El Geco Verde

A great place for families in a very out-of-the-way part of Andalusia. Lovely pool (not shown in the pictures here but a really nice space!), comfortable and spacious rooms and good food. Ilaria and Des provide so much wonderful information about things to do in the area and arrange everything for you. There is a great range for families with different ages and levels of adventure/activity. We enjoyed horse riding, walks, wild swimming, kayaking and SUP but would have loved to try climbing or canyoning with bigger ones. Also plenty of ways to be lazy in the heat, too - lovely local pool, nearby towns and restaurants.

We had a wonderful week at El Geko Verde. Ilaria and Des were very welcoming to their home/hotel and made us feel very special. The activities were well thought out, allowing us to explore the region as we did them. We especially enjoyed hiking in the Parque Natural Sierra de Castril where we climbed to the source of the river, watched eagles and vultures all around us and took a dip in the fresh waters under the waterfalls. The rooms were comfortable, the home cooked food was excellent and you definitely felt completely off the beaten track!

Fantastic stay with Illaria and Des at El Geco. We chose it for an activity holiday with teenagers which worked out great. The house is situated on top of a hill , in a great location for wildlife watching. 15-20 different species of butterflies and lots of birds, highlights including bee eater, Booted eagle, black kite and Hoopoe. The surrounding area is also a heaven for birds, reptiles (lizards, water snakes, geckos) and butterflies. Bring your binoculars. Des and Illaria act as activity organisers/advisers. They use their own app for exact directions and suggested eateries afterwards. Each morning at breakfast, they make sure you are sorted for the day. Very relaxed atmosphere. Lots of wild swimming spots which are very safe to cool down. Walks suggested are all temperature and ability appropriate. Segway and kayaking great. Horse riding (we had little experience) on a trail was a highlight. Food was excellent too. You get a real local feel during the stay. Pool for a cooling dip at the end of the day. Only thing to note is you need decent car undercarriage clearance to cover the dirt "road" to the house, which is several kilometres long. Bear in mind if renting one. Otherwise excellent hosts, food and lodging. Highly recommend it.

We had a wonderful stay at El Geco Verde. Ilaria and Derek were so friendly and the dinners they made were exceptional! Even our picky kids ate every bite! The activities we did were great, especially pizza making with the very talented Ilaria ❤️ We also loved the pets; Lola, Elvis, Ratatouille and Gato. The views are like nothing we’ve ever seen. We hope to come back here very soon xx

We had a fabulous week at El Geco Verde with 3 teens and 4 adults. Ilaria and Des kindly honoured our booking from 2019 that was postponed due to the pandemic. The house is super clean and comfortable and the homemade meals are delicious. The activities were excellent especially the Rafting with Juan. Ilaria made everything very easy. Don’t hesitate to book if you would like a memorable family week of adventure and fun.

We had a lovely six night stay here in July. Two adults and two teenage children. Ilaria and Des are incredibly welcoming hosts and make you feel like you are part of their house and family, including their lovely dog and cats. Ilaria is incredibly helpful in organising activities and sorting out the logistics and Des keeps the place running (and the fridge full of cold wine, beer and soft drinks!). We went canyoning, segwaying, rafting, kayaking and horse riding as well as doing the star gazing and taking a wine and olive oil tour with a local entrepreneur. All were safe and very well run. Food was home cooked and Ilaria is also incredibly helpful in making sure the children have other food options if they are not certain. Rooms are clean and serviced every day. Castril and the National Park are stunning. A simple and welcoming part of the world! Overall, a lovely week. We would recommend.