Falling for Válor
Ginny left home in the UK to move to Válor, Spain, a quiet
municipility and a million miles from her life at home. To see
a list of her properties click here.
H
OW DOES VÁLOR compare to other parts of
Spain? Válor is completely different to the more
traditional coastal destinations offering a taste of
the real Spain. It can be a little like stepping back
in time, some of the older farmers still plough with
oxen, family is everything and crime unknown. It’s not only a great
place to holiday but a thriving all year round local community
making it perfect for out of season holidays or over-wintering.
What you won’t find is full English breakfasts, Sunday roasts or
international coffee and burger chains but I think the greatest
recommendation for the area is the number of people who fall
under its spell and return year after year or even buy their own
slice of paradise here.
H
OW DO THE locals react to hol-
idaymakers
in
the
area?
As tourism is relatively low key the locals have a
genuine interest in people visiting the area and
are welcoming and generous. We are regularly
asked about the guests staying at the various houses and have
had numerous occasions where the locals have really gone out
of their way to help out our visitors or have just been extremely
generous with gifts of produce from their gardens or a free drink
in the bar. If you have a few words of Spanish it’s always greeted
with a warm smile.
W
H AT M A D E YO U
decide to buy prop-
erty in Spain?
We were looking to move
abroad for a more relaxed
lifestyle in a sunnier climate but didn’t want to
be part of the typical ex-pat lifestyle found in so
many places. We fell in love with Las Alpujarras
on our first visit when passing through the
area on our way to view a house in northern
Andalucia. We knew immediately that this was
where we were meant to be, cancelled the
appointment and we’re still in love with the area
11 years later!
10 Clickstay
June 2017
O
NE OF YOUR renters wrote that
“the attention to detail by Terry
and Ginny was the best we have
ever experienced on a self-cater-
ing holiday.” – So how do you
make sure each property is ready for a renter ?
I do most of the cleaning myself and this hands on
approach means that I (hopefully) spot any maintenance
issues or missing items immediately. My husband, Terry,
looks after the pools and outside areas and is Mr Fix-It
himself. We pride ourselves on offering well equipped
houses and strive to make sure that everything is as we
would like it to be if we were the ones arriving.
W
H AT W O U L D Y O U r e c o m -
mend for people to do in Válor?
Everybody should enjoy the tapas expe-
rience at least once on their holiday, you
just can’t beat chilling with a glass of
wine and a tasty morsel taking in the view and watching the
world go by! If you’re lucky enough to be here mid-Septem-
ber there’s the Fiesta of Moors & Christians which takes place
over four days with parades, live music, dancing and, the high-
light, a re-enactment of the battle for the Alhambra complete
with muskets and horses charging round the village square. In
December there’s the expo in Ugijar showcasing all the local
artisan products of the area, cheeses, honey, jamon, chorizo,
chocolate and wine are all available for sampling and purchase.
On a quieter note you can picnic next to the stream under the old
roman bridge or at Cuesta Viñas where you can try the amazing
naturally carbonated spring water. There are also numerous local
walks, many of which enter the natural park adjoining the village.
Feel free to help yourself to the figs, pomegranites, mulberries,
asparagus and almonds which grow wild along the way or simply
wallow in the scent of the wild rosemary.
B
UT THE BEST thing about Válor is the pace
of life, you just can’t help slowing down and
relaxing and after all, that’s what holidays are
all about!
ABOVE
RIGHT: Ginny and her
husband in Spain.
LEFT: Property 70887
RIGHT
Pictures taken from
properties 8699,
70887 and 196166
June 2017
Clickstay
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