Last summer I travelled to the south of Spain for some meetings and afterwards we had a bit of time to relax. The Hacienda de San Rafael, which is owned by a friend of a friend, is a gem of a hideaway in the Andalucian countryside between Seville and Jerez.

I am always a sucker for a long, winding approach and anything involving rows of delicious Olive trees but this particular road is something special. It leads to a beautiful former olive farm in serene grounds, a place I really didn’t ever want to leave. Our room was beautiful and peaceful. For extra luxury you can even hire your own ‘casita’ (little house) like this one, complete with exclusive garden and swimming pool.

Relaxing in the Andalucian silence, enjoying breakfast on one�s private verandah is a truly restful experience and I highly recommend it. Sadly, despite my pleas for a kitchen job with the fabulous chef they calmly chauffeured us to the airport and put us safely on the flight to London.