Cortijada Los Gazquez Creative Retreat / Eco-Guest House
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Cortijada Los Gazquez Creative Retreat / Eco-Guest House

Outside the guesthouse
Traveller (11)
The Gardens
Room & Suite (4)
"al fresco' dining area
Dining (1)

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About

#2 of 2 guest houses in Velez Blanco
4.9 of 5 bubbles
Location
4.8 of 5 bubbles
Rooms
4.6 of 5 bubbles
Value
4.7 of 5 bubbles
Cleanliness
4.8 of 5 bubbles
Service
4.8 of 5 bubbles
Sleep Quality

At a thousand meters above sea level, Cortijada Los Gázquez is an 'off-grid' destination for creatively minded travellers high in the mountains of Andalucia.In the heart of the 'Parque Natural Sierra Maria-Los Velez', this ‘eco-chic’ guest house and 47 acre farm resides within a place of extreme natural beauty, profound peace and tranquility and an awe inspiring wilderness, in one of Spain’s most dramatic alpine deserts. Cortijada Los Gázquez combines two of the principle ideas fundamental for people who love peace, inspiration and the natural world - ecology and creativity. As a guest house, Cortijada Los Gázquez has a benign influence on the earth making power from the sun and wind, cooking and heating with wood and recycling everything.

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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Wifi
Fitness Centre with Gym / Workout Room
Free breakfast
Restaurant
Pets Allowed ( Dog / Pet Friendly )
Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Trendy
Charming

Location

La Hoya de Carrascal, 04830 Velez Blanco Spain
Name/address in local language
Getting there
Granada Airport
162.9 km•
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Reviews
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Detailed Reviews
Sophie C wrote a review Jul 2014
Blue Mountains, Australia
+1
5.0 of 5 bubbles
I travelled alone to Cortijada Los Gazguez in search of a little R&R, a place where I could do some soul searching and explore my creativity. Donna and Simon were so friendly, knowledgeable, professional and, frankly, happy that it was a pleasure from start to finish. Their house is incredible, full of beautiful artworks and books, relaxed and tasteful - and completely off grid! Donna's food is absolutely delicious and the week passed by like a dream, breathing in the cool mountain air and thinking about nothing except art and the natural environment around me.
As a result of Simons exceptional tuition I am now studying Fine Arts full time, so the week was also a turning point in my life. I plan to return with my partner, perhaps as part of their excellent residency program, and I"m forever grateful that I had the courage to travel alone to such a wonderful place. Donna and Simon can be very proud of their achievements.
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Date of stay: June 2014
5.0 of 5 bubblesValue
5.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
5.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
5.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
fitzroygirl wrote a review Apr 2014
Melbourne, Australia
5.0 of 5 bubbles
My stay at Cortijada Los Gazquez was one of the most memorable travel experiences of my life (I write Lonely Planet guidebooks so I don't say that lightly) – I was utterly enchanted by the stunningly designed house, the beautiful setting, the region and the living creative project that the Beckmann family have embarked upon. We didn't do a workshop, rather just stayed as guests and spent our days exploring the immediate countryside on foot or striking out to various towns, national parks, historical sites and one big day trip to Grenada. We then returned each night to a delicious feast and convival table, and the silence and peace of the valley. It was a wonderful family holiday but also would be a romantic escape for a couple, or a relaxing, thoughtful retreat for a solo traveller. I've vowed to return to do a painting or drawing week and was thankful to have met the Beckmanns and to have discovered a beautiful, very untouristed, part of Spain I might not otherwise have visited.
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Date of stay: September 2013
5.0 of 5 bubblesValue
5.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
5.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
5.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amartxa wrote a review Mar 2014
Taipei, Taiwan
5.0 of 5 bubbles
I've been to CLG three times––in summer, fall, and winter––and can't wait until I get there again during some future spring. I've stayed as both a volunteer and resident artist, years apart, and gotten to know the Beckmann clan well. I could think for days and never come up with anything negative to say about any of them or their business. Awe-inspiring scenery, great hospitality, fantastic, seasonal grub, endless honest entertainment options and learning opportunities . . . what else could one ask of a trip?
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Date of stay: November 2013
5.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
5.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
5.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SusanBurrawang wrote a review Jan 2014
Burrawang
5.0 of 5 bubbles
I spent two weeks at Los Gasquez in early November 2013 after travelling throughout Spain. For me the chance to stay outside the large cities in the Parque Natural Sierra María-Los Vélez with its spare beauty provided time to think and create.
The accommodation in a sensitively restored Andalucian farmhouse was both beautiful and very comfortable. My bedroom and the communal areas could easily have appeared on the pages of World of Interiors or Vogue Living.
Simon and Donna were wonderful hosts and the meals prepared with local produce were healthy, delicious and bountiful.
If you want to experience rural Spain as an alternative to the busy cities which are increasingly showing signs of globalisation then then I would recommend Los Gasquez. I can't wait to go back.
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Date of stay: November 2013
4.0 of 5 bubblesValue
5.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
5.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
4.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bluemonk321 wrote a review Mar 2014
5.0 of 5 bubbles
I have recently returned from my second art-driven week's course within 2 years.
The vibe is always positive and up lifting. As a mentor, Simon has an instinct to lock into an individual's strengths and to coax, not impose. His methods can get some surprising and fulfilling results.

