El Amparo

Planning a holiday is always a bit of a gamble but after scouring the internet we stumbled over this B&B on this website. Although the weather was very wet we had great accommodation at El Amparo and it was lovely coming back to a roaring log fire in the evening. The lounge area is ideal to chill out after a long days sightseeing, and chat over your day with a glass or two of Rioja!. We were pleasantly surprised by the accommodation for although this is a bed and breakfast, the quality of the fittings and spaciousness of the rooms would have put many "boutique" hotels to shame. The underfloor heating was unbelievable! Breakfast was good and although we only took one evening meal during our stay the portions were plentiful and the moorish influences very mouthwatering. Our hosts were brilliant, helpful and knowledgeable without being "in your face" and nothing seemed too much trouble. We wished we had arranged our trip differently, because we would have stayed longer if we hadn't already booked accommodation elsewhere. Never mind, we will return!

Stayed May 21-28 2012. We cannot say enough good things about our stay here. This is the perfect B & B....out in absolutely heavenly countryside full of olive groves and natural beauty. Perfect attentive service, attention to detail in decor, fixtures, grounds, you name it! , friendly and helpful staff, excellent breakfast, great choice of wines & spirits......if we were going to design the best B & B we could imagine, El Amparo already did it! We were absolutely pleased with every detail and part of our stay. Jeff (and Sally although we missed her that week) obviously love what they do and it shows in every day of our stay there.

This was our perfect B&B-or Retreat. El Amparo is certainly a mixture of both. It has all the charm of a Bed and Breakfast with that homely feel, but it also has the efficiency and quality that you would expect from a smal boutique hotel. Sally and Jeff have created a haven of tranquility in the heart of the countryside, where nothing seems too much trouble.This is the place you use as a bench mark for anywhere else you stay! The rooms are clean, spacious and the bed was enveloping and comfortable. The bathroom was spotless, and using the shower made it a pleasure to get up in the morning. We could access our bedroom 24 hours a day without entering the main house, which meant we disturbed no one returning after midnight. The spanish like to party late. We ate sveral nights at El Amparo and thankfully they serve dinner earlier than most of the local restaurants, which is a blessing after a long day out . Saying that, we ventured out a couple of times to sample the local cuisine, returning for a nightcap whilst watching the moon from our balcony. If you are staying here for your holiday you will not be disappointed and if you are thinking about it, don´t wait, book it !

We surfed the internet and stumbled over this hotel/B&B and what a find. El Amparo is an incredible oasis in the middle of nowhere yet only 25 minutes from Granada. It seemed to offer exactly what we needed, but on arrival we realised the website barely touched the surface! For us the location was breathtaking and the tranquility and peace of the place was a breath of fresh air after arriving from Madrid. Jeff and Sally have created a haven to escape to, and after listening to their stories in finding this location, there search was worthwhile. We spent our days visiting Granada and Cordoba and also visited the coast, which was surprisingly close. We searched out the Chiringuito bar Sally and Jeff recommended and the fish cooked over the open boat was delicious. I can still smell the charcoal burning! The rooms at El Amparo are very spacious and the beds incredibly comfortable. Breakfast is a delicious buffet of fresh fruit, fresh bread and croissants, plus meats and cheese. There was also cereals and cakes on offer, but one can only consume so much! We wish we could have stayed longer! Many thanks Jeff and Sally for a delightful few days.

This was one of the nicest and most beautiful places we have stayed in. The location was wonderful, the service outstanding. Nothing was too much trouble for our host. The breakfast and evening meals were delicious, it was lovely to sit eating in the courtyard to cool down at the end of the day and enjoy a glass of wine or two. It was a little bit of heaven to return to again and again.

When we started planning our trip to Spain a friend suggested I check out this B&B as they had stayed twice before. El Amparo was ideal because of its location and style. We were not searching for budget accommodation but were looking for quality without being "over the top". I believe that our final choice was spot on! The quality and cleanliness of the rooms was excellent and the attention to detail was apparent right down to the choice of pillow firmness! Although the place was full most of the time, there were many different areas where you could have solitude, or join in with the crowd. We had wonderful weather during our stay and even ventured into the pool, as well as walking and visiting the sights of Cordoba, Granada and Seville. Jeff and Sally could not have been more helpful, not only with their help and advice, but their inside knowledge of what to see and do, and more importantly, the best ways in and out of the cities. The hotel is in a wonderful location with abundant wildlife and spectacular 360 degree views. We sampled Jeffs' cooking on several occassions and were not disappointed, I managed to aquire his recipe for Moroccan Chicken which I am looking forward to creating now we are home. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at El Amparo and the feeling that we were staying with friends, rather than guests, added to the overall experience. We will definitely become one of the many returning visitors.

We have just returned from a 6 night holiday in Andalucia. The weather was perfect, the flights were on time and the accommodation delightful. Jeff and Sally have created a magical place where you have 5 star luxury on one hand and rural tranquility on the other. The views from El Amparo are glorious. We could sit in the courtyard in' T' shirts and look at the snow covered mountains, whilst sipping a glass of Rioja-pure indulgence! We spent a lot of time walking, cycling and eating and enjoyed the village life in this part of Spain. The tapas here are wonderful and with over 30 bars in Alhama de Granada we were spoilt for choice. We had a couple of meals out at local restaurants and Jeff's selections were always spot on. The rest of the time we had dinner at El Amparo and enjoyed our evenings around the fire chatting over the days events with other guests. Granada is a wonderful city for strolling around and the Alhambra Palace is an awesome spectacle. We visited Cordoba for a day trip, passing through the Olive and Almond Groves. Another magical gem. Our time in Andalucia was full on and finding El Amparo made the experience complete. A perfect place to chill !

We have just returned from one of the the best kept secrets in Andalucia. El Amparo is second to none for both hospitality and atmosphere and has to be the best escape we could have wished for. We planned our trip to coincide with our 10th wedding anniversary and wanted to try an experience of skiing in the morning and swimming in the afternoon. Thanks to Jeff and Sally's planning and directions we accomplished our objective. After a leisurely start to the day and a delicious breakfast, we arrived at the Sierra Nevada ski slopes at about 10 o'clock. We skied until about 2.00 and then drove down to the beach at Salobrena for an afternoon swim, returning to El Amparo to watch the sunset, whilst we soaked in the Jacuzzi before dinner. Sitting around the log fire in the evening , we recounted our day to the other guests whilst we sipped hot mulled wine! Jeff and Sally have created an amazing place, where everyone is made to feel welcome and we are not surprised at how many have returned year after year. We stayed 5 nights and only wished we had longer to sample more of Jeff's cooking and explore this area. As well as swimming and skiing we took advantage of the mountain bikes that are available at the hotel(free of charge!) and visited both Granada and Cordoba-amazing! The facilities at El Amparo are luxurious without losing the appeal of a very traditional Andalucian house. There are those little touches that make all the difference, which Jeff admits are all Sallys' idea -a womans touch! This is a holiday that we will remember for many years. We feel we have a second home in Andalucia and some new found friends, whom we hope to see in the summer.