A paradise
The Hacienda San Bernardo is a real paradise and we would have loved to stay there! With its hundreds of hectares of the most beautiful landscapes, you are in a little world of your own, and, at the same time, you don’t feel you are “out of the world”, because many beautiful andalusian towns are within easy reach of 1 hours drive. We felt very happy there and would definitely love to go there again. It was very relaxing and peaceful and the Hacienda gives you a wonderful freedom. We were also very well looked after by lovely people who were really friendly with us— and, housekeeper Leo’s cooking is great, her salmorejo is better than any other we tried in prize-winning restaurants!
Our friend who visited us there said that it was a perfect place to film a movie. I think, not only is it a perfect movie-set, but it is also the perfect place to write the screenplay because it is most inspiring. On one hand, there is the beautiful nature surrounding it, the perfume in the air which is a mixture of eucalyptus, cork oak, orange, rosemary, sage…, you hear all kinds of birds singing, in the late afternoon there is a beautiful golden light, at nighttime the half-moon shines brighter than the full-moon does in London…, but also the house itself is inspiring, because it has got what in wines is called “solera”, an exquisite flavor created by age. It looks back onto a very noble tradition of hunting and many black and white photographs in the house tell you about its history. It is a very beautiful and impressive old building decorated with huge paintings of hunting scenes, old tapestry and, of course, many antlers.
Well, we spent a real dream holiday there and when we returned to London we terribly missed all the freedom and peace we had there and all the nice people we met!
Recommended for: Adventure Seekers, Pet-friendly, Families with Young Children, Romantic Getaway
Charming holidays in San Bernardo
Dear Cristal,
I just wanted to congratulate you about the amazing and charming “hacienda” you have in Hornachuelos (Córdoba).
We´ve had the best of our time enjoying not only nature, which is absolutely astonishing in the area, but also the impressive historic house, so well maintained and comfortable and that makes you travel through time, as if you where in the 30´s. Just wonderful!!
The orange tree garden and the pool surroundings brings many peaceful moments. The country walks during the sunset are lovely … everything is very charming.
For sure, we would love to come back another time.
Many, many thanks for these magic days!!
Recommended for: Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers, Families with Young Children, Romantic Getaway
Un maravilloso lugar y una magnífica casa
Hola Cristal
Quería decirte lo contentos que estuvimos mis amigos y yo durante nuestra semana en Hornachuelos. Es un maravilloso lugar, una magnifica casa y la gentileza y la ayuda de Leo es una gran suerte.
Pues todo paso bien y espero que podremos volver el año próximo. De aquí prometo de estudiar el español por hablarlo mejor
Gracias, verdaderamente, por todos
Un cordial saludo
Amazing Country Palace
Together with a friend we spent a fabulous week-end at this incredible property. Located in the Countryside at the heart of Andalucia and sorrounded by wild nature and game, the palace maintains the authenticity and elegance of the old aristocratic families architecture. A historic landmark in Spain where monarchs used to go hunting, including present king Juan Carlos, this is a unique and impressive find whilst still unimposing and very cozy. Strongly recommendable!
Winter stay at San Bernardo
We enjoyed a wonderful week at San Bernardo, as a family reunion over the Christmas period. The house is like nothing any of us had seen before – perhaps the Spanish equivalent of a small chateau or Schloss but really a hunting lodge out in the foothills of Andalucia. The hacienda is steeped in history, with a family tree extending back over centuries and records of hunting parties and gatherings of notable characters which add to the sense of occasion as one sits around the grand dining table or by the fire. The accommodation is comfortable and the house was warm despite its size. We were well looked after by Leo and Juan who live adjacent. It is a very peaceful and quiet place for a family get-together, much more fun than a hotel would have been, and with a truly authentic Spanish flavour. The local town of Hornachuelos was pretty quiet but it’s not too far to bigger places like Cordoba. The surrounding countryside is interesting, rolling hills which go for miles. The people were extremely friendly and helpful to us. While San Bernardo is a bit off the beaten track, if you are looking for somewhere authentic and interesting, particularly for a larger group (we were 15), it’s worth the effort – finding it in the dark on a rainy night was challenging but friendly local people came to our aid and Cristal’s map was helpful. It was the best part of our Spanish holiday.
