Hilltop Hideaway (Casa Brazos Abiertos) is a luxurious villa offering breathtaking views and heavenly scenery. You can spend lazy days around the pool and still be in an ideal location to visit some of the world's best historical sites: Alhambra Palace & Cordoba's Mezquita etc. We have six large luxury bedrooms, each has flat screen monitor/DVD, luxury bedlinen and beautiful wet rooms. We are open all year round and have a meal delivery service. Brazos Abiertos is fully accessible to any guest. It's perfect for daytrips to Cordoba, Granada, Malaga and Seville Just minutes from Iznajar Village, bars, restaurants and lake side beach. The views are stunning from all around the house. Local bars, restaurants and shops and the fabulous lake of Iznajar are just a few minutes away. At the lakeside there is a huge beach where you can swim or hire pedaloes.
We stayed at the Hilltop Hideaway from 4-11th of June 2022. We were with 8 adults and 3 children and used both the house (ground floor) and appartment (first floor). The appartment was great for the family with children. The swimmingpool is great, especially for families with little children. We had a wonderful time, the views on the surroundings are very nice. And the good sunny wheather added to a very enjoyable family holiday.
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Date of stay: June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I stayed here for several days in October 2018 and had a lovely time. The property is well kept and pretty, inside and out. Hilltop Hideaway is located a 10 minute drive into the hills, making it perfect for a secluded family getaway, and as it has 6 rooms, it's ideal also for bigger families! Despite the secluded location, the property is only a short drive from Iznajar, which has a pleasant beach, a dramatic castle and many winding streets to explore. For day trips, Hilltop Hideaway is located an easy one hour drive from Granada, Malaga and Cordoba - so you can combine a relaxed holiday away from it all, with some stunning day trips. There is a grocery store a 10 minute drive from the property, and spectacular views everywhere, over olive groves.
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Date of stay: October 2018
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Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It took us longer to get to the meeting point due to getting on the wrong road but once we arrived at the meeting place Claire was extremely welcoming, we followed her up a long single track road to the villa, where she spent time explaining where we could find everything, what is around in the local area and what to do if we either needed anything. There was a problem with the water supply while we were there and they were having to use well water which was fine for washing but not for drinking. We were provided with big bottles of water to use and when we were running out we rang Claire and more was bought up to us the same day. The Villa was lovely, with the reception room leading out to the terrace on one side and the four double bedroom leading off from the other side of the reception room. All the rooms that you use are on the ground floor, so accessibility is not a problem. We had a wheelchair bound member in our party so had hired a hoist and bathroom chair which worked really well. The only problem we did find was the bed was very hard for someone that was used to an air mattress but Julie was a star, when we mentioned the problem she gave us 2 mega large duvets which we doubled over so his bed was mega soft, in fact we all wanted to sleep in that bed it was so comfortable. The bedrooms were totally adequate for a holiday stay, (plenty of coat hangers which is a plus), I liked the fact that the rooms and walk in showers were colour co-ordinated, a nice touch. You need to be extremely careful from going from the shower to the bedroom we put the shower mat at the dividing door so we could make sure out feet were fully dried before walking onto the bedroom tiles as these tiles were mega slippery. The villa was fully kitted out with everything you need to prepare food/drinks. We had a few meals from Bar Verde who deliver the food hot and ready to eat around 6:30pm, (the Paella was exceptional), a warning the portions are huge so order for one less person than you actually need and you will still have plenty of food to go round. A bread man comes every morning so you can get fresh loaf daily for 1.50 euro. The nearest supermarket is in Rute very easy to find, you drive down from the villa to the main road turn right and follow the sign to Rute takes about 10 minutes. You must keep to the speed limits as the police will stop and fine you if you exceed them. The Chinese shop which sells anything plastic ideal for pool toys is on the main road through Rute you will see a big Red Chinese sign on the left hand side open until 2pm then closes for lunch reopens around 5. The supermarket 'Mercadona' is a couple of blocks further on again on the left hand side just past a set of traffic lights, parking is underground so be careful on approaching the entrance. The produce was fresh and well displayed and we had no problem with purchasing food we all liked to self cater on the days we did not eat out, they are open all day they do not close for siesta. We found the villa too far away from the village to walk, so found we needed to drive if we went out, so unfortunately we did not explore as much as we would have liked, but to be honest we were more than happy to sit and chill by the pool. We spent a lot of time in and around the pool, the children loved it. There were loungers provided