The Terrace House

House of Olives

With poetic simplicity and tactile organic detail, this agricultural outpost in a swirling stand of hundred-year-old olive trees offers a refuge from the hurried world. Pure and stark yet also imbued with a welcoming coziness, this restored, open-plan studio fills a finca from the 18th century, creating a romantic nest for two or a creative solo retreat.

An 18th-century finca anchoring an ancient grove of 300 Sevillenca and Morruda olive trees, varieties still cultivated and coveted for their rich oil, this sturdy stone structure has been transformed from decaying agricultural outpost to modern minimal studio. 

This vacation home rental in Spain offers nearly monastic serenity and abundant natural details such as wooden beams, original roof tiles, polished concrete floors and exposed stone walls offset by a new coat of whitewashing. The gorgeous, organic bathroom is the finca’s standout space, an earthen room of stone vessels and rich, olive wood accents that gleams with a just the right touch of gloss, and invites deep tub soaks with a view across the arid olive terraces. 

Lovingly preserved, this classic agricultural space is for seekers of the graceful and pure, those wanting to unplug and travel back to simpler times. Pass through the retreat’s original doorway, 1870 carved above an adjacent front window, and enter a singular space restored across split levels, with an uncontrived, eco-chic elan made warm and welcoming by a suspended woodburning fireplace and the timeless embrace of rural simplicity.

AROUND

This vacation home rental in Spain is located in el Coll de L’Alba on two actively cultivated hectares. A working olive farm, it harvests the sought-after Morruda and Sevillenca olive varieties. Cultivated following the age-old dry method, the oil benefits from a regional DO Baix Ebre classification and is never irrigated, only hydrated by natural rainfall. 

This region of Spain, near the medieval village of Tortosa also has its own DO classification for wine grown in the historical vineyards of the area that date back to the 12th century. Informal tasting rooms for both oils and wines are a great daytrip option from the property. 

Tortosa sits just inland from the Mediterranean Sea, about equidistant between the coastal cities of Barcelona and Valencia. The town is located on the Ebro River and flanked by the mountains of southern Catalonia, the Serres de Pandolis Cavils and Serres de Cardo el Boix, and shielded by natural parks all worth exploring on foot or by car. These include the Parque Natural de los Puertos, a mountainous limestone reserve with over 100,000 acres of forests and waterfalls that’s a favorite of hikers, the Parque Natural de la Tenencia de Benifasar, a volcanic protected area known for its lakes and varied eco habitats, and the Parque Natural del Delta del Ebro that forms a vast wetland peninsula best known for its abundant bird and aquatic wildlife. 

Those seeking more civilized outings should visit the small medieval city of Tortosa, which offers all necessary services—restaurants, cafes, bars, groceries, pharmacies, etc. The town’s Catalan Gothic Cathedral of Santa Maria, with its Baroque façade, is worth a visit as is the town’s landmark castle, the Castell de la Suda, that dates from the 10th century and houses a Parador.

LOCATION

Col de l’Alba, Tortosa, Catalonia, Spain. Nearest airports: Valencia, Barcelona.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: April to October