Airbnbs in Andalucía
For the first few days of my vacation, a few girlfriends and I went to the lake. I will not be linking to that airbnb because we stayed pretty far from the location where I wanted to be. It was a nice place, and we had no problems, but I wouldn’t stay there again or recommend it simply because it was too far away. We had a scheduling issue that fouled up our original location (Ruidera) and ended up staying at least 30 minutes away.
From there I went to Antequera. I stayed here for four days. I’ll be honest, four days is too long in Antequera; there just wasn’t that much to see or do. But, this was my favorite airbnb of the whole two weeks! (Keep in mind, I have no control over what the prices are currently--I got my trip at a serious discount). Why did I love it? That view! That pool (photo below)! That fresh patio each morning for breakfast and each evening for dinner! It also felt the most like a real home. There were a few drawbacks: due to ancient plumbing, you couldn’t flush the toilet paper. Instead there was a small trash can near the toilet. It was hard to remember after years of habit, but I began my missions career in a country with similar restrictions, so I wasn’t too grossed out. I remembered the system of daily emptying the garbage outside in a dumpster, and went on with life. It’s not THAT big a deal.
The other drawback was the location; now, don’t get me wrong, the view is amazing, and the location is a blessing in some ways--you’re at the highest point of Antequera! But there’s not really parking available at the door, (it’s a steep street with residents already parked narrowly there) so I had to use a plaza 35 steps uphill from the apartment. Again, not a huge big deal, but if you’re carrying a lot of luggage… 35 steps up and down gets old pretty quick. But the perks outweighed the inconvenience. Antonio was an incredible host; he was a true Andaluz, so friendly and outgoing, it was like he’d been my best friend for years. He was the only one of the trip to meet me in person and show me around the whole apartment, making sure I felt safe and confident about the random details, like turning on the shower or when/where the trash goes out.
After Antequera, I drove less than two hours to Ronda. Ronda is a Spanish DREAM. I saw it on Pinterest boards before I ever moved to Spain, and for good reason: that bridge over the deep gorge is hard to forget and photographs so dramatically day or night. I stayed here for four days. This place was rather a surprise to me. I’d seen the listing and the good reviews, but I was still completely unprepared for what I ended up with. While the building is sparkling clean and new, my apartment was in the attic, so I took the elevator to the top and then walked (lugged all my stuff) up a set of stairs to the lone room at the top, like Cinderella in the tower. It didn’t have a great view, and most of the apartment felt claustrophobic. It was bare, but again, CLEAN and new. They texted that the key to my room would be left in the door for me, and that was my welcome to Apartamentos Avanel. Also the “street parking” apparently meant: there are streets and people park on them. But I had to circle 8 times, widening the radius each time, until I ended up parking blocks away, and then, yes, lugging all my stuff through the streets like a vagabond. Over the next four days, anytime I drove out of the city (like when I went to the coast), I’d have to repeat that process. Eventually on the third night, I found a spot miraculously right down the corner from the airbnb. And I resolved to go nowhere for the rest of the time there, so I didn’t lose that precious spot. Now, why would I give you the link, if my experience was less than wonderful? The location is just a few blocks from the New Bridge! Everything I wanted to see or do in town was super close. And, again, the pool was a huge selling point. In fact, it wasn’t just the pool; the view out over the city was stunning in the early morning light or with the sunset. I was prepared to forgive a lot for that view, as I lay on a lounge chair, dripping from my dip in the pool (below).
From there I finished up my airbnb trip with an apartment in Córdoba here with good reviews based mainly on the location. This was a kind of a weird one, though. I communicated with the host a few days before my arrival that I’d be hiking all day and would probably arrive around 6 pm, and he wrote back, “Good! The later the better that day! I’ve got an appointment I can’t change that afternoon.”
Then on the actual day, I texted, “Well, after all my hiking, it looks like I’m still on track for 6 pm.” And he wrote back, “Can it be any later?” It was 5 pm at the time, and I’d just finished up an all-day hike. I was sweaty and exhausted. So, NO, dude, I’m on my way. In a long series of texts, he informed me that he was still out of town and couldn’t get back in time, but he’d arrange a friend to meet me and let me in--but here’s the weird part: she was still cleaning the place, and it wouldn’t be ready for me. I graciously suggested that I could stop by the grocery store (buying 30 minutes or so) before arriving. But even then, she wasn’t finished cleaning. So I awkwardly put away groceries while she flew through making the beds, wiping down surfaces, and the most awkward--- mopping the floor of the living room around me as I flopped on the couch, texting my parents that I’d made it safely to Córdoba. But I did NOT care at that point. I was DONE for the day.
So, would I stay there again or recommend it? YES, and here’s why. It’s literally half a block away from the Roman bridge, and includes a free garage space! I never had to move my car, and I was easily in and out of the Old City every day, steps away from La Mezquita and other major sites. Perhaps my favorite aspect (and one he doesn’t even advertise) is that the river area is all landscaped with beautiful swaths of grass and flowers and walking trails, so within half a block, I also had no excuse not to get my miles for the day!
The biggest drawback to this location was that it was not soundproofed well, so I heard all the street traffic and dogs barking, but a loud white noise app on my phone helped that.
17 nights in 4 airbnbs in August in Spain: $827 dollars or 692 euros. I felt like I did well.