to sit on by the poolside, beach towels were also provided. The pool has lights that go on around 9pm which meant that one night the children stayed up just to swim in the pool with the lights on. The deep end of the pool is around waist height, perfect for children and adequate for adults to have a float around. We used the hoist at the pool every day, it is very easy to use but just be careful when you lower the hoist that someone is in the pool to guide the chair as it is inclined to tip back slightly when lowered into the water, also when you raise the hoist get someone to steer the chair until feet are above the surrounding pool area for safety. We did go down to the beach but it is totally unsuitable for a wheelchair bound person, people had parked on the beach but it was very hit and miss as to where to park and we ended up parking under the trees and the children and I walked down to the water, there was no way we could have pushed a wheelchair on the sand. We only had one downside to the whole holiday and that was that we couldn't use the terrace as each time we sat outside with either a drink or food we were inundated with wasps, some of them were really aggressive giving us no choice but to go inside. We did find if we put on the fan inside this seemed to deter them from following us into the main part of the house, in the courtyard which is the centre of the bedroom area we had a few wasps so just be careful as they fly around at ankle height, what we did was make sure all the bedroom doors were kept closed both during the day and night so did not have any problems. We could have just been unlucky or it could have been the time of year that they breed either way it was a nuisance that we could have done without. Overall we had a lovely time and would certainly recommend the villa for a quiet relaxing holiday, the owners and staff were extremely helpful as were all the local people we met. I gave it a star rating of 4 because of the wasps they really were a nuisance.
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Date of stay: August 2016
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Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Â All bedrooms are in the courtyard, so you only need to choice sunrise or sunset.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We wanted a beautiful location, lovely accommodation, excellent food, donkeys, a cat and visiting dog. Add to that the wonderful hospitality of Julie and Sheelagh and we had a wonderful week's holiday. Yes we add ourselves to those who will return.
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Date of stay: March 2012
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â All excellent.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If you are looking to stay at a quiet, secluded place off the beaten track, accessible via a small winding road, to enjoy days by the pool or driving to explore local towns and monuments, then Casa Brazos Abiertos may be the place for you. We had the perfect honeymoon! It is more like a family run villa than a hotel overlooking acres of olive groves in the beautiful surrounding hills and tiny white villages.
‘Casa Brazos Abiertos’ translates as the house of open arms, a well chosen name for such a welcoming place. Julie and Sheila, who set up and run it, have judged well the balance between being being helpful and leaving guests to themselves. They were always happy to give help and advice whilst remaining discreet. We even enjoyed a pleasant aperitif together with on the quiet terrace and tasted the delicious local olive oil and vinegars.
Food: We ate at Casa Brazos Abiertos a few times and relished exquisite dishes ranging from salads with local goats cheese, nuts and freshly picked figs, to tasty local cheese wrapped in Spanish ham to lamb tagine. They were most accommodating of my dairy intolerance, buying in soya milk and altering the evening menu accordingly. Just let Julie know if you want to eat in.
On other evenings, Julie recommended local restaurants serving delicious food: At the Beach bar I started with a plate of 12 enormous prawns in garlic and oil- such copious servings that I had to ask for the main to be a ‘racion’ (small portion). We also sat outside the restaurant at the end of the main road and enjoyed excellent veal and fish. The food was excellent and setting at both restaurants is rural and not smart, although I am sure if you are looking for a more upmarket dining experience then Julie would be able to recommend somewhere.
Breakfast is served – a variety of cooked options, cereal, fresh local fruit, toast – I highly recommend Sheila’s delicious homemade marmalade! We also enjoyed lunches at local tapas bars in Iznajar (ridiculously cheap) and Salinas after horseriding through olive groves, or bought cold lunch at a local shop to keep in the fridge and help ourselves to.
Drink: We went out the last night in the nearby town of Rute, getting a prebooked local taxi (return 30Euros), and had a lovely evening enjoying lively bars. The place is secluded and the stars are beautiful in the evening – we planned to lie on the sun loungers and do some stargazing but invariably enjoyed too much wine / spirits (the help yourself honesty bar was ideal), and never managed to do so. Perhaps we will do so when we go back for a holiday or long weekend?!
We spent a day in Cordoba (approx. 1hour drive – good directions from Julie) after exploring the stunning Mesquita and winding streets. Granada is another interesting day trip. Also a day on the local, almost empty beach, swimming in the enormous lake, as a few locals fished, played guitar or threw sticks for dogs.
