If you could award more than 5 stars I would! Steph and Terry first welcomed us to their Spanish oasis over 10 years ago. We are now regulars with two trips booked for 2022 already. The houses have everything you will ever need and if not Steph and Terry will have it. They have thought of everything. The houses are Spanish style and the pool area is simply outstanding. It’s setting allows you to enjoy the wildlife whilst being just a short drive from the town and beach. I thoroughly recommend Steph and Terrys, for a short break, your ‘two week summer holiday’ or a longer winter stay. I’ve stayed on my own and felt completely safe and relaxed, right up to the other end of the scale, with a group of 17 family and friends. I can’t speak highly enough of Cortijo La Calera! Catriona

We’re asking Steph to post this review because we don’t do Facebook but we definitely do La Calera!

We’ve lost count how many times we’ve visited but we do know we came for the first time almost 12 years ago and we became hooked. On each visit we discover another layer of beauty and culture in the Axarquia region – and beyond. We feel immersed in the experiences we’ve had of the regional cuisine, music, and dance.

Steph and Terry are amazing hosts – incredibly knowledgeable about the local area, its history, its tourist sites and hidden gems. As well as the informative file of info in the cottages they will always be able to recommend a new restaurant, book a ticket for an event, give you the location of an off-the-beaten track feria (village festival), warn you of an unexpected public holidays or simply tell you which supermarket is closed today!

La Calera has everything we want on a holiday – laid back, tranquil, beautiful surroundings and immaculately clean, well equipped cottages. Terry’s care of the pool and gardens is clearly a labour of love while Steph’s attention to detail in the properties comes from years of hospitality experience.

Extraordinaire ! Nous avons vraiment beaucoup apprécié notre séjour. Nous avons savouré les lieux rustiques et très propres. C’est très calme. Stéphanie et Terry font preuve de beaucoup d’attention et de gentillesse. Ils nous ont donné de bons conseils sur les restaurants et les activités des environs.

Steph and Terry’s place is a beautiful retreat. Despite being only an hour’s drive from Màlaga, you feel in a world of your own. The surroundings are gorgeous: hills, valleys, trees and rocky outcrops complemented by dramatic sunsets. You’re greeted by birdsong every morning. The terrace is a perfect place to enjoy breakfast in the morning and a bottle of wine (or two) at night. I now feel totally recharged after a hectic few months in the UK. Steph and Terry are charming people, Brits who have lived in Spain for 16 years, whose warmth and knowledge of the local area is second to none. They were always around to lend a hand, give advice or simply just have a chat. I cannot recommend this place enough! Thank you so much for having us, we’d love to come back again!

Steph and Terry were phenomenal hosts and their cottage could not be in a more beautiful spot! We had a brilliant long weekend of cycling throughout the surrounding mountains and coastline, and seriously appreciated coming back to flop in the pool on the sunny terrace.

Steph and Terry are wonderful, generous hosts who provide a warm welcome, plenty of local tips and a charming start kit of bread and a fire built in the gorgeous traditional fireplace. Their knowledge of the surrounding area and local goings-on is incredibly helpful and allowed us to discover beautiful, friendly restaurants, super delis and a nifty shortcut to the stunning white-housed mountain town of Comares. As a solo traveller for part of my time, Steph was endlessly helpful and supportive to make the trip possible. So if you, like me, were worried about making a mountain retreat happen without a car it is possible and very worth it. Steph’s directions were spot on, and she was kind enough to collect from the local town. The space is very well-kept with everything you could possibly need; the kitchen well-outfitted and bedroom gloriously dark at night with thick traditional shutters. Thank you, Steph and Terry, for making this getaway so peaceful, so valuable, and so full of that gorgeous mountain life.

We really enjoyed our stay. Brilliant location to enjoy some peace and quiet but still plenty to do nearby. We enjoyed having walking options straight from the front door and the Sierra Tejeda National Park so close by. An excellent place to stay.

I stayed at this lovely cottage for about 10 days on my own and had a marvelous time. To me a five star review is not enough to express how I liked this place. If possible I would have given 10 stars. I fell in love with this cute and cozy cottage that is carefully decorated with good taste and style (and not just filled up with loads of IKEA stuff). On my arrival Steph showed me around the house and there was fresh fruit, wine, yummie cookies and drinking water as a welcome. The cottage just has all you need. A good equipped kitchen, a nice and hot shower, a comfortable bed ( with amazing views..) and a cozy outside terrace ideal for having just breakfast or for just spent all day relaxing on the couch. For those chilly evenings there’s a huge fireplace to sit next to. All rooms were equipped with a heating system, and Steph even put an electric blanket on my bed because Andalusian winter nights can get quite cold. I think that is what I so much liked here, it’s all in those little details. Everything is being taken care of. For those working online: excellent wifi around the whole property! The hosts are just superfriendly and helpfull. Steph brought maps and a walking guide when she found out I love to make long walks. After having climbed la Maroma ( big hike up to 2026 meters) I found a tupperware with a freshly baked cake by Steph in it on my doorstep. I think carrot cake never tasted that good in my entire life! Around the house there’s a beautiful garden with lots of birds and special trees and flowers. And the view from the terrace is just beautiful every time of the day ( and night..). The house is located very convenient for day trips as well. It’s just a half hour drive to the coast, and also for exploring the mountains and villages more inwards it’s great. I think this cottage is perfect to stay in at all seasons. Again, I can highly highly recommend a stay at La Calera. The house is just bliss and so are the hosts. Don’t hesitate, just book!

