Bio-climatic apartment in Andalusia

Rental description

Umberto and his young family from Barcelona fell in love with this old agricultural estate (“cortijo”) located in the natural park of Cabo de Gata-Níjar, about ten km from the sea and not far from the city of Almerìa.

This isolated and beautiful environment seemed to them the ideal place to realize their sustainable life project and share it with their guests.

The farm, which has been completely eco-renovated, now offers two bioclimatic apartments. You can enjoy the calm and beauty of nature in the garden or in the old “tenada”, which is laid out on three terraces on different levels, including one with a swimming pool (open from June 1 to September 30).

The apartments are equipped with modern comfort and tastefully decorated.
Parking and free Wi-Fi connection are available in all facilities.

The large apartment of 53 m² can accommodate up to 6 people. The accommodation consists of 2 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, living room-kitchen and shaded terrace of over 20 m2.

Sustainability criteria

Eco-rehabilitation and bio-climatic architecture

The estate was rehabilitated in 2010 following the principles of bioclimatic architecture and using ecological materials such as earth, hemp, lime.

Umberto and his wife Almudena, an architect in sustainable construction, made the most of the orientation and position of the buildings, on top of a small hill. This elevated location offers :

- a drier enclave in a valley that is very humid in winter,
- spectacular views of the valley in all directions,
- an optimization of the solar cycle

Hot water, electricity and underfloor heating are provided by solar panels and an LPG boiler support.

Water management in a semi-arid environment

The first reflex for good water management is to reduce consumption. This is possible via :

- Technology: installation of diffusers on taps, placement of vacuum tanks, leak detectors, even dry toilets.
- Awareness: water is a scarce resource in many latitudes and must be used correctly.

We only need 10% drinking water. For other needs, we can use water from other sources, recycled water or rainwater.

Thus, in addition to tanks and rainwater collection facilities, it is necessary to separate black water (which comes from toilets and kitchen sinks) from grey water (which comes from sinks, showers and bidets). Water from showers (“grey water”) is purified and used, for example, to water the garden.

Respect for the original spirit of the place and convenience.

In the past, the tenada was a stone enclosure used to herd cattle. It has been renovated, the stone walls have been recovered and the unevenness of the land has been used to divide the space into three terraces on different levels.

This tenada is the friendly place par excellence, where you can have lunch or dinner, sunbathe, refresh yourself in the pool or contemplate the splendid sunsets. It is the best place to observe the stars in the pure sky of the Valle del Hornillo.