Las Colmenas Rurales

Five houses, four of them inside the rock

Las Colmenas is on Calle Algarrada, in the historic centre of Alcalá del Júcar, the village that hangs over the river gorge. There are four cave houses and an apartment named after beehives: Voirnot, Lusitana, Smith and Dadant are caves dug into the mountain, with ceilings and walls of whitewashed rock; Layens is an apartment with windows and views of the village, for those who prefer natural light.

All have a 150 × 200 cm bed, a fitted kitchen, wifi, air conditioning, towels and a hairdryer, and something for a bath for two:

• Voirnot: two floors. Downstairs, the bedroom with a round 180 cm jacuzzi beside the bed and a bathroom with a shower; upstairs, a living room, kitchen, toilet and a private terrace with views. Up to four people.
• Lusitana: the mountain forms part of the bedroom, with the round jacuzzi next to the bed. Up to three.
• Smith: about 50 m² on a single floor, with a jacuzzi in the bedroom, and separate living room and kitchen. Up to four.
• Dadant: about 46 m², with a hydromassage bath instead of a jacuzzi. Up to three.
• Layens: an apartment of about 53 m² with a long hydromassage bath and shower. Up to four.

What it's like sleeping in a cave

The caves have air conditioning and, being dug into the mountain, hardly any windows: if you find it hard to wake up without sun, Voirnot has the terrace upstairs and Layens has windows. The bathroom is inside each house. The jacuzzi is in the bedroom itself, in plain view, so these caves are designed for couples; with children, Voirnot, Smith or Layens work, which have a sofa bed in a separate living room.

All five share a patio with a brick barbecue, with unlimited firewood and charcoal. For the details, the house offers kits you order by WhatsApp: petals and chocolates from €30, flowers for €38 or candles and salts for the jacuzzi for €15.

Arriving by car

The streets of the old town are narrow. The website has two videos with the easiest route: one if you arrive from Casas Ibáñez via Las Eras and another if you come from Alpera, Alatoz or El Cerro. Watch them before entering the village, and if you get lost, call on arrival on 621 241 226. The website does not publish check-in and check-out times or prices: you see them in the booking search when you enter dates. It also doesn't say whether dogs are admitted, so ask before booking.

From the door you walk down to the old town and bridge walk or up to the castle. In summer, the river is paddled by canoe on calm water.