For sale direct from the owners! This charming, detached villa is located on the edge of the small village of Arroyo de la Plata. The area is quiet and unspoilt but actually has a number of local amenities including four bar/restaurants with one of them baking its own bread. This makes it the perfect environment for a peaceful life but within walking distance of facilities. The house is registered and certified as “urban” with all the amenities provided. It also comes with a Cédula Urbanistica from the local town hall. It is in a wonderful position, being just 31 miles from Seville, 25 miles from Aracena and 60 miles from the Portuguese border, in the famous black pig country. The house itself is well presented and makes for a comfortable year-round home with air conditioning, double glazing throughout, and a big enclosed log fire in the main living room. The layout provides flexibility with all the accommodation on one floor – there is an internal patio surrounded by the main house, the artist’s studio, a home office, garage and storeroom. The artist’s studio faces north to provide the best light for painting. It also has a double sink and plenty of lighting so is the perfect space for a variety of art interests including painting and pottery. There is a door at the rear of the house from the home office that leads out through a side gate directly into the countryside, leading down to the Guadiamar River. There are designated footpaths for ramblers. The house comes with 4 good size bedrooms, 3 with substantial wardrobes for storage, 2 bathrooms and a generous living room with feature fireplace and a well fitted kitchen. Outside, there are terraces, one to the front and one to the side overlooking the pool. The latter has it’s own built in barbecue. These terraces allow for the enjoyment of sun or shade as required. This really connects the house to the gardens – with an olive grove, fruit trees and a separate vegetable area. The garden has its own well that has never run dry and provides for unlimited watering, and filling of the large swimming pool – a great way to save money! The house is provided with all necessary comforts including: ♦ Spacious accommodation all on one level ♦ Covered outside terraces with plenty of space for relaxing and dining ♦ Delightful gardens with trees, planted areas and separate vegetable garden ♦ Large swimming pool, fenced and gated to protect small children and pets from entering ♦ Garage, storeroom, interior patio with fountain and a roof top sun terrace with wonderful country views ♦ Double glazed windows equipped with fly/mosquito screens ♦ Air/Con throughout – hot and cold! Plus a large inset log fire in the living room ♦ Mains water plus well water, mains electric and mains drainage ♦ Digital Terrestrial TV, Internet, and TV Satellite dish ♦ The kitchen comes with ceramic hob, an eye level electric oven, refrigerator, Bosch dishwasher and washing machine. Above the oven, there is a built-in cupboard to house a microwave Outside space, gardens and pool The garden has been terraced into 6 flat areas and provides room for sun and shade, with flowers, vegetables and trees. The trees include oranges, lemons, figs, pomegranates, pears, almond, apple and, a persimmon and an olive grove. There are flowers and shrubs, a pergola with a grape vine, and a separate vegetable area. The house has a raised position, on the edge of the village with clear unspoiled views at the rear over the Guadiamar valley and open countryside; the front faces the village across a creek. The swimming pool is a good size and is totally private. Arroyo de la Plata and El Castillo de las Guardas This is an area that thrives on livestock farming and its proximity to Seville and the Portuguese border – the area has long been a popular area to escape the heat of Seville and to enjoy a more traditional and relaxed country life. The local town with health centre, schools, bank, shops, markets, chemist etc is El Castillo de las Guardas, which is 5 miles away. The surrounding country is mostly evergreen cork and holm oaks and pasture for bulls, cows, goats, black pigs and sheep, and covered with wild flowers in spring. The climate is typically Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers and warm winters with rain in autumn and spring, and although there are occasional early morning frosts in the winter, they soon disappear as the sun rises. The area is also a haven for anybody with an interest in walking trails, and in wildlife, especially bird watching – the more unusual sightings include booted eagles, vultures, golden orioles, goldfinches, white and black storks, hoopoes, azure-winged magpies, kingfishers, serins, siskins, wagtails, nuthatches, nightingales, bee-eaters, and black redstarts. The Doñana wetland bird sanctuary is close by, just South of Seville. Summary This villa is large with spacious rooms and a tiled garage. It offers great flexibility, the best of both worlds – a quiet environment within walking distance of local amenities. It is also perfect for those who enjoy walking, gardening, painting and/or writing who also want the benefit of an international airport and high speed rail connections close by. On the border with Huelva province and 65 miles from Portugal, it is about an hour by car to the nearest beach, and 2 hours by car to the Algarve. It is also excellent gastronomically, especially for local Iberian pork, wild boar, venison, wild mushrooms, fruit and vegetables.