We have just returned from a brilliant hiking holiday based at Hotel Los Castanos. Di and John made us feel really welcome from the moment of our arrival. Breakfasts are healthy and nourishing with superb eggs - needed for hikes with some up and down in them. Dinners were really good and varied, some Moroccan some Spanish, and with the... More

We stayed just 2 nights/3 days in this wonderfully small and intimate Hotel but regretted that we had not stayed longer. Our visit was perfect in every way, the Hotel offered great food and included everything one would want. Perfect as a base to explore the surrounding countryside whether walking or driving. We thoroughly recommend this as a great place... More

We spent 9 days in this wonderful Andalucian retreat enjoying some amazing walking in the local area and the wonderful hospitality of Di and John. From our somewaht late arrival on the first night we were made to feel more than welcome. Our lovely room overlooking the rooftops of the whitewashed village was delightful - light, airy, comfortable and clean.... More

We were walking for four days through the Andalusians when, on our last night, we knocked on the door of a most spacious and thoughtful home which happened to be our hotel for the night. It was raining lightly. Di welcomed us at the door and led us to our room. The hotels we had stayed in had been marvelous,... More

After the hustle and bustle of Granada over Easter weekend, it was a blessing to return to Los Castanos for a couple of days of walking, fantastic food and great company. While initially wary about returning to somewhere which had been so great when we first visited, we were reassured the moment we walked into this fantastic hotel in the... More

The hotel gives the feeling of a sumptuous retreat, melding moorish and spanish cultures admirably. It is clear that this is a labor of love. It was a welcome respite after a busy trip in the southern cities of Spain. We spent one night and had the place to ourselves. I easily could have stayed for more than a day... More

I think that everyone who is looking for a secluded, quiet relaxation should visit this hotel! But I can't even call Los Castanos the "hotel", because it makes you feel at home ... you can feel the "smell" of privacy when you get on the road leading to Cartajima (Cartajima - a small village in the mountains, just a few... More

I stayed in Los Castanos for four nights, and used it for a base for walking. Di and John provided written guides for local walks, each with a different route, terrain and natural surroundings. Nearby Ronda is an easy drive (along a mountain road), and the village of Cartajima itself is just beautiful. The details make the hotel great (beds,... More

My wife and I produced Travel Documentary Films around the world for thirty-five years. We still love to travel just off the beaten path to discover those proverbial “Diamonds in the Rough” that bring distant cultures into more distinct focus. The tiny Pueblos Blancos (“whitewashed villages”) breathing the pure Serrania de Ronda mountain air of southern Spain are a wonderful... More