Kolarbyn Ecolodge
Skinnskatteberg · Sleeps 2–6
Turf-roofed charcoal-burners' huts by a forest lake, with no electricity, no shower and a floating sauna.
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- Off-grid
- No wifi, deliberately
- Lakeside
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Photograph to comeCortijada Los Gázquez
Almería, Andalusia
A wholly off-grid farmhouse retreat in the Sierra María-Los Vélez natural park, run on sun, wind and wood.
Why we love it
A restored cortijada — a cluster of farm buildings — high in the Sierra María-Los Vélez, running entirely on solar, wind and a wood burner. There is no mains anything. It has operated for years as a creative retreat, which shows in how the place is put together and in the expectation that guests will do something with their days beyond lying down.
Almería is the driest corner of Europe and one of the darkest. The night sky is a large part of the argument.
Best for: a week of making something, a long way from a plug socket
Worth knowing
- The last 4.6 kilometres are gravel. The operator's own directions leave the tarmac at a five-way junction 8.5 km out of Vélez Blanco and stay on gravel to the turning for the house at 13.1 km.
- Anything beyond breakfast has to be arranged in advance — lunch is €10 a head and dinner €18 — and the nearest village is that same 13 kilometres back down the road.
- Half the money is due as a deposit when you book and the balance a fortnight before arrival. Cards are only accepted through internet banking, and paying by PayPal adds a 3.5% surcharge.
The practicalities
- Bring
- Stout shoes
- Sunglasses
- A sun hat
- Sun cream
- A water bottle
- Included
- Breakfast
- Wi-Fi
- Extras
- Lunch, by pre-arrangement — €10 per person
- Evening meal, by pre-arrangement — €18 per person
Getting there
- Nearest station
- Lorca Sutullena — 39.2 miles
- Without a car
- Difficult, but possible
From Vélez Blanco the operator's route runs 13.1 km — tarmac as far as a five-way junction at 8.5 km, gravel from there. The four nearest airports, Alicante, Murcia San Javier, Almería and Granada, are all around two hours away, and the operator says taxi transfers can be arranged with prior notification.
What is around it
Towns
- Vélez Blanco · 8 miles — The nearest village, crowned by the 16th-century Castillo de los Fajardo.
- María · 10.8 miles
- Vélez Rubio · 12.1 miles
- Chirivel · 23.6 miles
Days out
- Cueva de los Letreros · 9.5 miles — Prehistoric cave paintings dating to 4000 BC, and a UNESCO world heritage site.
Who runs it
Simon and Donna Beckmann
Simon Beckmann studied at the Royal Academy Schools, calls himself an artist and an ecologist, and the site says Los Gázquez is the expression of those passions. Donna Beckmann studied illustration at Bristol, paints foraged food and herbs in watercolour, and cooks.
Where it is
Checked August 2026 · We re-verify prices and opening every quarter.
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