Secluded Asturias cottage for holidays in Northern Spain

I had to pay for 7 night althogh I was in the House only 5 nights. I didn't like this.."

Oh it was amazing! It was lovely, thank you very much. Especially the bench. And the BBQ. And the river at the bottom of the field. And the views. And the solitude. And the horse in the next field was good too, waiting for us each afternoon for a chat. And our own flock of buzzards. And the cute baby cows. Oh and the house was very nice too."

The house had a lovely garden and some charming features (like its horreo - which our kids loved -, balconied room, the green tiling in its bathrooms and the green wardrobe in one of the bedrooms). However, the indoor furnishings were generally rather old and old-fashioned (there wasn't a single really comfortable chair) and I felt that the house had either been rented to a heavy-smoker recently or one used to live there - there was an underlying smell of smoke (my husband just thought this was because the furnishings were old). We saw a mouse on the first night (but it is in the country). As a suggestion, it would be great if there was some comfy outdoor furniture - a couple of sunloungers, deckchairs or hammocks perhaps? The keyholder Violeta was very nice and could not have been more helpful. My husband and I found the beds and single pillows uncomfortable and when we called after three bad nights sleep to ask if there was anything she might do she came immediately to change them. We wished we had said something after the first night. (Still, I do feel a double bed and modern mattress would make the house more desirable). We found the local guide from Rustical Travel extremely helpful. To add to it, we also had a really great meal at Meson Viizcares in Espinaredo, where we found the proprietor and the chef absolutely charming, and had lovely swimming at La Pescana. On the coast, we also thought that the beach cafe at Cueva Del Mar (though not cheap) did really wonderful modern food, quite different from anything else we had in Asturias, and had a cool ambiance. A couple of things that we didn't find in your guide that we would love to your recommendations are: The Bear Trail (which you can walk or cycle down), and the bear sanctuary at Proaza. Proaza is also a charming town which seemed to have several decent eateries - we enjoyed one of our best meals in Asturias in the elegant sanctuary of the garden of La Senderuela hotel, where again they were really welcoming to our sons and tolerant of my Spanish. One of our favourite family days out (and the one our boys have talked about the most since) was when we walked up the River Dobre from Santianes Del Torin, near Cangas De Onis, to the natural swimming pool at Olla De San Vicente. The pool is spectacular, the scenery stunning and jumping off the rocks a total thrill. We went on a Sunday and it was quite busy, though still totally worth it, but we'd probably recommend trying to go duing the week to avoid the crowds. The town of Sevares itself (which was our nearer town) seems a rather sad, depressed, depressing place. The hotel next to our rental place's office had been burnt out and when we went to the nearest restaurnt - La Rocca - we felt the staff were incredibly unfriendly to us - and though it said in your guide or the rental agency's that they had an English menu they certainly didn't offer one and we struggled to get anyone's attention."

I've already been corresponding with Javier and given him feedback, but to summarise what I've said, I'll set out a brief review below: We loved the peace and quiet of the house and the wonderful views of the Pilona valley, and enjoyed having horses and cattle as neighbours! The lanes leading to the house were narrower than we had expected and we unfortunately damaged our car on some hidden rocks which were covered by vegetation. We wouldn't recommend anyone to take a car larger than a VW Golf there, unless you have a vehicle with high ground clearance We enjoyed taking the FEVE train from Sevares station, which is cheap and punctual, and passes through some beautiful countryside and we also found many restaurants which served wonderful food, especially the menu del dia, at remarkably low prices, usually no more than €11 (and that included wine or cider!). The closest restaurant to the casa, La Roca, has a very comprehensive menu for the evening and service is both efficient and friendly The scenery around the Picos, especially the views from the winding narrow road to the lakes South of Coverings, was breathtaking even though partially obscured by cloud and mist when we went. There are so many places to explore that even when it rained we didn't get bored, and the Sunday market as Canga d'Onis is great fun with lots of local cheeses on offer (and you can sample them first) Violeta and her assistant were extremely helpful and friendly and our thanks to them for their help and advice, it was much appreciated And lastly, thanks to Rustical Travel, who supplied so much helpful information about both the casa and places of interest. One tip for the future though - can you include directions of how to get back to the ferry in Bilbao, as it isn't well signposted and we, as well as others, got completely lost as a result! But it didn't spoil our holiday and we would certainly use your company again and would have no hesitation in recommending them to others. Well done!"

