Notes from the host
El Buen Ocio Holiday Rental In the mountains
Enjoy quality time socialising with family or friends in the comfort of this privately owned, spacious, 3-bedroom, village home. It is a perfect place to unwind, relax and recharge. There is a choice of areas to relax as a group, either in the living room, patio or on the roof terrace, but also enough room to spread out and grab some private time. Even with 5 people staying, you will not feel crowded.
Although old, and a little quirky, the house has been thoughtfully updated, decorated and fully-equipped. whilst retaining its traditional spirit. It provides a comfortable, holiday 'home from home' from which to explore this wonderful area of Spain, and many guests chose to come back more than once.
The modern kitchen is fully-equipped. It opens out onto both the patio, and to the inside dining area, making it easy to prepare, cook and eat at home. Plus you can use the traditional wood and charcoal barbeque in the patio. A paella pan, and barbeque equipment are provided.
A favourite with everyone, is the big, fully enclosed, private patio courtyard, It is attractively decorated with plants and other items and is probably where you will spend most of your time. The patio has a large dining table and chairs as well as a separate comfortable seating area for 5 people. It is the perfect place to unwind and socialise after a busy day. You can have dinner outside, and then relax together with a drink or two, without disturbing anyone sleeping inside.
Also, you don't have to worry about children or pets wandering off, because the patio is completely secure.
The roof terrace is accessed by metal stairs from the patio and is the only area not on the ground floor. It is furnished with another large dining table and chairs, plus two sun loungers. From here you can enjoy a morning coffee and watch the sunrise over the village roof tops and hills, relax and sunbathe with a favourite book, or unwind and chat in the evening breeze with a sun-downer drink.
The owners have thoughtfully tried to provide everything you need for your holiday; not only is the kitchen equipped for you to cook and dine at home, but items such as kitchen paper, dishwasher tablets and washing up liquid etc are provided, as are both bath and beach towels, and even a couple of beach chairs.
There is a full bath with shower plus a second shower room. All the bedrooms have blackout shutters and mosquito nets on the windows.
If you are travelling with young children or pets, or plan to work from home, please contact the owner before you stay as they can provide extra equipment to help make your stay comfortable. (For example, a high chair and travel cot, a stairgate, a dog bed, animal food bowls, cat litter tray and blankets, an office chair and basic desk can be provided on request).
As for the location, the house is positioned in the historical heart of Castello de Rugat. Castello is a small, friendly town nestled between mountain and hills and picturesque countryside. It is a quiet, rural location, yet it is conveniently located close to the excellent and scenic CV60 road. It is less than 30 minutes inland from the large coastal resort of Gandia, and the gorgeous beaches of Oliva.
Whilst only small, the town has all the essential amenities you should need. Just a short walk from the house there is a selection of supermarkets, a pharmacy, a bakery, banks, a few bars and restaurants and food takeaway place. There is also free parking on the surrounding streets.
The larger nearby towns of Gandia, Oliva and Xativa offer a wide selection of shops, restaurants and amenities. There are train stations in Gandia, Xativa and Xeraco with trains that take you right into the heart of Valencia.
Castello de Rugat is perfect for people looking for an active holiday, especially walkers and cyclists. The town is surrounded by beautiful countryside and quaint little villages. You can even walk up to the summit of the Benicadell mountain straight from the house, and there a local climbing spots too.
The town is also a great base for those who want to explore all that this very affordable area of Spain has to offer. Especially if you wish to visit the busier towns and coastal areas but also to spend some days relaxing away from the crowds.
There are stunning soft sandy beaches, busy coastal resorts, protected natural parks, historical Xativa, Bocairent and Gandia, and gorgeous Valencia all within a 30 to 60-minute drive.
There truly is something to please everyone in the area, with castles and museums, wild swimming in rivers and lakes, hiking and climbing, cycling, bird-watching, go-karting, bodegas, local street markets, and of course eating out in the very affordable cafes and restaurants of the area.
For summer guests, there is a large open air swimming pool at the local sports centre on the edge of the village which opens from mid-June to early September. It is a great place to cool off after a busy day.
