Cortijada Los Gázquez

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