ABOVE: Everything looks so much better on horseback...

Why it’s hot

With its balmy weather, plethora of beaches and thriving nightlife, Málaga, one of the major thoroughfares to Andalucía, has long been a hot spot for travellers in search of bargain breaks in the sun.

For a truly unique experience, however, it’s worth heading out of the city to the surrounding countryside – something of a hidden gem in the Costa del Sol’s crown. Here, olive groves stretch lazily over hillsides and valleys as far as the eye can see. Picturesque villages with terracotta and white buildings appear now and again, amid lush green woodland, rivers and mountainous peaks.

It’s in the middle of this wilderness that Barceló La Bobadilla, one of the Leading Small Hotels of The World, is based. La Bobadilla is not the kind of place you stumble on by accident. Set in 1,000 acres of private and protected grounds, it’s accessed via a long, winding drive that gives you plenty of time to appreciate the isolation and beauty of the landscape.

Escape in style in the Andalucían wilderness