We recently had a visit from a journalist from the coast who works for an ex pat magazine here in southern Spain. I won’t mention the paper as I am loathe to give them any extra publicity. We dub this experience “the most primitive hotel in Spain”. So just why did they send out a person more at home on the sun drenched beaches of Andalucia rather than the rugged mountains of the interior?

I replicate the article below for the laugh! Please ….. if you are one of these sorts of people then the “Sierra Mountain Refuge Experience” is just not for you. Puerta Banus, Marbella or Torremolinos may be more your style.

The original article with photos etc can be found on pdf files here and here.

“IT is billed as the ‘most primitive hotel’ in Spain.

And with the generator packed up, the wind whistling under the door and the open fi re the only source of cooking, it must certainly come close. I had been offered a weekend to discover the charms of the so-called Sierra Morena Mountain Refuge, which sits high in the Sierra de Aracena, a few clicks from the Extremadura border. But nobody told me – an Essex girl, used to regular home comforts – that the place would be freezing and the creature comforts practically nil.

My weekend breaks are normally spent on the beach or in a comfortable city hotel, so it is fair to say that I headed off with a certain degree of trepidation. Luckily my friend Wendy – who grew up on camping holidays – was coming along for the ride. And she soon got me in the spirit for something a little different. The beautifully restored farmhouse, which sits in its own valley with some of the most amazing views in Andalucia, certainly looked the part. Built with sustainable materials, its wooden furniture and fire place certainly gave off a welcoming feel.
But, while I was looking forward to a hot cup of tea – or something stronger – our host, owner Javier Aguirrebengoa decided we needed a proper tour of the grounds.

So we were soon being taken on a forced march around the soggy nearby woodland, getting an in-depth lecture on this plant and that plant, etc, etc. Despite the light starting to dim, our host’s enthusiasm was unrelenting, as he pulled up nearly every plant we passed to tell us about it’s history and why it was vital to the landscape. I couldn’t help thinking this wasn’t the most sustainable way of caring for the land but I trusted he knew what he was doing.

Once I had turned almost blue and could no longer feel my feet, I politely told Javier I was heading back to marinade the meat I had picked up at Mercadona the night before.It was nearing 8pm and I feared the combination of cold and hunger would push me over the edge. I was all set to jump in the car and head home… until I realised we had left it half an hour away up a dirt track! Thankfully Javier took the hint and when we got back to the farmhouse his friend Antonio had got a roaring fire going in the grate. It warmed me cockles, as they say, and I was soon relaxing in front of the fi re, while Wendy chopped an onion using a head torch – the generator had packed up meaning there were no lights.

Once fed and less blue, I began to appreciate where I was and what Javier had achieved in this isolated corner of Huelva province. The former estate agent had found the spot, by accident, three years ago, when he and his wife had been on a day out from Sevilla, where they live. Taking a hike in the little known Sierra de Tentudia they both had some kind of awakening as the  current recession had really started to bite. With he and his wife both forced out of work due to the crisis, they were both looking for a new meaning to their lives. “I started to re-evaluate what was important to me and my family,” Javier told me, over a hot cup of soup. “Seeing how people lived out here in the sticks, their traditions and how they lived off the land inspired me to start this project.” His philosophy is endearingly simple. Respect the land, learn from it and uphold ancient and sustainable rural traditions. “I don’t think we can live without certain technology, but a better understanding of our environment and old traditions means we can rely on it less,” he explains.

All revenue made from the recently set up project goes towards local agricultural projects and educating others about sustainable living. The  refuge itself has been beautifully restored. All the beds are hand-made using locally sourced wood, and all features, even down to the style of hand basin, are designed to be in keeping with the local mountain vernacular. But that’s not to say he hasn’t tried to make the refuge comfortable. And there are some creature comforts, such as a giant pull-down screen installed to watch movies.. when the generator is working of course.

There is a big library of books and films, the vast majority linked to the environment, and visitors are encouraged to learn (and practice) selfsuffi ciency during their stay. It’s no surprise that visitors are also encouraged to walk to the refuge instead of driving. But unless you had a tractor, or a robust 4×4 you wouldn’t make it anyway as roads are non-existent the whole way up. I crawled into bed early with all my clothes on, shivering and wishing I had brought some thermal underwear. I did at least sleep well until we were rudely awoken at 6.30am by Javier and Antonio having a heated discussion about solar energy.

‘Heated’ somehow seemed to be the wrong word though, and when I opened the shutters I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was completely white and we were covered in a foot of snow.It was like  Narnia and I was waiting for the White Witch to turn me into an ice statue.She never showed, so I got dressed and sat by the fi re with Javier who was so overwhelmed by the snow he couldn’t wait to get outside. I declined, prefering to dream of all inclusive holidays, and chat to Antonio who was making toast over the fire.

After ‘breakfast’ we set off to visit the caves in nearby Fuentes de Leon, where a recent discovery of Roman artefacts had made it popular.The caves themselves are nothing spectacular, but the story behind them and what they have found out about the Romans that lived there is pretty impressive. For example, they discovered that when someone died they ate them due to lack of other food!

On our way back to the refuge, Javier took us to visit a retired farmer, Francisco, who spends most of his day looking after his small herd of goats, one of which was about to give birth. He had dried chillies and tomatoes hanging from his wall and laid out a nice spread of cured pork and red wine for us. He has lived in the area his whole life and was practically self-sufficient. Javier explained how he had learnt a lot from Francisco and you could see they had built up a strong friendship through their mutual love of the area.

