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!!

Sandra
13/10/2022

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

Susanne
20/04/2024

Fantastisk

JoLynne
20/02/2022

We absolutely loved staying at Lagar los Pilones. It truly was an incredibly beautiful and breathtaking historical property. It had 360 degree views of the surrounding valleys, mountains and countryside. We brought our four children and their spouses and four grandchildren and we all fit perfectly. The children loved playing on the grounds with the trampoline and playhouse. We all loved sitting in the swing and looking out over the valley at sunset. We enjoyed hiking around the area to visit the ancient caves and paintings. Lagar los Pilones is a good central location for our family to explore Malaga, Marbella, Granada, Ronda, Córdoba, Sevilla or El Caminito del Rey and still make it home to cook dinner, put the children to bed and relax for the evening. Carmen was a wonderful host and very attentive to us. She gave us great suggestions on restaurants and where to shop for food. Casabermeja has the necessities near by such as grocery shopping and restaurants. We were all very pleased with our experience and our only regret was not having another week to spend at Lagar los Pilones. We definitely would recommend it to family and friends and hope to return some day.

Lara
06/08/2022

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.

Christina
05/04/2015

Thank you for a wonderful stay! I would recommend this place in an instant. We spent easter here, a family of three generations, and it was beyond our expectations. WOOW was the first thing we said as we walked into the property. The pictures are beautiful, but it is even more magnificent in real life. The scenery, the house, the sunset, the view, the pool, the beautiful and well-kept interior… And Carmen was such a pleasant and caring host. We fell in love with this place and want to return, again and again. xx Christina

Steffen
20/10/2022

Great experience

Ohad
31/07/2021

This house is absolutely gorgeous and we truly recommend it! The photos are not even close to reality! Carmen and her family are the best hosts one could wish for, kind, attentive and generous! We spend an amazing summer at the house, it’s location is really unique, close to all Andalusia’s best destinations, but at the same secluded and so so beautiful! Thank you again Carmen and family!!!

Eric
21/06/2018

Carmen was a wonderful host, and her family's property in Spain is beautiful. You should know that to get to the villa, you drive for about 10 minutes up a mountain on a gravel road. Its a bit of an adventure, but that was part of what we loved about it. Once you get there you are staying in a historical villa in the mountains. It has modern amenities like AC and a pool, but the feel is rustic and authentic. It was very comfortable for two families of 4. The kids loved it as much as the adults. Takes about 30 minutes to drive to Malaga. A great experience.

Sebastien
28/10/2018

Notre séjour chez Ma Carmen a surpassé toutes nos attentes. La vue de la maison est à couper le souffle. Les odeurs de chèvre-feuille, anneth et de fleurs abondent le domicile. Nous avons séjourner une semaine en groupe de 8 et ce fut tout simplement magique. Ma Carmen est très réactive à nos demandes et fait des pieds et des mains pour que nous puissions passer des vacances parfaites. Merci pour tout!

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!

Kelley
22/03/2019

We had a lovely time at the house on the hill! It was easy to have a group of people stay as there is lots of outdoor and indoor space for people to have their own space. Considering the time of year it was wonderful that they provided us with wood for an indoor fire and also the bbq. When we arrived there were flowers in all of the rooms which was a thoughtful touch that went along with the nicely appointed house. There was nothing that we needed that wasn't provided. I would love to go back !

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!

Susann
08/05/2022

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.

Kelley
22/03/2019

We had a lovely time at the house on the hill! It was easy to have a group of people stay as there is lots of outdoor and indoor space for people to have their own space. Considering the time of year it was wonderful that they provided us with wood for an indoor fire and also the bbq. When we arrived there were flowers in all of the rooms which was a thoughtful touch that went along with the nicely appointed house. There was nothing that we needed that wasn't provided. I would love to go back !

Anna Sara
08/01/2016

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!

James
22/08/2015

We had a fantastic stay at Carmen's house for a week this summer. The house is beautiful, very quite and secluded in the hills with a fantastic swimming pool that was perfect to relax by during the day. Sadly Carmen was away for the week of our stay but her lovely friend Eva was on hand to help us. She met us in the local village to drive us directly to the house and was always available to ask any questions we had. She told us about the best restaurants in the local village, what festivals were taking place and where we could visit during our stay. Some of our friends arrived later or left early and she was happy to organize taxis for them from the airport (even at 4am!) The house itself is very comfortable and beautifully decorated. Carmen had made sure it was extremely clean for when we arrived all the bedrooms were extremely comfortable in both of the houses. There were a number of outside areas where we could eat and the terrace outside is beautiful for evening drinks as the sunsets! As the house is very secluded, there was no worry of being disturbed (or disturbing anyone!) at all on our holiday but it was very easy and quick to head in to Malaga which we did on a couple of occasions. The local village had a lovely butcher and we were able to prepare some delicious meals in the kitchen and have a very memorable birthday supper for one of our friends. We would all highly recommend Carmen to anyone who wants to stay. She and Eva were fantastic hosts who made our holiday extra special. Thank you so much!

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.

Anna Sara
08/01/2016

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!

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 🙂

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