Scattered around the town are areas with free-to-use gym equipment. Plus, if you enjoy playing padel tennis the village has its own court, with views to the Benicadell mountains behind. Just bring your sports kit and padel racket. The hosts can help you book the court.
For beach lovers, there is no need to limit yourself to one beach, you can sample several! Within a 30-minute, easy drive you will find the 7 kms of glorious, blue flag, soft sandy beaches of Gandia, and also the sand-dunes, wilderness and space of lesser-known local beaches such as at Oliva and Daimus. During summer you can have paddle board, surfing and kite boarding lessons.
A must visit is the beautiful city of Valencia, just one hour north, with its’ iconic futuristic City of Arts & Science, Cathedral, museums, and indoor market. The Science Museum, Bioparc Animal Park, and L'Oceanografic Aquarium are all big favourites of previous guests. For those that prefer not to drive into the city, you can catch a train straight into the heart of Valencia.
Alicante, Altea, Javea & Benidorm and other popular coastal resorts are within easy reach. This means you can visit and take advantage of their theme parks, water parks, and other tourist activities but escape the crowds, and higher prices, by returning to your comfortable home from home afterwards.
There house benefits from a new air-conditioning unit in the main living area. However the thick walls and shutters of the house mean that it stays cool in summer. (Just remember to close all of the windows, doors and blinds during the day to keep the heat out).
For chilly winter nights there is an easy to operate pellet fire which quickly warms the house, and additional electrical heaters for the bedrooms and bathroom. Also, the air-conditioning can be set to provide heat.
Main features:
- 3 comfortable bedrooms, sleeping up to 5 people.
- Well equipped, modern kitchen with dishwasher and large fridge/freezer
- Modern bathroom which has a bath with an overhead shower and twin sinks
- Additional shower room accessed through the patio
- A gas fired boiler supplies plenty of hot water
- Partly covered outside area plus a roof terrace with sun loungers
- Washing machine and clothes lines (situated at the back of the patio)
- Black out shutters on the bedroom windows
- Insect nets on the bedroom & bathroom windows
- free Wi-Fi
- a Smart TV, Small Bluetooth stereo and DVD
- The traditional, thick walls help the house to stay cool in summer
- The patio is completely secure making it great for children and dogs, and the ideal place to store bicycles,
- All the living accommodation is located on the ground floor
- The roof terrace is accessed from external stairs from the patio - a stair gate can be provided if you have young children - please request this before arrival if required
- A high chair, travel cost and other baby equipment can be provided - please request this before arrival
Working from the house
- The house benefits from high-speed fibre optic wifi and previous guests have worked from the house and have been very happy with the wifi speed.
- If you wish to work from the house, and aren't using the single bedroom, we can set up a desk and office chair in there to give you a dedicated workspace just please ask at the time of booking.
- The owners live a few streets away and are available to help with any questions or problems
IMPORTANT: FIESTAS & OTHER CELEBRATIONS
Whilst this small town is normally a quiet sleepy place, this changes during fiesta time, particularly during the main fiestas in mid-August and early December, but also for other occasions such as Easter and the Saint Antonio fiesta in the middle of January. During these events there can be fireworks, parades, parties, outside discos, additional church bells and other somewhat noisy celebrations, some of which go on well into the night. If peace and quiet is important to you please check the dates of these fiestas with the host before booking. Alternatively, if you want to experience the enthusiasm and wonderful sense of community and tradition of Spain, fiesta time might be the perfect time to visit.
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
This property holds a Tourist Licence, number VT-49856-V issued by Generalitat Valenciana.
To comply with new legislation, reservations equal to or less than 10 nights will be considered tourist rentals and covered by a Tourism contract.
Reservations/stays of more than 10 nights, will be considered a seasonal rental in accordance with Decree Law 9/2024 of the Generalitat Valenciana, and you must sign a simple seasonal rental contract with the owner of the house.
Also, it is a legal requirement that all guests must show their passport, or official identification card, and complete a registration form before, or at, check-in. Failure to do so will result in cancellation of the booking and no refund will be issued.