We had a great stay! The house was clean and cosy, we had a private terrace, really beautiful view and surroundings, great swimming pool and Stephanie and Terry were very helpful and friendly. I can definitely recommend it! Hope we will come back some day.

Stephanie and Terry are very good hosts, making you feel at home at their marvelous place. They share all the information you need, and really care about their guests. They provided us with a nice welcome package, which we happily consumed on the hot and sunny days. The house is a lovely place in a beautiful landscaped garden with pool. An excellent place for total relaxation.

We arrived at Steph’s and Terry’s beautiful cottage and received a warm welcome including a little welcome pack which was very useful. Both Steph and Terry were great hosts, they were there when you needed them but respected your privacy. The cottage was very well equipped, we cooked some lovely meals in the evening including some nice bbq’s. The area all around the cottage and the views are just stunning. It was the most peaceful and relaxing holiday we ever had and will definitely return some time soon. Thank you  xx

Dear Steph and Terry, once again a BIG THANK YOU for the fantastic time we had at your little cosy cottage! You are by far THE hosts that managed to make us feel special from A to Z! From the first contact, over to the pre-arrival information, the warm welcome, the hand book and all the little details made it all so fantastic! The cottage is beautiful! It seems like you thought of EVERYTHING! There is really nothing missing! We felt home away from home while sitting on the terrace surrounded by pure nature enjoying our holidays We will be back!

What a lovely place with a very welcoming couple. They are there when you have a question or just for a talk. Never to much to explain where to go, what to do etc. And they supply you with a lot of information . A nice welcome package is there when you arrive. The casita it self has an atmosphere that make you feel home, a good kitchen, a fine shower and a pleasant bedroom. But the terrace it the place to be. In the morning for sunrise and in the evening for the moon and stars. But also for just listening to nature. The surroundings are beautiful: there a less houses in this area, no noise, with a lot of nature around and daily live. And for me: the bench at the beginning of the 3 km long track to the house! I gives you lovely views, also on the walk to reach it. A wonderful place to spend time and to come back every day from a day out. There are many walks in quick reach by car, nice authentic villages, beach in 30 minutes and so much more. There are more rooms/houses to rent. But the all three have a very private space outside.

This lovely house made us feel at home right away. The views are spectacular and the quite and starry nights mesmerizing! Steph and Terry are really friendly and helpful, love you guy’s! In the middle of olive country with a dash of citrus, almonds and carob trees you can feast your eyes as well as your mouth. Granada and the Alhambra is only 90 min’s by car. The beach is a 30 min drive. All the sierra’s and peak’s in the area are perfect for hiking. And after that a quick dip in the pool!

The place of Steph and Terry is a wonderful place to relax and forget the everyday life. We were beyond impressed with every bit of this place: the view, the silence, the beautiful terraces around the house and the pool. The cottage was very cosy and perfectly equipped. Steph and Terry are amazing hosts and they give a lot of information about the area. Looking forward to come back soon.

We had an incredible time during our stay at the cottage! Steph and Terry are very helpful in anything you might need and have several really good recommendations for restaurants and shopping. The cottage is very clean and everything one might need for cooking or a nice BBQ is provided. We can absolutely recommend a stay!

Agaves, Aloes, Olives, Bouganvillea (white, pink and coral), Jacaranda, Hibiscus, Bamboo, assorted succulents, Yukka, Birds of Paradise and Geranium strive for ascendancy around the deep-blue crescent shaped pool. But the Carob, with its drooping seedpods stands head and shoulders above the rest. Frangipane, Zebrina, Tradescantia and Jasmine dot the eyes and cross the t’s.

The Carob appears welded to large chunks of rockslide – furtively covering a filled in cave that has secrets to tell of the Spanish Civil War.

The immense sky above is impartial as Kestrels, Eagles, Bee-Eaters, Golden Orioles soar and flit hither and thither. Swallows and Swifts swoop gloriously and skim the pool for wasps, bees and blue or red translucent dragonflies.

Apart from the usual sunbeds and parasols scattered around the pool there are two secluded sitting spots; one under the huge Carob, tinkling with wind chimes, and ours, the enchanting pergola nestled amongst Bamboo and assorted Bouganvillea.

Behind the pool, as the ground ascends past the numerous Olives the view is enriched by Pena de Hierro (the rock of iron) which many, many years ago jettisoned large boulders onto the world below.

I could mention the steep twisting drive up to the three rentals, the breathingtaking views and the elevated gardens. The delightful Casa Algarrobo, and the Casitas, Gorrion and Buho Real, but I won’t, I have said enough. Suffice to say La Calera is heaven on earth. Paradise.

Many thanks Terry and Steph for making it so.

We had a fantastic 5 days here, living in a little, breathtakingly beautiful bubble. Steph and Terry are incredibly welcoming and so helpful! We’ll definitely be returning!