Our home, Las Bellotas, is a villa in a quiet, residential area by Moraira town. It is ideal simply to relax at one of the pools but, equally, it is within walking distance to the town, beaches, bars and restaurants, when you feel like exploring.

We called our villa Las Bellotas, The Acorns, since it seemed appropriate, being on a street called Calle Sierra de la Carrasca, Mountain Range of the Holm Oak. It is part of a small community, providing a communal pool as well as a private tennis court, available to our guests. We even supply racquets and balls. Our own small pool, BBQ and dining area are to the south of the house, so attract sunshine all day long. We also have a small, pretty garden extending round the house, with a petanque (boules) lane at the back, great to cool down at and have a bit of fun.

From the front naya, double doors lead into a good-sized sitting room, with a ceiling fan for hot days and a log-burning fire for those rare cooler evenings. We have central heating throughout but it is seldom required in summer months. There are two comfortable sofas, a dining table to seat 4 - 6, a TV tuned to UK Freesat and a DVD player. We also have free wi-fi via fibre-optic cable.

The well-equipped kitchen is off the sitting room. A dishwasher, large fridge-freezer and microwave are installed as well as a ceramic electric hob and electric oven for indoor cooking. We have also supplied a kettle, toaster and a juicer for the wonderful oranges that can be bought at markets or street stalls.

There is a separate outdoor utility room, providing a washing machine, iron and ironing board, as well as an extra fridge to keep drinks cool for the pool area. There is a drying rack supplied for wet weather but the outdoor rotary dryer is far better when the sun is shining.

There are two double bedrooms, both with king-size beds and ceiling fans. One bedroom has an en-suite shower-room with toilet and wash-hand basin.

There is a separate family bathroom, with shower over bath, toilet, wash-hand basin and hairdryer.

All windows have roll-up blinds which can be lowered to keep the rooms cool while you are out and about.

Access to the property is via one of two security gates. One is for pedestrians and leads down a few steps to the pool area. The other is an electronic door, leading into a sizeable car port. The ramp from there down to the front of the house, as well as the entire villa having no steps, makes our home very suitable for the elderly, infirm or parents with children in buggies.

As we mentioned, there are many facilities within walking distance. The communal pool and tennis court are both well under 100 metres away, with the nearest bar at less than 500 metres. It is around 800 metres down to the coast road where you can find some good restaurants and bars, as well as a pharmacy, bakery, hairdresser and newsagent. Just across the road is the nearest beach, Platges.

A further 500 metres, along the picturesque coast, takes you to the main beach of Moraira, L'Ampolla. It is in a lovely setting beside the castle and is protected by lifeguards during the summer season. There is a chiringuito right on the beach that serves good food as well as welcome drinks. The town centre, with all its bars, restaurants and shops, can be reached within a couple of minutes from there. From the castle, there is a great walk of less than 2 kms, taking you round the coast, high above the sea, before dropping into the beautiful, sheltered bay of El Portet. The beach, watersports and views make this one of the most popular beaches in the area.

Although we have given walking distances, to make the most of your holiday we would recommend hiring a car or, to get out and about for fun, a motor scooter or bicycle. If you are driving, there is a route right into the centre of town of just under 2 kms.

There are several supermarkets in town and along the coast road, the closest being Mas y Mas.

For those of an active or sporting penchant, there are watersports such as scuba-diving, paddle-boarding or kayaking.

For golf enthusiasts, there is a 9-hole golf course, Golf Ifach, within a few minute's drive towards Calpe. It is short but a challenging par 60 with wonderful views. There is another 9-holer between Benitachell and Javea (9 kms) and 18-holers near Denia (26 kms) and the Villaitana Golf Course resort at Benidorm (42 kms).

For the kids, there is go-karting in Moraira and there are several theme parks such as Terra Mitica, Aqualandia, Aqua Natura and Magic Natura Animal & Polynesian Resort (all approx 40-45 kms).

Although the Costa Blanca is generally thought of for its beach resorts, we originally discovered the area in Winter, giving it a wholly different character. In the summer there is walking to be done, although in the heat you might feel a bit daunted by the mountains, preferring to stroll along the beautiful coastal paths that run between Moraira and Calpe, dotted with bays and chiringuitos. However, in the cooler months, there are spectacular walks to be had in the mountains inland, which many summer tourists may not be aware of. These vary from simple strolls between villages to some serious rock-climbing routes, with all variations in between. There are also several waymarked mountain bike trails.

If you have a car, it is highly recommended to take some trips inland, where there are some really lovely villages and mountain views. One of the most interesting, although very busy, is Guadalest, a village with a spectacular castle on a rocky pinnacle, standing high above the floor of the Rio Guadalest valley.

If you choose to stay at Las Bellotas, we are certain you will not be at a loss for something to do and enjoy.

Notes:

Standard check-in is from 4pm and check-out up to 10am. If there is not a booking for the nights before or after your stay, this can be flexible if it fits with the schedule of our service company.

Since the property is in a residential area, we do not want to disturb our neighbours so we do not allow hen or stag parties. For this reason we will not accept bookings for 4 same-sex adults, as we have stated in our house rules. These rules must be accepted before booking.

Children are welcome but it should be noted that the private pool is accessed by ladder only and is around 1 metre deep at its shallowest. Younger children, therefore, must be supervised if swimming. We have provided a small, inflatable paddling pool for tots to use.

No smoking is allowed inside the property or the naya. Smoking is allowed outwith those areas, if care is taken with furniture.

Prices listed are for stays of up to 1 month. Prices for longer-term, winter stays are negotiable. During these visits, guests would be responsible for their own mid-stay cleaning and laundry. They would also be required to pay for gas since there is probably a need for the central heating at those times.