After hearing details of this wonderful place, and being fed up with the English weather and pension schemes we decided to investigate the valley ourselves.

 

After much searching of the websites and email swapping we booked the flights and went on a five day mission to buy our property in the valley.

We did our research throughly and knew the buying procedure, we had lined up a meeting with a solicitor and many with estate agents ( we did not quite know how we were going to fit it all in).

The day arrived and we left , armed with property details and our tight schedule.

On picking up our hire car we embarked on the two hour drive from Malaga airport to the Lecrin valley, we were full of excitement and very nervous of what we would find!

Our fears turned to delight as we left the scenic coastal road and entered a magnificant gorge, Andy my husband was driving and uttered frustration at not being able to see the view as I gasped 'look at that' or 'what a fantastic view'.

We arrived in the valley, which was beautiful with far reaching views in all directions.

Our accomodation was at my sister in laws property in Albunuelas, we parked at the top of the village and wound our way down the old street to her house.

It really was like stepping into another time, with mules, old fashioned ladies and whitewashed houses surrounding us.

The view from her roof terrace made us realise we had made the right descion to find our holiday home in the lecrin valley, the view was stunning and the area so peaceful you could feel the stresses of life sliding away.

 

Unfortuately stillness was short lived as we had to consult our schedule and head to Durcal for our first meeting with an estate agent.

We found the Cafe florida where we were to meet and sat and waited expectantly for him to arrive thinking we should have a red rose or news paper to distinquish ourselves to him, however we were appaerently easy to spot as the 'english couple abroad' and a man soon approached us. His apperance quite shocked us and we wondered if we should embark on a trip into the unknown with this scruffy looking man. we decided we were in spain now and they obviously have a difference appraoch on things and set of in pursuit.

 

This started a long succesion of house viewings, we saw the lot from complete wrecks with dead cats and chicken in residence to modern already rennovated properties with swimming pools to die for.

Our heads were spinning, how many houses have we seen, we had yet to agree on one we both liked. Andy gave me weird looks when I proclaimed the potential in this mule stable, or said what a lovely lounge this chicken shed would make!.

To break things up we headed to Granada to visit the solicitor, the trip was tense as we had to navigate the street of granada with our ill fed map and dodgy driving skills, we eventually made it to the correct street and breathed a sigh of relief unbeknown that our trek of the granada streets had only just began.

After interpretting our spanish solicitors english we realised we had to go to the police station, queue for an hour race back to his office, sprint to the notary office and all before siesta at 2pm when all spain grinds to a holt. we made it with minutes to spare and was waved off cheerfull by the solictor, having done all the legal dealings in two hours no mean feat.

After many viewing we short listed our houses to two, one in Saleres, Casa Mulo, which just felt right as soon as we stepped through the door and one in the Guajar valley. They were quite different properties, Casa Mulo was old and very traditional but had been rennovated to a high standard, where as the property in Guajar was modern but had a pool!!  Difficult decision.......

After mulling it over at a local tapas bar and after a very long and expensive conversation with my sister in law we decided to go for Casa Mulo, we just loved the house and there was room in the plot in front to build a pool.

So on our final day we put in an offer, paid a deposit and fly back home - "job done"