The surrounding area is stunning and one cannot help but feel relaxed and focused to develop and practise your desire to paint, what ever level that might be.

The hospitality from the family is both warm and friendly. The food is topnotch - Donna is a fabulous cook.

I think it's safe to say that it won't be too long before I return for another dose of well needed Spanish alpine desert serenity:- A world away from the bustle of Londinium!
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Date of stay: March 2014Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen C wrote a review Mar 2014
Rome, Georgia
5.0 of 5 bubbles
A holiday at Los Gazquez is refreshingly different and enlightening. This is the third time I have been back in 2 and a half years and it won't be my last - I feel this in itself gives an indication of how this wild place with its peace, ever- changing light and colour is the perfect place for creative exploration. Each time I have participated in a painting course, using watercolour and more recently egg tempera, guided and encouraged by Royal Academy artist Simon Beckmann. Not having painted for a long time before I went in August 2012, I felt I was risking it to embark on such a journey. However little did I know that my time with Simon and his wife Donna (also from the RA) and their artist guests and volunteers from all over the world would be such an enriching ecperience from so many angles and would be the start of something which has become so important to me. Five abandoned haciendas have been originally restored to create a living and studio space that is large enough and suitably well-positioned to be able to offer privacy when needed and companionship too. It is a place which is a living testimony to how it is possible to live according to your own values regarding respect for the environment and everyone's individual creativity. The food at lunch and dinner was just divine - a fitting ethno-mix of local produce and flavours and preceded in the evening by toasty moments of reflection on the day with a glass of wine and olives and almonds. In each course I have learnt something new, both about art and myself. Simon's teaching has provided me with the right balance of encouragement and challenge. I felt that he understood where I was at with my art and ultimately which direction I want to go in. This has been the case notwithstanding the presence of other artists following their own artistic paths. What more can I say? I live in Rome and have an ongoing love affair with Italy, never thinking a place would inspire me quite as much - Loz Gazquez and its natural environment, Simon and Donna and all the people I have met there have however done this.
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Date of stay: February 2014
5.0 of 5 bubblesValue
5.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
5.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
5.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Markscaride wrote a review Mar 2014
New York City, New York
5.0 of 5 bubbles
My family has enjoyed the gracious, happy fruits of Los Gazquez during several exceptional stays. We will certainly return to this unique haven surrounded by mountains and almond trees again. The house itself, restored with sensitivity and vision, is sprawling and bright, full of color, art and design. It feels comfortable, sophisticated and luxurious. The food is equally special, with the same consistent attention to detail. Fresh local produce, dishes inspired by the region and interests of master chef, Donna Beckmann. Hosts Simon and Donna Beckmann are gracious, attentive, intelligent and warm. I have met a variety of travelers at Los Gazquez, always striking is the spirit of kindness, energy and passion for knowledge that seems to fill the air! Sunsets are an event at Los Gazquez, restorative and inspirational, can't wait to return for more!!!!
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Date of stay: June 2013
5.0 of 5 bubblesValue
5.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
5.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HappyGio69 wrote a review Dec 2013
London
2.0 of 5 bubbles
We came to this converted farm for a week-long art course, but, although the views were great and the house looked nice, if spartan, we where disappointed by the huge amount of dust in the bedrooms (when were they last cleaned??), the lack of basic fixtures and fittings, the scarce and terrible food at lunch (half a sandwich with hardly any filling and super dry), which was not enough to see us until the incredibly late dinner (which was never served until 10pm!), the lack of any local produce, despite the owners' claims to self-sustainable living (the grounds were covered in wild rocket and herbs and almonds, which were not picked or served, we never tasted the local ham nor the local cheeses, which were widely available to buy locally), the total lack of any drawers/hangers/closet/furniture/hooks or anything else to put our clothes and belongings in or on (we only had two options: the filthy floor or the super-dusty cement console, so our belongings were constantly covered in white dust), our makeshift bathroom door could not be closed nor could it be left ajar as it kept opening by itself, no hooks for bathroom towels anywhere (we used the window handle as a hook), but, most appallingly for an art course, Simon, the owner and "teacher", did not do any teaching whatsoever and often went for lonely walks, disappeared somewhere or did his own paintings, despite his assurances before booking that he was going to look after each student irrespective of experience. He only told us his background when we pushed for it and turned out to be an architect, not an artist. As total beginners we found it very stressful to look at a white sheet of paper without knowing how to start and had to constantly rely on more experienced participants for help and tips. This became very stressful and put a strain on our friendship, as our friend had organised the trip and felt bad about the outcome, therefore becoming defensive. Considering how much we paid (cash transfer with no receipt given) we felt this residential "course" was terrible value for money and very unprofessional . . Apart from Simon and Donna, there were also 2 American Volunteers, but nobody did anything to rectify the situation about the food, the dust or the teaching. Donna was a great hostess when we saw her at night, but Simon had poor social skills and often came across as aloof. It soon became clear why they were not keen on being on TripAdvisor or any such website as they were nervous about feedback. We shall not be back.
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Date of stay: March 2013
1.0 of 5 bubblesValue
2.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
3.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
1.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
1.0 of 5 bubblesService
3.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
peteflowers wrote a review Aug 2013
Melling, null, United Kingdom
5.0 of 5 bubbles
We had a very fruitful visit .The volunteers and other guests were really nice.We had fantastic food and enjoyed the company.The house is beautiful.We enjoyed eating with the owners,guests and volunteers,and evening discussions about our work and experiences.It was easier than we thought to find even in the dark.Villages in easy distance were beautiful and very unspoilt.Recommend swimming pool in Velez Blanco,Plus visit on market day when you can actually see that people live there.
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Date of stay: July 2013
4.0 of 5 bubblesValue
5.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
5.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
5.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Katherine164 wrote a review Oct 2015
Greater Sydney, Australia
5.0 of 5 bubbles
I spent a week at Cortijada los Gazquez on their gastronomy course and it was fantastic all round.

