Why Castillo de Locubín?

When we opened our blog, we were faced with a recurring question: Why Castillo de Locubín? When we started appearing in this village, the same neighbors asked us that question in amazement. Do you have family in the village? How did you get here? Even some of them commented, “But how are you here, if this village doesn’t have anything to offer?”

On the other hand, when we talk to friends, colleagues, suppliers, etc., they also ask us: Castillo de what? Where is that village? Why are you going so far, don’t you like the Sierra de Cádiz?

To begin, we want to introduce ourselves. This project was started and promoted by my mother, Mercedes, and I, Luis. We have been working together since 2016 in the company Alquiler Vacacional, managing tourist accommodations, specifically tourist homes in the city of Cádiz. We are accompanied by a large team of people who have gradually joined our company in Cádiz.

And now, perhaps you may also be wondering, Why Castillo de Locubín?

An Unease. Developing Your Own Project

For some time, and before the arrival of the pandemic, we had a concern. We wanted to develop our own project, and let me explain. In our usual work, we typically manage properties for others, assisting them in finding clients and providing the most professional service to guests. However, these properties are not ours, and we cannot imbue them with the focus and style we desire. We adapt to what exists and to the needs of the property owners.

Over these years, we saved up and eventually bought a small studio in Cádiz with the excitement of redecorating it to our liking, infusing it with our personality. We also started exploring other nearby locations, often discussing the idea of doing something rural.

This interest grew, especially after completing two master’s courses, one in emotional intelligence and another in mindfulness. I began to discover the importance of mental health and well-being, recognizing the challenges prevalent in our society, particularly in urban environments.

Exploring the province of Jaén

In the fall of 2021, during our vacation, we decided to explore the province of Jaén, a region we were unfamiliar with and which I still consider to be relatively unknown. We visited the most representative places, aside from the capital, including cities such as Úbeda and Baeza, the Sierra Morena area, and, of course, Cazorla. In the last days of our getaway, we chose to visit the Sierra Sur de Jaén. We embarked on a visit to the Marcelino Serrano wineries, an unforgettable experience with wonderful hospitality from Blanca. Later, we explored the monumental fortress of La Mota, truly impressive. At that moment, the surroundings started to captivate us. We were drawn not only to the grandeur of Alcalá la Real but also to the atmosphere and authenticity we felt in every place we visited.

Our idea: a reunion

So we started looking for houses for sale in the surroundings of Alcalá la Real. What was our ideal? To create a space centered on the reunion of people with calmness, with nature, and with themselves. We didn’t want to establish just a rural accommodation; we aimed to envelop it with a philosophy focused on personal well-being. Simultaneously, we wanted it to be a space where we could develop projects and initiatives that contribute to entrepreneurship and social innovation—a challenging endeavor, but it seemed exciting to us.

The search: Castillo de Locubín emerges

Within my searches, I found a property for sale in a town near Alcalá la Real: Castillo de Locubín. We arranged with the real estate agency to visit it during the first days of January 2022. As we drove down the road and took the detour to the town, we already felt something special, something that isn’t explainable in words.

This transaction didn’t materialize for reasons I won’t disclose here. However, I can say that during that time, we visited Castillo de Locubín several times. We had an interview with its Mayor, Cristóbal, and without realizing it, we had already become attached to this land.

To be continued…