Walking into the casa rural, Hospedería Casa del Marqués is like walking into Doctor Who’s Tardis – it is much bigger on the inside than it appears on the outside.

I called at the front door of this large house on the main street of Vélez Benaudalla and was greeted by Carina, a charming Swiss lady with an endearing French accent when she speaks Spanish.
After a quick chat about the history of the house and why it is known locally as the Casa del Marqués – tell you about that later – she showed me around.

The centre of the house is a 3-storey high central patio culminating in a multi-window turret. The bedrooms have spacious bathrooms and the whole house has been decorated to capture its centenary soul.

When we stepped into the walled garden area, I was amazed by the space, with ample room for a shaded dining area, swimming pool, jacuzzi and sauna.

At the other end of the garden is a 2-story house divided into an upstairs and downstairs flats – both exquisitely decorated, with an air of Hobbit quaintness. Never mind, you will see what I mean when you go there.

And go there you must, just to see this hidden gem within a quiet but attraction-packed village: Nazari gardens, the castle, the church and the park with its abundance of flowing water.

Damn! Don’t have room for why it’s called La Casa del Marqués – you’re going to have to ask Carina yourself.

(News: Velez de Benaudalla, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)