Un Tercio de Vida

The house

Un Tercio de Vida is boutique accommodation with a gastronomic restaurant in Riópar Viejo, the original village of Riópar, at the top of a hill about 3 km from the present one. Its motto sums it up: a place where rest meets haute cuisine. It is on Calle Dolorosa 2, among the stone houses of the hamlet, many restored as rural accommodation, with cobbled streets and little light at night so as not to spoil the atmosphere.

It combines boutique rooms and suites, which the house describes as comfortable, serene and careful in the details, with the La Teja restaurant, which reinterprets the cooking of La Mancha and the Sierra del Segura with seasonal produce. The website suggests it for romantic getaways, restful weekends and stays in nature.

The accommodation

The accommodation listing on its website, La Teja Suites, details a two-bedroom villa for four people, 137 m², with a private outdoor pool, garden, terrace and views, and free wifi. It is the option for two couples or a family who want independence and their own pool. The villa is booked through Booking, as the website itself links; for the rooms and suites, or to book a table at the same time, the phone number is 610 013 302.

The website does not publish the number of suites, their prices, whether breakfast is included, whether pets are accepted or check-in and check-out times: ask when you book.

Why sleep here

What sets Un Tercio de Vida apart is having the gourmet dinner in the same house. La Teja's summer menu included dishes such as pickled partridge salad or a rice in a tin with artichoke and Iberian ham; dining and then going up to your room saves driving at night along the mountain roads.

And then there is Riópar Viejo itself. Up there is the church of the Espíritu Santo, from the 15th century, the oldest in the Sierra del Segura, with a timber roof with Mudéjar paintings, and at the very top, the castle ruins and the Starlight viewpoint, with a panel and a planisphere to recognise the constellations: stargazing is done under this certified sky.

What is nearby

The Source of the River Mundo, with its 86-metre waterfall coming out of the Cueva de los Chorros, is less than 10 km from Riópar, and in the new village you can visit the historic site of the Royal Factories, Spain's first brass factory.