Molino La Nava

Molino La Nava is an 18th-century olive mill, carefully restored and turned into a rural guesthouse. It stands in the countryside outside Montoro, in the province of Córdoba, surrounded by olive groves that climb towards the first hills of the Sierra Morena, a short distance from the Guadalquivir river.

The rooms, a lounge with fireplace and library, and the restaurant – set in the old mill hall, where the original machinery has been kept – all open onto a paved courtyard. Outside there is a garden, a terrace and a swimming pool looking out over the olive trees. Córdoba is about 45 kilometres away.

The house welcomes only a few guests at a time, with attentive, unobtrusive service. In the evening guests gather in the lounge with its fireplace and library or on the terrace: the area lies within a Starlight Reserve and, far from light pollution, the Milky Way can be seen from the mill with the naked eye. The property arranges walks and bike rides, canoe trips on the Guadalquivir and horse riding.

Pets are welcome: dogs may enter the rooms and all common areas except the restaurant, and bowls and a dog bed are provided. Free parking with an electric vehicle charging point. The entire property is non-smoking.

The eight rooms are named after the olive varieties grown on the nearby estates: Picual, Royal, Arbequina, Empeltre, Cornicabra, Picudo and Hojiblanca. The eighth, Mirador de las Estrellas, measures over 60 square metres and has a sitting area with fireplace, a canopy bed and a bathroom with a two-person whirlpool bath. The others range from double rooms to junior suites, some with a small lounge or private terrace; Picual is adapted for guests with reduced mobility. Exposed beams, terracotta floors and wooden furniture preserve the character of the house.

All rooms have a private bathroom, air conditioning, heating, free Wi-Fi and a safe.

The restaurant occupies the old milling hall, with the presses and gears of the mill still in place. The kitchen is devoted to local produce, starting with the extra virgin olive oil of the surrounding countryside, and offers a seasonal à la carte menu and a tasting menu, paired with a carefully chosen wine list.

Breakfast is included in the stay. The restaurant is also open to non-residents, so it is advisable to book dinner on arrival. Menus for special dietary requirements can be prepared on request.

Montoro is one of the most distinctive towns in the province of Córdoba: its old centre rises on a bend of the Guadalquivir, with whitewashed houses, the tower of San Bartolomé church and the Puente de las Doncellas, built between the late 15th and 16th centuries. It has been a centre of olive oil production for centuries, and olive groves surround the mill on every side.

To the north lies the Sierra de Cardeña y Montoro Natural Park, with trails through holm and cork oaks. Córdoba, with the Mezquita-Cathedral, the Jewish Quarter and the palace city of Medina Azahara, is about 40 minutes by car; Andújar and its sierra natural park are around half an hour away.