El Pajar Spain

Epitomising character and authenticity, Villa El Parajar stands in pretty surrounds in Casamaria, Cantabria and makes a superb holiday retreat for small families and friends. Echoing a traditional country farmhouse with its stone-clad walls, wood shuttered windows and rustic details, its authentic exterior is more than equalled by its lovely, carefully maintained interior reached to by wooden stairs leading up from the porch and gardens.
Inside, and spread over the first floor, the villa offers even more in the way of stone and wood rustic features such as ceiling rafters, skylights, wooden floors and a homely open comfortable kitchen and sitting-dining room with thoughtfully selected pieces, traditional furnishings and attractive ornaments rounding off its relaxed, lived-in feel. Antique chests, wooden chairs, wall paintings and mirrors add character, especially in the cosy self-contained open-plan sitting and dining room, which features windows allowing the natural light to flow in and a fireplace. In addition, the kitchen area is thoughtfully kitted out with essential accoutrements including a microwave to make your holiday as leisurely as possible.
Beyond this room, literally just footsteps away, and giving the living quarters a real intimate feel are two areas. These two areas divided by curtains – including curtains for doors – make up the bedrooms. Compact in appearance and fairly simple, they feature the basics for sleeping. Twin beds and wall lights contribute to the cosiness. A separate bathroom with shower for everyone to use rounds off the space.
The outside of Villa El Parajar has particular appeal, with a huge outdoor stone terrace set below the main house perfect for basking in the splendid views and soaking up the fresh country air. Steps descend to a quirky covered porch, which spans the width of El Parajar. This space imparts the feel of a cosy outdoor living room fringed with plants and swaying trees. Country-style with sofas, paintings on the wall, dining table and chairs, it’s a truly wonderful spot for spending time outside enjoying not only all your meals alfresco, but for quality social time, chilled time reading and it’s also a charming place to gather for the evening.
To the rear of the house, there’s further scope for sunbathing quietly all day long if you wish. The El Parajar sits in a super large estate and shares its large rear garden space with two other houses. This expanse of grass creates a wonderful haven for spending even more time outdoors soaking up the surrounding rural vistas over the rolling fields and far reaching mountains. There’s even a river if you go exploring home to trout.
With its countryside backdrop, enchanting stone terrace, and rustic character El Parajar offers all the ingredients for a real authentic holiday in the Spanish sun. Cantabria offers a captivating taste of Spanish life. Located in Northern Spain, also referred to as ‘Green Spain’, this charming and relatively untouched region is a diverse holiday destination. A unique combination of landscape and lifestyles, of stunning coastline, quiet countryside, deep valleys, impressive mountains and charming seaside towns, all fused with fresh food and incredible history that make this region of northern Spain such a pleasure to explore.
Located in Casamaria, a super quiet and tiny village with a small population of locals, staying at El Pajar allows you to really live like a local and is perfect for guests seeking a quieter pace of life and somewhere you can really head out and explore to your hearts delight. Head out of the village to find the nearest shops in the pretty coastal fishing village of San Vicente Barquera around 25 kms away. With its beaches, old village, historical sights and the exceptional backdrop of the snow-capped mountains of the Picos de Europa, giving it a fresh-air feel that’ll really blow the cobwebs away, San Vicente Barquera makes for a great day out – it also boasts some great restaurants to try out including excellent fish and seafood. Specialities include sorropotún or Barquera hotpot, a stew prepared with tuna and potatoes.
Elsewhere, if you love history, the UNESCO World heritage caves and rock art of Altamira and El Castillo are some of the world’s most important, while Cantabria’s churches and palaces range from the Romanesque to the modernist El Caprichgo. “Caves of Altamira” and the caves of “Las Cuevas Los Manzanos” with a natural underground lake and stalactites are open to explore. There’s also the Museo de Altamira where you can discover the paintings of bison, and other animals in the Neocave, a state-of-the-art 3D reconstruction of the original caves.
The region is incredible if you love hiking and walking. Dramatic, unspoilt areas of natural beauty remain untouched by tourism, alongside the region’s passion for the time-honoured and traditional Spanish way of life. Staying at the El Pajar you can really explore the natural tapestry of ‘Green Spain’s’ stunning landscape. The beautiful forests and wooded valleys of this region are also packed with wildlife including birds. Head to the rocky cliffs of Monte Cardina to see the largest marine colony of griffon vultures in Europe. The oak forest of Ucieda and Liencres Dunes Natural Park where the combination of sea cliffs, dunes and pine forest attracts a host of small birds is also really special too. And, the magnificent Picos de Europa mountains rise to astounding heights, opening up some of the finest walking and adventure country in Spain
Elsewhere, town and villages close by include Cabezon de la Sal and Potes where you can wander their quaint streets, and Santillana del Mar. Considered a beautiful town in Spain, Santillana has a rich history that’s visible in every inch of the town. Make sure you try some local produce from the cheese shops or buy some locally made pottery. Gastronomic specialities include bizcochos, small pastries best enjoyed with a glass of milk. If you feel the need to work off some of these tasty snacks, the Natural parks of Oyambre, Peña Cabarga Cabarceno and Saja-Besaya are great for exploring and burning off some calories!
And, then there’s the pretty village of Comillas, a very interesting coastal town with cobbled streets, open squares, two good beaches, historic buildings and a selection of modern buildings including the incredible El Capricho designed by Anton Gaudi. The town is another worthy contender for being one of the most beautiful in Cantabria.
For something more leisurely, lounge on one of the sandy beaches or pick a quiet spot at one of the pretty coves. Many of the fishing villages are also charming spots to absorb a wonderful Spanish way of life, exploring all day, sampling tapas and the delicious regional food. Make sure you try the local speciality cream cheese, and definitely Sobao cake, it’s really popular in the Cantabria region. Made from yeasted dough that is typically flavoured with lemon zest and either anise liquor or rum. Also, don’t miss out on any of the freshly caught mouth-watering seafood harvested straight from the spectacular coast!
And that’s not all! Head to Santander, the region’s capital, with the breath-taking Picos de Europa National Park to the west. In Santander you’ll discover a bustling city with a historic centre, a variety of museums, some beautiful churches and one of the most famous palaces in the whole of Spain. Easily the city’s most impressive landmark, the Palacio de la Magdalena is famous as an old summer residence for the Spanish King. The King resided in the Palacio de la Magdalena palace every summer from 1913 to 1930. Today the palace is a popular tourist attraction. Marvel its stunning façade, incredibly beautiful grounds, gardens and offers vistas out onto the sea from the top of the Magdalena Peninsula. The best way to view the 20th-century palace is on a tour where you’ll get to wow its impressive interior. Detailed 45-minute tours (in Spanish) will guide you around and show oak floors, bronze chandeliers, surprisingly simple bedrooms, a wonderful chestnut wood staircase and what was the King’s study. Visits are limited to weekends only in the summer.
Another interesting visit you can take from Santander is to an anchovy factory in nearby Santoña. At Excellence Luxury Villas we pride ourselves on going that little bit further for our guests. From private chefs to babysitters we can help you arrange those little extras that make it a truly memorable holiday. Please contact our Excellence Luxury Villas concierge team who will be happy to help. We can typically help you arrange any of the following:
– Maid service/extra cleaning- Private chef/cook/catering- Welcome hamper/pre-stocked fridge- Local day-trips or tours- Airport transfers- Babysitting/childcare services
Simply fill in the concierge request form or contact Excellence Luxury Villas Concierge Team.
Please note that all extras are subject to availability and must be requested in advance of the holiday (prices on request). Due to some rural/remote locations, not all services will be available at all properties. However, we will always do our best to fulfil your requests!