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!!

We loved staying at Carmen's place in the mountains. We were two families with 3 children, aged 9, 6 and 2 years old and we had lots of space and everything we needed and more at the house. Carmen was the perfect hostess we did not want for anything. We would highly recommend this property.

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!

Wonderful place, very quiet and relax. We stayed here with the whole family (8 adults and 2 kids). The road to the house is steep, but good to reach by car. The house has a lot of beautiful old characteristic features. It is located on a hill overlooking the beautiful scenery. The house is separated in two houses and offers five (two person) bedrooms, all with their own bathroom with a bath. Is was very tidy and clean. The outside of the house provides a large garden with swimming pool. The pool is clean, and provides 6 beds for sunbathing. There is a trampoline for the kids in the garden. There are about 9 places around the house where they have some nice areas to sit. Next to the house, there is a large dining table outside. On the other side of the house is a BBQ and an outside pizza oven. Carmen showed us the way to the house and explained everything (in Spanish). She was kind and helpful and stayed in contact during the week through whatsapp. We really enjoyed our stay in this lovely house.

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!

Great experience

Beautiful place , breath taking views.Easy acess to points of interest. Grocery store and butcher store. Not far to the beach . Toys for children .

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!!!

El lugar te desconecta de todo. Es como haber tenido dos vacaciones.

We had the pleasure of staying almost 3 weeks at this beatiful site - we had a wonderful stay and can reccomend it for every family who seek a Remote location, with great view and facilities. The place demands you to relax and has all the things a family need to have a great vacation. We especially want to point out the great service Carmen provided for us - this is out of the ordinary and was it possible to give more than 5 stars, we had certainly done it.

The views from the Villa are amazing and worth the visit.

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.

This is an amazing place if you want to get away from the usual tourist experience. It is quite isolated but the house and the views ensure you completely relax. Carmen is a wonderful host. She is caring and helpful but not intrusive. The house is beautiful and has so many different places for eating and chilling that you can find your own space if you want it. Ideal for a big family or a group of friends who want to get away from it all.

Excellent séjour en famille (10 personnes) maison accueillante avec une âme, panorama exceptionnel.calme repos et quiétude des lieux .Excellent départ pour visiter l'Andalousie ou rester au calme dans ce nid d aigle. Surtout vous apprécierez l'accueil de Mme Carmen, sa gentillesse. N’hésitez surtout pas à lui demander conseil sur le choix d'un jambon ibérico de belota,d'un queso de cabra. MERCI MME CARMEN

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.

We LOVED our stay @ Carmens Villa! The views are unreal & go on n on for miles! It's away from everything, but only about 7-10 minute drive to the market, gas, butcher & the local Pueblo there in town, & about a 30-45 minute drive to all the amazing beaches in the area! Carmen met us in town & showed us the market, & waited for us to pick up a few things (although she had a few things there for us already too:) & then had us follow her up to the villa, which was great since it'd be a bit tricky to find on our own. Carmen had fresh flowers that smelled SO sweet in each of the bedrooms, showed us all that we needed to know & gave us a brief history on her familys renovated winery (so cool:) The wifi was way fast! & we always had hot water for our showers, which was great! The beds, linens & towels were first class, & the furnishing & decor were true to the style of home. One of the best rooms in the villa is the covered pergola full of grapevines, it was so nice eating outside & enjoying the views & the breeze (it gets chilly @ night) Carmen also has several cozy nooks through out the property, each w/a different view of the countryside, it was so fun finding them & relaxing for a bit. I can't say enough good about staying here & about the hostess, she was wonderful & so was our stay!

This is an amazing place if you want to get away from the usual tourist experience. It is quite isolated but the house and the views ensure you completely relax. Carmen is a wonderful host. She is caring and helpful but not intrusive. The house is beautiful and has so many different places for eating and chilling that you can find your own space if you want it. Ideal for a big family or a group of friends who want to get away from it all.

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. 🙂

Great place to stay with a magnificent view!

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.