We were very pleased with the service we received from your company, you were very efficient and helpful. We have already recommended you to friends. The keyholder was excellent, so kind and helpful to us. We liked the cottage, the location was beautiful and we appreciated the log burner (sadly the weather was variable ). My only criticism of the cottage was that the sofas were not very comfortable and my husband kept falling through the seat! Many thanks to you all.

We had a wonderful stay at the property. It was quiet and secluded - with cows and horses across the fence - but also within easy walking distance to Sevares. The cottage was basic but well-supplied with essentials. The staff at the office were all extremely cheerful, pleasant and helpful, especially Violetta. We also enjoyed the classy lunch for €20 pp at hotel Palacio de Rubianes, which is about an hour and a half walk away. Others have mentioned the tricky road track to the house. Yes, it requires concentration, but manageable after a few trips. The property would benefit from wi-fi though."

We loved theproperty and the surrounding area. Simple but comfortable accommodation, we had everything we needed for a relaxing holiday. Short walk into the village and good hearty food at the little bar/restaurant. The road to the cottage is extremely narrow in places, we were very glad of a very small car! The area around Sevares is beautiful, and this is a great location for exploring Asturias. Violetta was also very helpful. Highly recommended!"

this a beautiful cottage, very clean, and with lovely views over the valley. it exceeded my expectations. A very narrow track leads up to it, and you wouldn't want to have a large car to negotiate it! The office staff who have the keys were unfailingly polite and helpful, organising horse riding, letting us use their internet, and informing us of various local activities. The horseriding was fun, a good way of seeing the countryside, good horses and friendly guides. I would recommend this cottage, and others nearby managed by the same team."

Beautiful holiday home away from it all. The view on arriving is spectacular, even better than the photos which is amazing. Pack some warm clothes it can be cold at night! kitchen is basic but perfectly adequate for cooking meals... We ate in most nights. The narrow path in is a little precarious!"

We had a fabulous holiday. From the first contact everyone was most helpful, even rearranging another customer's accommodation so we could begin our holiday on our chosen date. The meet and greet was excellent. The property itself was way beyond our expectations. We loved it, and so did our spaniel named Madoc. The information pack was excellent, and we enjoyed the evenings around the wood burning stove so much we didn't get to use the TV. The estate workers were very friendly and helpful, and always smiled as we tried out our tourist Spanish. The vet in Infiesta recommended at the office was excellent and spoke English and we were able to have our dog wormed as necessary to return to the UK. In short we had a wonderful time, and we hope to return again to the same property again next year. This time we will have 2 dogs. Many thanks and best wishes to you all."

Just wanted to drop you a line to say thank-you, the property was amazing and the area breathtaking. Just as your website states. One comment to make, and a note to ourselves was the cottage was very rural and, getting a large touring motorbike down the lane was not easy, heart in mouth moments! Many thanks again to you and the team, will not hesitate in recommending the site."

The property was in a lovely location, beside fields of horses and cows - we really felt we were getting away from it all. The house was comfortable. We did feel a bit nervous of driving along the narrow road, but we managed it without mishap during the week"

Lovely place to stay. The kitchen is a bit basic but cottage has a lot of rustic charm - answer is to eat out! The drive to property is a bit narrow and painstaking but since its not far from main road it feels accessible. Being able to walk down to the village is nice. Office in the village was great and staff very helpful. It was good to have internet access too. If you like peace and quiet and country views and horses I would reccommend it."

Just a quick note to say thank you for arranging our wonderful holiday in AT19. We had a fabulous time. The accommodation and its situation greatly exceeded our expectations. We are particularly grateful for you arranging for us to have the whole of our holiday in the Casa, after you'd made alternative arrangements for peeps who were weekending there. Violetta was excellent. On the couple of occasions we had problems she solved them quickly and without any fuss. We enjoyed our holiday so much we are thinking we may like to rent the property again next year, if you'll have us. In the meantime once again many thanks. "