was the property’s remote-ness (a somewhat rough, 15-minute drive up a dirt road off the main highway), but after reading the reviews it appeared this wouldn’t be a major obstacle. So after considering everything, we booked our stay. Long story short, Lagar de Pilones ended up being more special, more wonderful, and more beautiful than we ever could’ve imagined! Both houses, the pool, all the other little “nooks” everywhere provided plenty of locations for people to ether spend time together or do their own thing. The amenities all worked perfectly, and any minor issues were addressed promptly by Carmen. One of the highlights was that Carmen offered the services of Frank and Paqui to both pre-stock the property with food & drinks and also to cook a large menu of wonderful Andalucian dishes during our stay. The cooking service was optional (and at our expense), but we ended up using it almost every night and were never disappointed. Frank and Paqui were both wonderful, incredibly friendly people, and it was delightful to see the love and effort they put into every meal. The nearby town of Casabermeja was great for making daily runs for groceries and other essentials. The CEPSA gas station also worked very well as a pick-up spot for the group tours we took to Cordoba, Granada, and Malaga. I’d be negligent not to briefly discuss the road situation. The dirt road between the highway the property is in poor repair, requires fairly slow driving, and requires additional caution when driving at night. That said, we had 3 separate 2-wheel drive cars with us, and everyone felt comfortable driving the road. We did have an issue arise with a local transport company, who originally agreed to make pick-ups from the property, but then (once they saw the road condition) refused to do so. But Carmen was extremely helpful in arranging a work-around. In short, the dirt road is not a “show-stopper”, but is something to be cognizant of. Aside from this minor inconvenience, Lagar de Pilones was even better than advertised. Carmen even arranged for a singer (hi Olga!) to come by the property on my birthday to serenade us, which made for an especially lovely evening. I had high hopes for the stay, and it consistently exceeded my expectations – so many wonderful memories. Thanks again Carmen!!

Thomas Patrick
31/03/2024

The house was amazing, in such a beautiful setting. Carmen was a fantastic host and really went out of her way to provide loads of information ahead of our stay and to then be on hand during our trip. Can't wait to return.

Benoît
03/07/2016

This villa was even better than we had hoped. It was beautiful, stylish, comfortable and clean. The views are exceptional and the choice of terraces and patios meant that there was always the perfect spot to linger and lounge around, no matter the time of day. The fantastic Pizza Oven and brick built BBQ were an unexpected bonus, and we made great use of them. Cooking every night and just enjoying the setting and the views. Carmen is an excellent host. Very welcoming and she even brought us some local goats cheese when she saw how much we liked to eat. It’s the perfect combination of remote but accessible and rustic with all modern conveniences - instant hot water, efficient air con and super fast wifi. We would go back there tomorrow!

Alain
28/10/2023

Nous avons été très sensibles à la très grande réactivité de notre hôte Carmen. cela a été précieux de pouvoir compter sur son aide efficace et rapide pour les questions que nous lui avons posées pendant notre séjour.

Eric
11/05/2024

Een prachtig onderkomen op een schitterende plek met mooie uizichten rondom. Veel mogelijkheden voor kinderen binnen en buiten. Gastvrouw heel behulpzaam bij bijvoorbeeld organiseren van fotoshoot en diners ter plaatse

James
10/08/2019

We spent a week here in August, and had a wonderful time. We are are group of ten (8 adults and 2 children). The villa is located in a breathtaking position on top of a hill with unforgettable sunsets every evening. A particular highlight for us was the cooking - with a fantastic bbq, and also outdoor wood oven (great for pizzas and slow roasts). The local butcher in casabermeja was also excellent (Carmen told us about him). Day trips to the Alhambra, Malaga and a waterpark for the kids were very easy from the location. The only thing - the road up to the villa is quite steep to say the least and we were grateful we had hire cars with reasonable engines!!!!

Roxanna
26/03/2016

Wonderful and spacey house with fantastic views. We were a group of 10 adults and 3 toddlers and there was enough space for all of us. The pool is secured by a lock: as is the parents fear of having your child drowned. You should be aware of quite a few steps in the house: your baby will be a master handling them after some days. Three of the bedrooms are very spacey so you can have a babybed within with no problem. Carmen provided us three babybeds with linens and two high chairs as asked (thanks again!). The garden and terraces are very nice too. We had a lot of stone oven pizzas and barbecue. We also had a wonderful Offroad-experience getting up and down the hill with our Fiat Panda. Carmen is very helpful and answered our questions right away. We had a wonderful time and can recommend the house without hesitation! Thank you Carmen!

Liesbeth
20/05/2017

Family holiday: 7 adults, 2 children and 2 baby's (18 months and 12 months) Very good communication with Carmen, who is the perfect Hostess! The 2 km 'off road' to the house, which was mentioned in the description of the house, was not so easy in the dark, but Carmen guided us to the house on our first day. The possibility to have the fridge filled and also have a 'meal' when you arrive (you just pay afterwards) is a very nice service, especially if you arrive late with kids. For kids: a lot of toys etc are available - babybeds/plates/cups etc. Good accommodation - towel/linen available Also Wifi Different places to sit and have a marvelous view on the mountains. Good distance to Malaga and other places. We will come back 🙂

Sandra
13/10/2022

Beautiful home. Very clean, well decorated and many wonderful gathering places for guests.

Joshua
17/06/2022

Wonderful house, great small supermarket nearby for food. We had a wonderful stay. Only challenge is the winding gravel road up to the house, get a car with good clearance and avoid driving after dark!