My favourite day was a visit to Iznajar, where the locals say hello to you! For 4euros we were given an in depth tour of the little local castle, amazing church and library and great insight into local history. The town is beautiful and un-spoilt (if rather hilly for a wheelchair user – although the access was surprisingly good in terms of ramps).
Access at Casa Brazos Abiertos allowed me to be entirely independent as a wheelchair user. There are automatic sliding doors, windows low enough for me to open, wetroom, wheeled shower chair, grab rails by the toilet, good sink, pool hoist (pool is approx. 1m deep – check with Julie). Level access from pool to house and slight hill to massage yurt (however you spell that)
Massage: We both enjoyed full body massages, organized by Julie, with a local English woman called Sarah who offers a variety of beauty and massage treatments.
Reiki: The other couple staying and my husband and I had reiki and all experienced a variety of positive results.
Perhaps we were lucky that the other couple staying was delightful, but we were sad to leave and are keen to go back. Thank you Julie and Sheila!
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Date of stay: September 2011
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julie & Sheelagh are wonderful hosts who spend time with their guests. They are excellent at making you feel comfortable and will make detailed suggestions about day visits to other towns in the area.
The rooms are spacious, brightly colored, and the shared sitting room, library, and bar area is large. It is fully handicap accessible facility, and has a wonderful pool. The TV in the sitting room area has at least a dozen english speaking satellite channels. The WIFI works everywhere on the property.
The area is agricultural with olives being the primary crop. It is a beautiful mountainous region full of flowers and olive trees. The house has a large terrace with wonderful views. We spent four peaceful evenings there enjoying some wine and reviewing the day.
Breakfast is provided each day. Dinner can be ordered in advance. Julie puts on her Chef's coat and prepares a great meal. Sheelagh performs the duties of waiter. It was very special.
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Date of stay: May 2011
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â There are four rooms and all are equal.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If you want to get away from the crowds and relax in a beautiful villa which is well set up for wheelchair users , this is the place.
It has level access throughout, wet rooms and a pool hoist. The views are fabulous and there is plenty of space for 8 people to enjoy.
Some of the local restaurants are accessible with toilet facilities and you can easily drive to Córdoba and Granada, which are well worth the visit.
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Date of stay: July 2017Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We hired the villa for two weeks for a family holiday bringing together my son and his family (and me) from Scotland and my daughter and her family from Vermont in the USA. This was a perfect choice for us. As a wheelchair user, the villa and the pool was completely accessible for me. There is a very user friendly hoist at the pool. Julie, Claire and Peter were on the end of the phone whenever needed. Peter went out of his way to be helpful when we arrived with no provisions late on Saturday. It is a very rural location high in the hills above Iznajar though there is a beach at Iznajar with pedalos and kayaks. I do hope we can repeat this holiday in the future.
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Date of stay: July 2016Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our family with two small children spent one week in this house. We would not describe it as a luxurious but nice house. Some small details were not told to us in advance, for example no Spanish TV channels were available and the garden seemed to be in an unfinished condition. Many restrictions were given that did not help our living there with children full of energy. Nice views and bedroom and quiet location.
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Date of stay: May 2015Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Again a lovely carefree holiday. Our fellow guests contributed to enjoyable first half of our 10 day stay, Julie and Sheelagh our hosts made sure we enjoyed the whole holiday as usual. Donkeys, cat and visiting dog added to the pleasure. . Beautiful views, sunsets and night skies. Food excellent. By the way the visiting dog is now going to be ours!
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Date of stay: September 2012
Value
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â We like the Spring Room, it faces east and you can see the morning star.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
"Even people who have problems with there mobility are there welcome. Very great bathrooms.
Even in the swimmingpool is there a lift for such people. For the rest 4 likely rooms."
There are more places to choose from in the Iznajar area.
LOCATION
SpainAndaluciaProvince of CordobaIznajar
NUMBER OF ROOMS
6
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Frequently Asked Questions about Hilltop Hideaway (Brazos Abiertos Casa Rural)
Which popular attractions are close to Hilltop Hideaway (Brazos Abiertos Casa Rural)?
Nearby attractions include Los Museos del aguardiente anisado de Rute y Espana (4.8 miles), Museo del Anis (4.9 miles), and Castillo de Iznajar (2.8 miles).
Is Hilltop Hideaway (Brazos Abiertos Casa Rural) accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access, reduced mobility rooms, and facilities for disabled guests. For specific inquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.