Simon and Donna are excellent hosts and managed to strike just the right balance between activities (cooking on site, visiting local producers / sites, eating at local restaurants) and down time which meant I could get in some much needed R&R. The food selection was very well thought out, covering some classics which you would expect to have in Spain (but usually with a local twist) through to dishes you would never find on the tourist trail and which were extremely tasty.

Holiday wise it was exactly what I needed. The fact that, after using Trip Advisor for years, this is the first time I have ever posted a review really does show how strongly I recommend a stay here.
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Date of stay: October 2015
5.0 of 5 bubblesValue
5.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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tonto09 wrote a tip Jun 2015
London, United Kingdom451 contributions223 helpful votes
5.0 of 5 bubbles
"All good! Double/single rooms which can also house bunk beds."
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Clare-Dyke wrote a tip Mar 2014
London, United Kingdom1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
"The rooms looked to all be beautiful but I liked the ones on the first floor."
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LOCATION
SpainAndaluciaProvince of AlmeriaVelez Blanco
NUMBER OF ROOMS
6
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CORTIJADA LOS GAZQUEZ CREATIVE RETREAT / ECO-GUEST HOUSE | Guesthouse Reviews (Velez Blanco, Spain) - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Cortijada Los Gazquez Creative Retreat / Eco-Guest House
What are some of the property amenities at Cortijada Los Gazquez Creative Retreat / Eco-Guest House?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free breakfast, and an on-site restaurant.
What food & drink options are available at Cortijada Los Gazquez Creative Retreat / Eco-Guest House?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast and an on-site restaurant during their stay.
Is parking available at Cortijada Los Gazquez Creative Retreat / Eco-Guest House?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Cortijada Los Gazquez Creative Retreat / Eco-Guest House?
Yes, guests have access to a fitness centre during their stay.
Are pets allowed at Cortijada Los Gazquez Creative Retreat / Eco-Guest House?
Yes, pets are typically allowed, but it's always best to call ahead to confirm.
Is Cortijada Los Gazquez Creative Retreat / Eco-Guest House accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.
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