Chalet Pepita

Even just getting to Chalet Pepita was part of the adventure of a holiday to a new (to us) destination, including meeting Juan Diego outside the Banco Santander in Sta Brigida to pick up the keys! We managed to negotiate our mutual limited language skills, with a very friendly and competent J-D sending us off with detailed instructions on how to reach the house, via Cruz de Tejeda, with a stop off at the Hyper-Dino in nearby Vega de Mateo. The drive to the house is stunning, particularly the drop down from Cruz to reach the road toward La Culata. At first attempt, the tiny access road leading past several water tanks and houses is daunting - hairpin left off the main road (which isn't exactly straight itself), and up a scarily steep gradient to the shoulder. It's very much a single track road, but well-surfaced and with adequate armco protection, so keep your fingers crossed you don't meet someone coming down. The location of the house is fantastic, everything you'd want from a quiet getaway. The views from the terrace across the valley to Roque Nublo, and down the valley to Roque Bentayga are stunning, and are a brilliant welcome on waking up each morning. The house itself is quite quirky - I wasn't expecting to have to go outside the house from the bedrooms to reach the rest of the accommodation - but this only adds to its charm. While the equipment and utensils provided are relatively basic, they're more than sufficient for the preparation of simple meals - and there's always nearby Tejeda for (excellent) restaurants, provided you steel yourself for the access road. The beds are comfortable (extra blankets provided, just in case), the living room is cosy, and the shower/wc works well - fantastic view of Nublo framed by the window. In all, I wouldn't recommend Pepita if you're looking for the party scene, but it's a slice of perfection if you want a quiet mountain getaway in the midst of fantastic scenery, waking up to the sounds of birds and bees (and the odd donkey in La Culata), and within easy reach of walking routes and mountain villages, along the most wonderfully scenic roads.