Finca Gran Cerros is a rural retreat created with care, patience, and a clear sense of purpose.
We’re Shaun and Michael, and when we began shaping the finca in the hills above Álora in inland Andalusia, our aim wasn’t to build a conventional hospitality business. We wanted to create the kind of place we would genuinely choose to stay in ourselves – somewhere calm, personal, and thoughtfully put together, where guests could slow down and feel completely at ease.
Everything you experience here has grown from that intention.
The Finca welcomes guests throughout the year; winter is particularly well suited to guests looking for longer, slower stays in inland Andalusia.
Finca Gran Cerros grew out of a very personal decision.
When we moved from the UK to rural Andalusia, we were seeking a different pace of life – one with more space, less noise, and a stronger connection to landscape and community. The finca was first our home, and gradually became the retreat it is today.
That early journey – from relocating to Spain to restoring and shaping the finca – was followed on Channel 4’s A New Life in the Sun. The programme captured the reality of those first years: the physical work, the learning curve, and the slow process of building something sustainable and meaningful.
When the cameras left, the philosophy remained the same.
From the beginning, the idea behind Finca Gran Cerros was simple: to create a small, carefully considered rural retreat in Andalusia that felt grounded, unhurried, and personal in scale.
– Not a resort.
– Not a hotel.
– Not a place built around constant activity.
Instead, somewhere designed around comfort, atmosphere and small details that genuinely help people relax.
The finca has evolved steadily over time, shaped by experience and guided by what helps guests feel settled and restored when they’re away from home.
Our love of fragrance grew naturally from life here at Finca Gran Cerros. What began as a way to create a calm, welcoming atmosphere for our guests soon became something more – a desire to capture the feeling of the finca and carry it beyond the gates.
Drawing inspiration from the Andalusian landscape, the changing seasons, and the quiet rhythms of rural life, we now create a small collection of home fragrances – under our Andaluza Home brand – designed to evoke the sense of place our guests often tell us they miss when they return home.
Each fragrance is carefully developed and made in small batches, with the same attention to detail that shapes everything we do at the finca – thoughtful, unhurried, and rooted in its surroundings.
If you’ve stayed with us, you may already recognise some of these scents from your time here. If not, they offer a gentle introduction to the atmosphere of Finca Gran Cerros, wherever you are.
Over the past few years, Finca Gran Cerros has been recognised internationally for its guest experience and setting.
Awards include:
– TripAdvisor Best of the Best (2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026)
– Ranked Top 10 B&B in Spain (three consecutive years)
– International Resort & Retreat Awards 2023 – Best Rural Retreat, Málaga
– International Travel & Tourism Awards 2024 – Most Picturesque Rural Retreat
While we’re proud of these acknowledgements, what matters most to us is that guests leave feeling rested, welcomed and genuinely cared for.
We live at the finca and host each stay ourselves.
For us, good hosting is about warmth, care, and attention to detail – often the small things that allow guests to relax without needing to ask.
It’s about anticipating needs quietly, rather than managing guests overtly.
Our presence is attentive but never intrusive. We’re here when needed, and invisible when not.
Many guests tell us that what defines their stay is not just the setting, but the atmosphere: calm, respectful, and easy.
What you’ll find today is the result of living here, hosting here, and refining the experience gradually over time.
The finca continues to evolve quietly – guided by guest feedback rather than trends, and always rooted in the same values that have shaped it from the beginning.
Set in the hills above Álora, within reach of El Chorro, the Caminito del Rey, and the white villages of Málaga province, it offers both space to retreat and the option to explore.
Above all, it remains intentionally small, personal, unforced and unhurried.
Finca Gran Cerros suits guests who value privacy, space and a slower rhythm – those who appreciate thoughtful hosting and a rural setting that feels calm rather than remote.
If you’re drawn to places that feel personal, unforced, and quietly considered, you can explore the accommodation options or check live availability when you’re ready to.
And we’re always happy to answer questions and help you decide whether the finca is the right fit for the kind of stay you’re seeking.
With very best wishes,
Michael & Shaun