Recommended for: Age 55+, Families with Teenagers, Families with Young Children
The perfect place to be together with my family!
Dear Cristal
Happy New Year to you and many thanks for your kind message….We all had a wonderful stay in San Bernardo. We found it the perfect place to be together with my family, we were very comfortable and Leo was kind and very helpful. In every way thankyou. We were sad to leave. From there my family returned to their homes in England and France…
Kind regards,
The perfect setting for wedding or holidays
Dear Cristal
Can i just say that we had the most amazing time at your property. The house is perfect for wedding.
…. the wedding and the stay at the property was perfect. I would not hesitate to recommend the house for wedding or holidays in the future. I hope that you would also welcome us back … as we would love to come and stay again as a smaller group.
The governess and the ther ladies were also so lovely and helpful.
Finally and special thank you to you for all your help and suggestions towards the big day. We certainly couldnt have done it with out you.
Did you find this review helpful? Yes No Helpful votes: 4/5
business
We felt so previlaged to stay in San Bernardo
Dear Cristal, We had a wonderful holiday, San bernado was so beautiful we felt so previlaged to stay in a house with such history and charm, we completely relaxed, the pool setting was perfect, we ate under the orange trees every night and the children loved the space. Leo was a lovely lady very helpful and managed to make breakfast and clean our rooms without us really realising she was there! She cooked us several lovely meals and her husband took us on a lovely nature walk…
Superb
A very good location
Just incredible
The magic of Andalusia
My stay in San Bernardo was a fabulous holiday. It has a unique atmosphere – old colonial style- and an environment which makes you feel like in another time, in a vast park where it is all “for you”. The house has a lot of personality and you feel immediately at home.
It is ideally placed between Cordoba and Sevilla and there are shopping facilities nearby. You can also have relaxed days at home and go for long walks in the park or stay by the very nice pool.
The property is well maintained and the services from local personnel very efficient and friendly. They are used to organize dinners for 30 people!
I would love to go back to San Bernardo again.
Merveilleuse demeure!!
Thank you for a wonderful stay!
Dear Cristal,
We all thoroughly enjoyed San Bernardo. We sensed every brick and tile had a story to tell and felt the presence of a strong family past whose story is entwined with the history of Spain and more widely across Europe. Well, we had fun speculating anyway! We also enjoyed all the family photographs which hinted at a great heritage.
San Bernardo, the lodge and the grounds, had fabulous aspects at every turn. We loved the formal gardens and the contrasting rolling hills. It was a highlight of the day to have breakfast amongst the grove of citrus trees. The rooms were splendid with their grand windows allowing the beauty of the outside world to flood into the rooms; filling them with the mingling fragrances of jasmine, herbs and all manner of verdant plants and other fresh summer blossoms.
San Bernardo’s Governess, Leo, looked after us wonderfully and her husband had a great knowledge of the local flora and fauna. They were keen to share their knowledge with us as we were keen to hear all they had to say. Interestingly, one amongst our party works for Parks Canada and we were curious to compare and contrast what it took to maintain, preserve and sustain the parklands in both countries. Thank you to all of them for the care and attention they paid to us. Most especially, we would like to mention Leo’s paella prepared to celebrate my birthday (she feared paella was not one of the best dishes she could cook but we thoroughly enjoyed her efforts!).
Thank you once again to you and your family for allowing us the privilege to stay at San Bernardo and we wish you well.
With warmest regards,
S.S. (August – September 2011
Toute notre famille est enchantée !
Bonjour madame
Nous avons passé un merveilleux séjour à l’Hacienda San Bernardo ! Un cadre superbe, un accueil chaleureux, les personnes présentes très prévenantes, souriantes et …. quelle bonne cuisine préparée par Maria ! Toute notre famille est enchantée !
Avec mes très sincères salutations,
Yvonne (France, Aout 2013)
I would certainly recommend San Bernardo to other
My group enjoyed our stay at San Bernardo very much. The property is quite unique by our experience and it exactly fit the kind of holiday we had hoped for.
