La Casilla - The Gérgal Lookout - Rural Life

The smaller of the two, for three people: one bedroom with a 135 cm double bed, a sofa bed in the living room and a bathroom. A full kitchen — hob, fridge, washing machine and whatever else you need so you don't have to go out for dinner unless you feel like it — and a fireplace lit in winter.

The windows look out over the valley: from the living room you see the sierra and, at night, the whole sky. There's air conditioning in the living room and ceiling fans for the summer, which in Gérgal is fierce at midday and cools down the moment the sun goes.

It's on calle Pilanos, a short walk from the castle, with private parking at the house, streets climbing away in front and the sierra starting where the village ends. La Casa de la Abuela is a couple of doors away: if you're a group, you can rent both at once and be eight.

The Calar Alto Observatory, the largest in continental Europe, is in the same municipality of Gérgal, so the nights here look like they do in very few places. Half an hour away, Almería and the Tabernas Desert.

Your dog is welcome, no size limit (€15 per night per pet). Smoking is allowed outdoors only.