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 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?
The views from this place are just breathtaking. It's a 10-minute drive up a dirt road from the main street, which at first seems daunting, but you get used to it. We were three families with 6 adults and 6 children. The kids (ages 8 and up) all stayed in one side of the house and the adults in the other, which was very nice for the adults. Two of the kids' beds though were in the living room, so they usually woke up as soon as others in the house woke up. You need a car, but it is conveniently located to reach some interesting places. Besides Malaga we went to Narje, Ronda and Granada. Because it's up in the hills, it's cooler there than other places, which was a welcome respite from the August heat. Carmen is super responsive and helpful.
We were extremely happy with the place. There were nine grownups and one baby in a group and a solution with two houses gave us sufficent flexibility around baby's sleeping hours. The views are magnificent and there are plenty of sitting areas around the house to enjoy the sunrise or the sunset. The access is a bit difficult, 2 km uphill driving but we used it for running practice. 🙂
This place is magical. Yes, there is a gravel road to get up the hill, but still it is doable with fiat 500 or other small rental car. Kitchen is well equipped, additionally you can do BBQ and even bake pizza outside. It is calm but still not far from supermarkets, petrol station, restaurants etc (15-20 min car ride). Even with 10 people it is enough space to find calm places in and around the house. Highly recommended.
Carmen helped us through the arrival, and was helpfull, patient and on time. It made us feel very safe.
We are a large family, this time travveling with four grown-up kids (and gilfriends, boyfriends and friends). Carmens house was the perfect place as we all had our separate rooms and bathrooms and privacy. The view is breathtaking. It is very good that there is a pool as the house is not close to the sea. However, the house is a reallly good base for seeing Andalusia. You need one or several cars as is it quite isolated. We enjoyed our stay and the house was clean and well equipped. Carmen was helpful and friendly. I would recommend staying at Carmens place to my friends and family.
Beautiful house in a gorgeous setting. View is amazing with peace and quiet, only nature, the mountains and the stars at night. The house used to be a winery which means there are lots of features that are kept from its past. However the property is very modern and well equipped in terms of mod cons while absolutely stunning inside and outside. Everything we could think of was there and Carmen was great in answering any questions and looking after us when we arrived. There are lots of seating areas inside and outside the house, we cooked lovely dinners but could also go to Casabermeja, the local town to dine out. The bathrooms are beautiful and super clean, so is the whole house, we had no complaints at all about anything. You do need a car to drive up to the house as it is on a top of a hill with a steep drive but it is a short drive to Malaga or to the airport form the property. Carmen is lovely and very attentive and the property is amazing, we would all highly recommend the house and her! Thank you so so much, we had a lovely time!
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.
Nous avons passé un excellent séjour en famille (4 générations). Après un précédent séjour en Andalousie nous voulions compléter avec la découverte de Malaga (expositions, musée, ville) mais en ayant un point de repli au calme avec piscine sécurisée ( enfant de 3 ans). La maison de Carmen fut idéale : à 30 minutes du centre et au calme absolu ( pas d’embouteillages fin juillet). Le lieu est unique (ancien lagar) et l’atmosphère typique et relaxante. Outre la beauté des lieux, nous avons apprécié les touches d’attention de Carmen : bouquets de fleurs fraîches dans les chambres et salons, réponses rapides, accueil chaleureux...Les chambres sont spacieuses, confortables (literie) et bien équipées (climatiseur, salle de bain avec baignoire et douche...). Tout était très propre et impeccable. De nombreux points à l’extérieur (tables canapés) pour profiter de vues et coucher de soleil magnifiques. Pour mériter tout cela il faut prendre une voie privée qui serpente en lacets jusqu’à la maison ( ou l’on croise un berger avec ses chèvres). La maison est proche de Casabermeja ou l’on a pu profiter de bon tapas à petits prix et où sont les commerces pour se ravitailler. Bref une très jolie maison avec une atmosphère typique et unique. Toute la famille a apprécié. À noter la proximité D’El torcal site magnifique et Antequera. Nous avons aussi passé une journée à la mer à Cabo Pino (a 1 heure) plage encore sauvage (rare dans le coin ! dunes en arrière plan) avec du bon sable et des vagues (plage pas trop bondée pour une fin juillet).
La casa responde a las expectativas. Es agradable, puesta con gusto y bien equipada. Cálida y acogedora, buena calefacción en invierno. La anfitriona encantadora y educada. Bien comunicada, a sólo 15-20 minutos de Málaga
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!!
Carmen was a great host and very helpful in making us feel at home. The cortijo is beautiful and the area very relaxing. We had a wonderful time.
Beautiful place , breath taking views.Easy acess to points of interest. Grocery store and butcher store. Not far to the beach . Toys for children .
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!!!!
The perfect place to spend time to relax with friends and family. The view and sunset are awesome ! Everything you need is available in the house if you have kids. Despite remote location it is easy to spend a day or a night in Malaga (25min by car). And Paqui help us to organize great diners with no stress. If you want to taste Andalousia, this is the spot !
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
Vi havde et meget dejligt ophold i huset. Vejret var ikke godt i perioden omkring den 28. - 31. oktober. Det var ugen med Regn, torden og lyn, som jo blev en katastrofe for andre steder i Spanien - især Valencia. De første fem dage (22.-26. okt.) var vi i huset med vores 7 ansatte - studietur, hvor vi bl.a. besøgte Alhambra. Vi startede hver dag med yoga udendørs og sprang i poolen bagefter - skøn oplevelse for alle! Da familien tog over (uge 2) og vejret skiftede, sørgede Ma Carmen for, at varmen blev skruet op og vi fik brænde til pejsen. Vi havde det meget hyggeligt i huset med vores børn og børnebørn, til hvem vi havde alt, hvad vi havde brug for af børnesenge, - stole og legetøj - der manglede ikke noget! Der var dejligt sengetøj og tæpper til alle. Landskabet og huset er enormt smukt og næsten hver dag oplevede vi hyrden med sine geder, får og hunde på bjergsiden - meget fascinerende! Vejen op til huset kræver en god bil!! Det er en meget smal og snoet bjergvej!
The house is comfortable and my family and I enjoyed our stay. Carmen is very responsive and offered great tips and ideas for our stay in the area. The drive up the hills to the house is the only draw back; the dirt road is very steep and narrow on a cliff without railings or lights (which may be common for a farmhouse in the area).