Maria Jose and others were great. Few of us spoke Spanish but she was patient in communicating. The introduction to the property was effective and she was available to help with any issues we had. We requested two dinners to be cooked and both were fine. In the first, we left the menu to staff, and the meal was simple and nice. In the second, one of our group provided the menu and Maria did her best to understand the dishes. We were happy with both meals… The pool facilities and condition were excellent for our group… Again, we really enjoyed our stay, and I would certainly recommend San Bernardo to others…Your help is setting up our visit is much appreciated. Thanks.
Steve (September, 2013)
Location à recommander
“Nous avons été très satisfaits du séjour: site magnifique, accueil chaleureux, repas du soir et déjeuners parfaits, temps idéal…”
FD (France, 24-May-2013)
This place is amazing!
Especially the location and the service! The ladies were very nice, kept the house clean and cooked us very nice dishes. Everybody in the group loved it! We do this every 2 years with this group so we have been to many places in different countries. San Bernardo is for sure in our top 3.
We also hope a lot of other people have the opportunity to enjoy it. We certainly would love to come back in a few years! So there is nothing we could complain about…”
(May 2013)
Beaucoup se rappelleront encore longtemps!
Bonjour, Notre séjour c’est très bien passé à San Bernardo, la propriété est magnifique, et beaucoup se rappelleront encore longtemps de ce séjour. Nous étions très content du personnel, de Léo et de ses assistantes, serviables et compétentes…”
(April 2013)
What a magical place!
Absolutely Excellent! ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
We absolutely adored our stay at Hacienda San Bernardo – what a magical place! The house was incredible, very comfortable and has great character. The surrounding grounds where stunning and we enjoyed long walks in the beautiful countryside. The pool was a great addition and seen-to everyday by the house staff who made sure it was perfect for our arrival to sunbathe.
A badminton court and ping-pong table gave us fun activities and we enjoyed visiting neighbouring Hornachuelos.
The housekeeper and excellent cook – Maria- was amazing, cooking delicious Spanish and English cuisine for 16 people, while keeping the house immaculate.
I definitely recommend staying here, it was what we expected and more, unforgettable and great fun. I would love to return. Thank you very much!
¡Un lieu charmant!
Totalement excellent! ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Nous avons adoré notre séjour à l’Hacienda San Bernardo – Quel bel endroit! La maison est incroyable, très confortable et avec beaucoup de personnalité. La campagne autour est magnifique et nous avons beucoup apprécié de longues promenades dans la merveilleuse nature. La piscine était une grande addition, soigneusement entretenu par le personnel de la maison, qui a fait que tout était parfait pour nous lors de nos bains de soleil.
Une court de badminton et une table de ping-pong offre des activités amusantes, et nous avons aussi apprécié la visite a Hornachuelos.
Le cuisinier fantastique, Maria, était incroyable, nous a preparé de délicieux repas anglais et espagnol, pour 16 personnes, entretenant la maison immaculée.
Je recommande vivement aller à San Bernardo, c’est ce que nous attendions et plus, mémorable et amusant séjour. Nous serions ravis de retourne. Merci beaucoup!
Unforgettable stay at Casa San Bernardo ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
We were so very lucky to find this beautiful, unforgettable gem in the Andalucian countryside.
We decided to have our rehearsal dinner for our wedding there! The property is beautiful, the house simply stunning, Maria Jose the property manager was the BEST cook every and took such good care of us every day. Cristal, the property owner was endlessly helpful to us in the weeks and months before our trip with all the details.
Everyone of every age enjoyed the Casa and we are already talking about when we can go there again!
Estancia inolvidable en la Casa de San Bernardo
Fuimos extremadamente felices de encontrar esta preciosa e inolvidable perla del campo andaluz. ¡Decidimos celebrar la cena de preparación de nuestra boda allí. La finca es muy bonita, la casa, sencillamente maravillosa.
