Villa for sale in Desert Springs, Cuevas del Almanzora, Almería

The cottages are based on the precise shapes of the old individual field houses, the traditional casas del campo of The Almanzora Valley. There was a tremendous growth of these in the 19th century countryside to house the enormous increase field workers, working to feed the new mining communities. Sadly, many of these homes have now disappeared back into rubble and soil from which they were built, but if you look carefully you can see their ruins everywhere in the local landscape. They started with a simple rectangular construction, with thick walls, buttressed corners and a flat roof. As the family grew, a monopitch roofed bedroom was added above, where it was cooler, and, if the money continued to come in, then another room was added above, with a roof a cuatro aguas. Our modern field houses are of course built with all mod cons, with large terraces and pergolas in their own private gardens, but in clusters sharing beautiful individually landscaped gardens and swimming pools in semiclosed communities, with all the cost benefits implied. They are very tranquil and private. The rustic style is carried inside with natural rollizo beams and solid natural wood features, a cottage fireplace, traditional style joinery, terracotta floors and traditional tiling. They all have large terraces at first floor level and a separate garage.

The beauty of Desert Springs, that which sets it apart from other places in Spain, lies in the nature of the surroundings in which it is set. Whilst overseas homeowners enjoy many types of environment, surely the most spectacular of these is the rugged desert landscape of Desert Springs and the dry sunny yearround climate of the Almanzora by far the most pleasurable. Set high on a plateau with panoramic views over the Almanzora valley towards the Mediterranean and surrounding mountains, there is something quite rare and special about the light and ambience of the perfectly maintained desert parkland, the largest rock and cactus garden in Europe... it has an all but surreal sense of beauty, serenity and quality of life and service.