Spectacular, spectacular! If you’re looking for both privacy and an out-of-this-world experience, book a stay at the Secret Garden House near Tarifa.
The house and gardens were conceived as a place for serenity and truth, so you might as well act the part and arrive as a total wreck. The fabulous place makes you feel like you’re some fifties movie star or writer on the verge of a breakdown seeking some peace and quiet. You know, the kind of people you spot in movies wearing huge sunglasses and capri pants, clutching a neurotic cigarette between their fingers. (Also: all serenity aside, this would make a perfect James Bond movie set!)
Anyway, it is hidden in a pine forest amongst millenary rocks and offers an amazing view over the valley of trees and the shoreline behind it. The house in itself is built around an original Arab watchtower and is tastefully decorated to make you as zen as possible. The biggest attraction though, are the gardens. The owner, an artist and accomplished gardener himself, has really accomplished a small miracle here: stepping out of the house, you wander into a garden with an amazing natural pool that seemingly plunges into the valley. Its clear, rusty red water contains iron minerals from the surrounding rocks and has healing properties -no chemicals here, you can even drink it! A small passage within the stern rock wall leads up to another, much bigger clearing with ponds of lotus flowers, a fresh water spring for more bathing and Balinese day beds for endless day dreaming. It doesn’t stop there: another passage makes way for a 15-minute walk to a desolate beach, known as “The Lost Beach” to locals. In a nutshell: enjoy your privacy and recharge your batteries! Good to know: you can also rent the place for events, I attended a fabulous wedding there that felt like a fairy-tale Coachella, partying between the ancient rock formations under a starry sky. Highly recommended!
Tarifa Secret Garden for more info.
