Casa Alicia Town House in the Old Quarter

Located in the Barrio Alto, on a quiet street off the main square, next door to where Columbus stayed on the eve of his 3rd voyage to the Americas. In the square is 17th century palace of Medina Sidonia. Within the palace is a charming cafe which extends out into a beautiful garden. Ideal for breakfast or afternoon tea. Adjacent is the Renaissance church of Nuestra Senora de la O. 100 metres away is the Palace of the Duke of Orleans y Bourbon. The gardens are open during the mornings and are a paradise for children; ideal for games of hide and seek and treasure hunts. Back to Casa Alicia, the sloping roof terrace offers magnificent views over the town to the sea, towards the shipwreck on the barrier reef - a prime spot to sit with a glass of the local manzanilla sherry and a bowl of olives, and watch spectacular sunsets and the storks circling their nest on the campanile of the Church of Caridad while the swifts dart and dive about. On the lower terrace there is a dining area with BBQ. We have a book full of recipe ideas and suggestions where to buy the best produce from the market. Downstairs, there is a fully equipped kitchen with a high beamed and tiles ceiling, so it is relatively easy to bring food and drinks up and down. The bathroom is next door and also has high beamed and tiled ceiling with a sky light window. The indoor dining room is in the centre of the upstairs area, adjacent to the sitting room where you will find a television and dvds, and a number of board games such as scrabble, chess, backgammon dominoes and cards. There is also a good Wifi connection and if you have Netflix, it will work well here. One bedroom is off the dining room, and another with a balcony is off the sitting room. The third bedroom with twin beds is downstairs by the library and utility room in what used to be an enclosed patio! The house has two front doors! One big old one with a heavy bolt, and an inner one. During the day, when we are out at the market or pottering around, we usually leave the big old one open. When we are away for longer, we tend to close it.