All in all, the refuge is a totally unique experience and Javier’s passion for the project is admirable. But I wouldn’t recommend going in winter, unless you are a die-hard ‘outdoors’ person. In the summer I imagine this place is idyllic and it would be much easier to embrace the self-sufficiency lifestyle. And with a group of friends, good food and wine, there is no doubt that this could be the ultimate holiday retreat. Either way, it is a week in the Canaries for me next winter.”

Sorry, this entry is only available in Español.

Our first Christmas at the refuge was a very relaxing and exciting time. Far away from the hustle and bustle of Sevilla as you could get. We took some photos that we thought you might enjoy seeing.

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LOOKING for a hideaway to escape the Christmas consumerism? Well, high up in the Sierra Morena Mountains sits one of Spain’s most isolated retreats

Dubbing itself, ‘Spain’s most primitive hotel’, the Sierra Mountain Refuge was once an old goat shed. Now fully restored, using only local, second-hand materials, this beautiful retreat can sleep up to 12 people. It sits in the heart of an organic estate, where visitors can pick fruit and vegetables grown on the land.

“You cook over an open fires and sleep on hand-made beds,” explains owner Javier, a 38-year-old lawyer from Sevilla. He and his wife found it while hiking in the area in 2008.

“I wanted to create a unique mountain retreat for people to come and experience a self sufficient way of life,” he adds.

Now guests can visit local cheese and wine producers, hike the highest peak in the province, visit the ancient Tentudía Monastery or simply relax. Unsurprisingly, there’s no internet access and driving is discouraged but you can walk from Arroyomolinos de Leon accompanied by mule packs.

A perfect getaway in the Sierra Morena mountains

Looking for a hideaway to escape from routine? Well high up in the Sierra Morena sits one of Spain´s most isolated retreats. Dubbing itself, “Spain´s most primitive hotel”, the Sierra Mountain Refuge was once an old goat shed.

Warm and welcoming, the Sierra Morena Mountain Refuge

Now fully restored using only local, natural materials this beautiful retreat can sleep up to 15 people.

It sits in the heart of an organic estate, where visitors can help out with daily activities.

“You can cook over an open fire and sleep on hand-made beds, explain owner Javier, a 38 year- old lawyer from Sevilla.

Now guests can visit local cheese and wine producers, hike the highest peak in the province, visit the ancient Tentudía monastery or simply relax

Want to really get away from it all?

Why not try out Spain´s most primitive hotel, a fabolous new mountain refuge, set in stunning, wild, virgin terrritory, just one hour from Sevilla or two hours from Faro.

Set in beautiful scenery in the Sierra Morena

Deborah and Jon, our first guest at our new Refuge in Andalucia, after we first opened, just sent us some pictures from their visit. I think they enjoyed a lot and we are looking forward to have them again around, I hope they will bring some good music from Manchester as I believe it is birth place of some of the best music in the world.

So we want to share with all of you these pictures, inside the refuge and hiking in the area.

So happy new 2011 to every body from Sierra Morena Mountain Refuge.

Survival, Navigation and Adventure courses with a difference……we really do try to get you lost!
Based in southern Spain in mountains and forests.
Any start date, any duration. No minimum numbers. Singles and groups welcome.
Childrens introduction to Navigation and Geocaching
Corporate Leadership and Team Building training.
Professional instruction and guiding.

Rugged forests Sierra Morena

These courses are intended for anyone who is interested in leading groups in the hills, or improving their own knowledge and confidence. During the course participants will be given an understanding of navigation techniques and hazard awareness amongst other things.

A must for mountaineers, scramblers, aspirant mountain leaders and walking group leaders who wish to improve or learn from scratch. Many regular mountaineers and climbers don’t know how to navigate safely in poor conditions, don’t be one of them. If the terms magnetic variation, aspect of slope, timing or pacing don’t mean anything to you, you should book a navigation course.

Theory and Practice

Apart from a couple of hours’ theory at the start, the whole course will be conducted out on the mountains and forests. We’ll cover most aspects of map reading (scales, symbols and contour lines) as well as route planning and route finding. We’ll teach you how to use your compass properly and give you plenty of practice at taking bearings, estimating distances and other tricks of the trade. We provide GPS units, or you are welcome to bring your own GPS along, as their use will be covered, together with how they fit in with today’s navigation.

Night Navigation

Night Navigation

We’ll also offer the option of a night navigation exercise to let you practise your new found skills. But we never forget it’s your holiday too and there’ll be plenty of time to take photographs, enjoy the spectacular views or simply to relish the fresh air and freedom of the mountains.

Who are the courses for?

The Navigation courses are designed for both beginners and advanced navigators. Particularly good for introducing children to gps, compass and map work.

Language Course

The courses can be done in either Spanish or English so can serve as a tool for learning or improving languages skills.

Who are your Trainers?

We have many years experience in both survival and professional mountain guiding both in the Alps, Europe and greater ranges. Our qualified instructors have been living and working in southern Spain for many years now and know the area and landscape intimately. We also run trips to Patagonia.

Want to see our credentials in bad weather? Take a look at this short video………….

Nice video shot of the extreme mountain biking opportunities around our refuge here in the Sierra Morena in the heart of Andalucia.

En Extremo Duro Arroyomolino 16032010 from José Segura on Vimeo.