On our recent holiday to Northern Spain, we had pre-booked most of our accommodation, bar the last day before returning on Brittany Ferries from Santander.
We wanted somewhere not too far from Santander where we didn’t have too worry about a long drive to the port. I spotted Jardin de Carrejo on the ‘tablet’ on our outward journey, so we called in to see what the place was like and if they would take a booking on our return journey.
We were certainly impressed as we drove up the drive, parked and went in to enquire. Isabel Alvarez Garcia, the owner, spoke excellent English and was able to accommodate us on the day we required. We were shown a room and were delighted at what we found. At 71 euros for the night, we accepted and drove off, confident that we had secured a good hotel for our last day!
We returned on 22nd April having travelled back along the northern coastline, turning off the main N634 and on to the CA180 towards Cabezon de la Sal and then a short distance to the hotel, arriving at 3.40 in the afternoon.
Jardin de Carrejo is a renovated country house (originally a large stable block in 1901). It is a stylish, modernized rural haven, sitting between the Cabuierga Valley and the lovely beaches of Commillas. There are 12 rooms and ours was one of two which opened out onto a large verandah with chairs, table and shrubs. The décor inside was great with ‘creams and taupes,’ very spacious with a good sized bathroom and overhead shower. There was a desk and chairs, ample cupboard space, satellite TV and free WiFi.
Downstairs was the restaurant, bar lounge, meeting room and an arcade/game room. There are stone floors and polished parquet along with wood furnishings and some large leather sofas. It is a non smoking hotel.
One bedroom is provided without stairs for anyone disabled.
The large, well maintained gardens have ancient trees, canals, locks and spacious lawns with their ‘robotic lawnmowers’ running back and forth to keep them nice and trim. At one time, in the past, trout was kept on the property.
The evening meal we had was excellent, with very good service. Breakfast (a separate charge), is a wonderful spread of home-made breads, jams, cheese, ham, cereal, fresh orange juice, home-made cakes etc.
This is a good place to stay when touring the area, either enjoying the Comillas Beach, or visiting the Caves of Altimira. You can even hire a tandem from the hotel if you fancy something a bit different! The smaller, countryside roads are great to explore. We drove to La Troja and met a large herd of cows being driven down a winding road which caused some excitement, especially when one wanted to squeeze past the car close to the side of the road, pushing the wing mirror inwards!
Jardin de Carrejo with its close proximity to Santander, is an ideal as a starting point or return point if arriving by ferry or plane and touring Northern Spain. I would highly recommend it – such a tasteful, relaxing and fabulous place, whether sitting on the balcony outside your bedroom, wandering through the gardens, enjoying the wonderful cuisine or enjoying the wonderful views and places nearby.
Here is a great short video on YouTube I found, which gives you a first rate experience of Jardin de Carrejo – do look and enjoy.