Marc
15/06/2019

We had the entire house for 5 nights for our group of 12 adults and 3 infants. We housed 2 of the adults on a sofa and trundle bed. We arrived in the wee hours of the morning, and Carmen was kind enough to source some breakfast foods for us so that we would not need to get up so early in the morning. This was a big help! The pictures online do give a beautiful view of the character of the property, but we were not prepared for the amazing views all around the house, and for the multitude of delightful outdoor spaces. We came in early June, and the weather was pleasantly cool at night and warm/hot during the day. Throughout our stay we left doors open to allow breezes to flow through the house. This became a problem only when we did some cooking- you need to keep the doors shut when cooking, or it will attract flies. The kitchen is well equipped for a smaller group, but for 15 was a bit of a challenge. We found enough glasses by getting some from the smaller kitchen next door. We used the outdoor wood grill one evening. 2 evenings, we had dinner prepared by Paqui and Fabbio, and we highly recommend them for meals- it was fabulous! The drive on the dirt road up the mountain was an adventure in the dark the first night, but was well worth the effort and time, to gain the beautiful views of the countryside. Our family hiked at El Torcal national park one of our days, which we highly recommend, and we went to the downtown Malaga market in the morning- loads of fun. All in all, a first-rate, first-class property, and we highly recommend it.

Dominique
31/10/2020

Awesome and peaceful location, large and comfortable house, keep in mind the winding path over last 2-3 km requiring good ground clearance on your car (no need for 4 wheel drive car although better). Outstanding customer orientation from Mrs Carmen. Highly recommended.

Marie-Claude
27/12/2017

Amazing place and host! Our whole familiy really enjoyed our stay. Carmen gave us great local tips and was very hospitable. We even had a big basket of oranges and Andalusian cookies when we arrived. The rustic feel was great and cosy. The rooms were beautifully furnished. The views from the villa are breathtaking! A few small things we see that could be improved are the matresses (the beds are quite hard and not so comfortable to our taste) and the kitchen tools (no toaster, pots and pans should be replaced). Thanks again Carmen ❤️

Kajsa
25/06/2017

Very nice house with stunning views. Very clean and authentic. Carmen gave us all the help we needed.

Nadja
15/07/2023

We stayed at Lagar Los Pilones for a week in July with 10 family members (2 kids and 1 baby included) and had the BEST time. It was a magical vacation where we had plenty of space and privacy in the heart of southern Spain. Easy access to Malaga, Granada, Costa del Sol. We went scuba diving, saw the Alhambra and a flamenco show, enjoyed great shopping in Malaga and wish we had 1-2 more weeks to do everything on our wish list. Above all, Carmen was the BEST host. Gave great recommendations, even lined up a professional photographer so we could do a family photo shoot in the beautiful grounds. If we were to come again, we might choose spring or fall so it’s not as hot. But the pool water stayed cool the whole week and we lounged in the water to cool off often. We also had Paqui the chef to bring 2 private meals to the house and that was a treat. You must speak Spanish or use an online translator to coordinate dishes and times- but she was very affordable, made amazing food, and service.

Vahideh
07/06/2019

We 11 friends have stayed in Carmen place for one week, We have enjoyed our stay , it was great that every room has separete bathroom, we had two houses so every one get the place. We enjoyed the spanish style house, and we have spend time every day in pool. One dinner we ordered home made dinner that pagui made it, really good paella. Even She helped us to buy birthday cake. We had a issue with water for some hours, but carmen helped us quickly. If you are fine with staying far from the city and living in mountain it is a good place for vacation. You have 10 minutes driving in mountain to the nearset access for shopinng, throw away trash. But it worked for us . We had three cars that shared the shopping. Thanks carmen for your great hospitality 😍

Elena
28/12/2016

Two beautiful houses in an amazing setting - the views are stunning. Spacious and warm, perfect for 10 of us to spend a lovely family Christmas. Mari Carmen was really helpful and informative. We can highly recommend for families or groups - close to Malaga and lots of other great places to visit like El Torcal and Antequera. We had a great time!

Ali
10/10/2015

Splendid time we had in Carmen's place, and wonderful memories. The villa sat on top of a hill and take a 10 min drive from the bottom to the villa. The place was super clean and the setting and pool was very nicely done. Fully equipped with everything you need. The water was bit cold to use the swimming pool. Carmen was super nice and made everything simple and easy. There is a hiking pathway to the villa but unfortunately it was poorly marked. Supermarkets were 15 min drive from the place. A surprise visitor ( a wolf) comes to the front door every night to get some food, that added a bit of action to the night. Make sure not to forget the keys to the chains at the bottom of the hill when you drive out.

Pascal
18/11/2021

Amazing place and amazing host

Lars
18/12/2014

Such an amazing place... even the great pictures doesn't make it justice! I would go back any day. Carmen and her friend Eva were lovely hosts and made us feel very welcome. The rooms are beautiful and the atmosphere is utterly relaxing, the only person we met was the shepherd passing with his sheep... (you can't believe you are just 30 minutes from downtown Malaga). The village below the hill (Casabermeja) is a 5 minutes drive and have some nice restaurants (one for meat and one for fish) and if you are into meat the local butcher shop would be worth a visit by its own. Just be prepared that the road to the house is a 2 km narrow dirt road climbing the hills – but we made it with our 2 wheel drive without problems.

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