La guardesa, Maria Jose, la mejor cocienra que nos cuidó con atención y mimo cada día. Cristal, una de los propietarios, fué especialmente servicial durante las semanas y meses previos al viaje con la preparación de los detalles.
Todos los miembros del grupo, de todas las edades, disfrutaron con la casa. ¡Ya estamos hablando de cuando podremos volver!
Fantastic and relaxing vacation hacienda ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
We have rented villas in Europe nine times and our group agreed that San Bernardo ranks near the top of our list of favorites. It is a beautiful hacienda with large rooms for gathering together, smaller nooks for reading, private baths for 8 of the bedrooms, and lots of space outdoors. We loved the pool, the orangerie, the front porch, the guided walking tours, and most of all, the household staff. Maria and Loli are hardworking, always smiling, and accomodated our every desire. We had requested three dinners prepared by them each week and the meals were always delicious. We hired flamenco musicians to come to the hacienda after a couple of dinners and Maria and Loli even did a little flamenco dancing with the group – what fun! And in mid-stream we asked that breakfast be provided. No hesitation on their part, even though it caused some disruption to their regular routine. Wonderful!
We were able to shop in the nearby towns of Hornechuelos and Palma del Rio for supplies that we needed. There are several good restaurants in these towns, as well. The hacienda is well located for visits to Cordoba, Seville, Granada, Malaga, Cadiz, Ronda and many other sights.
It was a real pleasure to coordinate with the owner’s agent and she was always responsive and helpful. She provided lots of information on nearby attractions and also worked with us to find flamenco performers to come to us. Cristal, the owner’s agent, thoroughly represented her family professionally and with graciousness and pleasantness rarely seen.
We look forward to a future stay at Hacienda San Bernardo.
Wonderful stay in a beautiful home ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
We spent a week at Hacienda San Bernardo with a group who had rented the property for a month. It was a lovely stay. The property is perfect for a large group, with plenty of beautiful spaces to gather as a group or places to get away for some quiet time. The hacienda is a grand old country house, perfect for visitors who love the style, spaciousness, sense of history, and yes, the quirkiness of such places. It’s truly a unique and wonderful property.
We spent our days sightseeing and then gathered in the evenings with our group to share a bottle of wine, tapas, and tales of our travels. It was an easy drive to Cordoba and the historic sites in the old city. Closer, and on the way, we visited the castle at Almodovar and the ruins at Madinat Al-Zahra and on a couple of days traveled longer distances. The hacienda’s location puts lots of Andalucia a day-trip away.
Our visit was in October, so we spent more mornings and evenings in front of the fireplace than on the lovely patio. As beautiful as the place was in October, I imagine spring and late summer must be wonderful, as well.
Our group arranged with Maria and Lola for 3 catered meals, which were beautifully prepared and served. We are grateful to them for taking such good care of us. The entire staff was wonderful. A highlight for my husband and I was a guided walk around the property, led by Juan.
We’ll be enjoying memories of our week at San Bernardo for a long time.
The staff of the house were a highlight of our trip! ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
A special place in Andalucia
Our travel companion group rented San Bernardo for a month this September/October. It is a wonderful home with a delightful garden, patios and a lovely pool area to enjoy swimming or just relaxing in the shade of the pergola.
The house is large, aristocratic and has a wonderful history touched by Royal visits from Kings and Queens yet it is warm and cozy and we enjoyed days just staying “home” enjoying the ambiance. San Bernardo is reached by a mile long driveway from town past olive trees, cattle, sheep, horses and even a very shy wild cat! The only sound you hear at night are the animals talking…and the stars are glorious.
The staff of the house were a highlight of our trip! Even though we do not speak Spanish and they do not speak English we became friends! They are so warm and friendly they made our stay really special! They prepared and served fabulous dinners for 23 of us 3 nights a week besides keeping the house is tip top shape daily. They could not do enough for us and went above and beyond! It was delightful to return each day after sightseeing to be greeted by Maria Jose and Loli.
I would recommend this house highly for well -seasoned travelers who enjoy being off the beaten track a bit to see the “real” Spain yet within reach of Cordoba, Sevilla and Granada
