Vacation Rental Description
The house El Acebo is a small semi-detached house, 80 sqm -living space: 60 sqm- (1 sqm aprox. = 10 sqft) with garden, built in the 19th century in wood and stone.
The living quarters are on one floor with:
Entrance hall
Fully equipped kitchen/dining area , with freezer, fridge, cooking stove, microwave, oven, washing machine , dish washer, mixer, toaster, electrical coffee pot, kettle, iron, ironing board, etc.
One bedroom with double bed and TV.
One bedroom with double bed.
One bedroom with bunk bed (tow single beds).
The living room has satellite TV with Spanish and international channels, DVD player and stereo system with cd player, radio and audio tape player.
One bathroom with bath, with hairdryer and with a wall mounted towel warmer with built-in convection heater, to dry and warm towels.
Notes:
Central heating.
Satellite TV.
One baby cot (ask for it before your arrival).
Available to rent from 2 nights, except in July and August, which are full week-only rentals from Saturday to Saturday. Discounts for 2 week stays except in August.
Bed linen and towels provided.
Outside: garden with barbecue, garden furniture, tow deckchairs and parasol.
Area Description
The house El Acebo is a small semi-detached house, 80 sqm -living space: 60 sqm- (1 sqm aprox. = 10 sqft) with garden, built in the 19th century in wood and stone and located in the tiny village of Argüébanes, at the foot of the Picos de Europa National Park, declared by UNESCO a Biosphere reserve site. It's set among mountains, walks and rivers, but only 4 kms from Potes, the capital of the Cantabrian district of Liébana (North Spain). Argüébanes is a hamlet built into the mountainside in the Picos de Europa (Potes 4 km, Santander 100 Km, Bilbao 200 km). The Picos de Europa is the most impressive part of the Cordillera Cantábrica mountain range of the North of Spain.
El Acebo is an old property fully restored and modernised. It was built in the local traditional style, with a closed garden who affords complete privacy with fantastic views to the valley and to the high peaks. The house is surrounded by mountains valleys and woods. The very nice garden, with chairs, table and deckchairs, is perfect for eating out, sunbathing, and enjoying the magnificent view. The house has spectacular views over the Picos de Europa and is very sunny. There are a lot of lanes for peaceful and tranquillity walks without the need of a car. The house is perfect for relaxing, sunbathing or enjoying the marvellous local walks. It offers accommodation for a family or friends who wish to be together. This village of the Liébana Valley remains unspoilt. The climate of this sheltered valley is almost Mediterranean, a genuine sunny, warm, dry microclimate. The coast, with its white sandy beaches, is to 40 kilometres away through the Hermida gorge.
The vernacular architecture with its red pantiled roofs ,over hanging balconies and heavy beams make for very attractive villages. There is a very modern and impressive visitors centre at Tama. The monastery at San Toribio with its satellite hermitages, the mozarabic church of Santa Maria de Lebeña, and the ancient church at Piasca are among the most important sites of their type in Spain. Santo Toribio was second only to Santiago de Compostela in its importance. On the coast the medieval village of Santillana del Mar is a national monument and the nearby Altamira cave are less than about an hour's drive from the house, the new cave's pre-historic paintings are stunning, visits and an English speaking guide to the cave can be booked at Banco Santander in Potes, on the previous day. The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and the cities of Leon, Oviedo and Burgos with their cathedrals, churches and museums can each be visited in a long day. Madrid is a day away.
The Picos de Europa, Cordillera Cantabrica and valleys of Liébana are home to an amazingly diverse range of species of both flora & fauna. More than 40 species of orchid alone have been recorded in the Picos. Between the lower meadows and high alpine pastures the opportunity for botanising is endless, partly due to the locals' use of traditional methods of land management. With eagles and vultures soaring the thermals, capercaillie and black woodpeckers lurking in the woods, little egrets on the coast, redstarts, wrynecks and nightjars around the house and wallcreepers on the limestone, this is a birders' paradise. Among the alpine species to be found here are rock thrush, wheatear, alpine accentor and chough, snow finch and that elusive wallcreeper. As to raptors, Griffon & Egyptian vultures are plentiful. There are golden eagles, while booted and short-toed are fairly common in summer, Bonellis' being rather more rare. Kestrels, buzzards and honey buzzards are abundant.
