Villa Udias Spain

Situated in a picturesque position of Cantabria in Northern Spain with mountain and country views, Villa Udias is a traditional stone built terraced house sleeping up to six guests. It’s great for a larger family, a couple of smaller families, or a group of friends all seeking to holiday together and embrace the great outdoors, exploring and discovering the region. The villa itself is an atmospheric house with old stone walls and plenty of old stone details giving it a Medieval feel. Other features such as tiled floors, sloping wooden slated ceilings and an abundance of wood all combine to make this an unforgettable place to call home during your stay.
Indoors, first impressions are bound to evoke a reaction with the focal point of activity centring on the roomy and attention-grabbing dining room. This banqueting style rustic room sits in the centre of the house and rooms encircle it on one side – including the bedrooms upstairs. You can literally step outside your bedroom door to peer down from upstairs into the dining room over a banister – great for checking whether the bathroom is free! A Medieval ceiling light hangs down adding to the ambient and romantic characteristics. A huge stone and wooden topped dining table and chairs encompasses the room with ample seating for the entire group to get together and enjoy each other’s company. As well take pleasure in candlelit suppers, there’s a warming feature fireplace in the room too, making it feel particularly cosy. A curtained archway flows seamlessly into an adequately sized kitchen equipped with all the tools you’d expect. Here delicious meals can be prepared and you’ve a handy little breakfast table too. Also, on this floor, a family bathroom serves to conveniently offer relief and revitalisation to all guests, and the dining area flows through a further curtained archway to a large and welcoming living area. Guests can relax here with ample seating for the entire group to get together and enjoy each other’s company. The rustic décor creates the ideal setting as you and your guests watch a movie on the television, or warm up by a second fireplace and have a tender evening of conversations and laughter. You’ve even got a piano, just the right thing for adding to any cosy night in.
The ground floor is also home to wonderful entrance space, so feel free to kick back on one of the armchairs provided and enjoy a bit of quiet. Graced with more wooden beams and other rustic touches, stone steps lead upstairs where you’ll discover an upper living area and two comfortable twin bedrooms, this in turn leads to a further attic level connecting to gallery style double bedroom. Sloping ceilings in each room and comforting touches accentuate the restfulness that you’ll enjoy at the end of the day and you settle down for a good nights’ sleep.
Outside, and to the side of the house, a private enclosed al-fresco dining space complete with wooden dining table, benches and chairs for sitting outdoors and soaking up the setting offers scope for bringing your meals outside, enjoying a barbecue or gentle evening drinks all set amid flourishing trees and shrubs.If you’re keen to discover the real Spain, Villa Udais is your kind of place. Located in a tiny province in the region of Cantabria – Northern Spain, also referred to as ‘Green Spain’, this charming untouched and relatively untouched secret is a holiday favourite with the Spanish who visit the region for its diversity. Sandy coves, pretty fishing villages, seafood, and a rich green landscape of wooded mountains and steep-sided valleys, it has loads of delights in store for sightseeing and history fans.
Explore to your hearts delight, Villa Udais is close to some well-known cultural riches. If you love history, it’s UNESCO World heritage caves and rock art 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 keen hiking and walking paradise. 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 Villa Udais you can really explore the natural tapestry of ‘Green Spain’s’ stunning landscape. Clifftop lighthouses, pure mountain rivers and waterfalls, you’ll be spoilt for choice deciding what to explore first. The rolling 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 stunning 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 pretty special too.
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 is visible in every inch of the town. Make sure you try some delicious 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 all nearby.
The Palace of the Winery, The Parish Church of San Martín, or the Regional Museum of Nature of Carrejo are all places that are worth visiting. 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. Try the local speciality cream cheese, and make sure you try 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, it’s pretty tasty. And, don’t miss out on any of the freshly caught mouth-watering seafood harvested straight from the spectacular coast – it’s fantastic.
Still in exploring mode? Head to Santander, the region’s capital, with the breath-taking Picos de Europa National Park to the west. Away from the attractive prospect of simply chilling on one of the fine beaches of Cantabria, 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. And from Santoña, head to San Sebastian’s Old Town to seek out some of the best pintxos, for which the city is renowned. Visit a local cheese factory and try more Sobao cake before taking a trip inland to La Rioja for wine tastings and a tapas lunch. Other visits also are a lobster nursery in the Cantabrian Sea.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!