#71 of 100Rural Retreat

Hacienda de San Rafael

Las Cabezas de San Juan, Andalucía•

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“The essence of the Andalusian farmhouse”

About the hotel

La Hacienda de San Rafael is an 18th century farmhouse restored by a British family in love with Andalusia. Its 11 rooms and 3 casitas, decorated by Kuky Mora-Figueroa, combine traditional whitewashing, textiles from India and antiques. The swimming pool amidst centuries-old olive trees is one of the most iconic images of Andalusian rural tourism.

Nomadiq Pick

The swimming pool among centenary olive trees and dinners under the stars in the patio.

Why we love it

The old olive farm that the Reid family has preserved for almost a century and a half, still in operation as an olive oil producer.
The family renovation, with interiors by Kuky Mora-Figueroa blending Andalusia, India and Zimbabwe
The basic elements of the original 1780 farmhouse: terracotta tiles, thin bricks, one-foot thick walls, wood-beamed ceilings and shuttered windows.
The bougainvillea courtyard in the center of the cortijo, around which the rooms are arranged, three of them duplexes.
The glorious isolation between Seville and Jerez, between rolling fields of wheat, sunflower and cotton.

Highlights

18th-century hacienda

Family olive estate

14 rooms

11 rooms and 3 casitas

Cortijo XVIII

Authentic Andalusia

History

Hacienda San Rafael, formerly known as Hacienda del Canónigo, dates back to at least 1780, when documents reveal that it consisted of main rooms on the upper and lower floors, servants' quarters, main and secondary courtyard, garden, vaulted barns, storage rooms, wine cellar with jars and barrels, oil mill and wagon corral. Until the 1960s it was a working olive farm. The Reid family has owned it for nearly a century and a half. In 1989 the family decided to save the building and undertook a phased restoration lasting about ten years; today Anthony and Patrick Reid run the hotel, which still produces olive oil.

Architecture & Design

Construction

1780

Restoration

2000

It is a gleaming white cortijo-style farmhouse with foot-thick walls and large shuttered windows, offering grandeur without ostentation. Basic elements of the original cortijo are preserved: terracotta tiles, thin bricks, enormously thick walls, shuttered windows and high ceilings with original wooden beams characteristic of Andalusian architecture. The central bougainvillea courtyard organizes the space and brings the rooms together, three of them duplexes. The renovation achieved a balance between rustic charm and modern sophistication.

The Surroundings

Andalucía

The hacienda is located halfway between Seville and Jerez de la Frontera, between rolling fields of wheat, sunflower and cotton. Seville with its cathedral, Alcazar and Santa Cruz quarter is to the north. Jerez de la Frontera with its sherry cellars and the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art is to the south. The beaches of Cadiz are accessible for day trips. The route of the white villages crosses the region.