The Finca Story
Some places have more than one life.
For around two centuries, Finca El Cerrillo has been part of the landscape of this corner of Andalucía. A farmhouse. A working olive mill. A place for artists. A small hotel. And now, the beginning of another chapter.
Set high in the foothills of the Sierra Almijara, the finca has changed considerably over the years, but much of what gives it its character has remained: old stone and timber, terraces following the hillside, olive trees, mountain views and a building that still carries clues to everything that came before.
Its story has unfolded over generations...
And each one has left something behind.
Before There Was a Hotel
For much of its earlier life, the finca belonged to the agricultural landscape around Canillas de Albaida. It was a working olive mill until the mid-1960s, pressing olives grown in the surrounding countryside. The old mill was known as Fábrica de Santa Genoveva, and traces of that working past can still be found around the finca today.
The terraced land also has its own story. What are now gardens were once home to paseros - the traditional beds used to dry local Moscatel grapes beneath the Andalusian sun before they became the sweet wines for which the Axarquía is known.
When the millstones eventually stopped turning, the finca didn't stop evolving.
and then came it's next life
From Old Mill to La Finca
In 2001, Sue and Gordon Kind bought what was then a run-down former olive mill and began the considerable task of bringing it back to life. Over the following two years, they rebuilt and restored the property, preserving as much of the character of the old Andalusian finca as possible while creating the comfort needed for its new life as a small hotel.
The Mill Lounge retained reminders of its working past. Gardens grew around the old terraces. Rooms, patios and quiet corners emerged throughout the property, alongside the pool, library, honesty bar and studio. And gradually, Finca El Cerrillo became known not simply as somewhere to stay, but somewhere people returned to.
Walkers came. Painters came. Writers came. Groups returned year after year. Others came with absolutely nothing planned beyond a book, the pool and a few days in Andalucía.
For more than two decades, Sue and Gordon shaped the hotel and the particular kind of hospitality for which it became known.
And then, at the beginning of 2026, it was time for someone else to take the reins.
Long before La Finca welcomed hotel guests, walkers, artists and retreat groups, it was part of the working landscape of rural Andalucía.
An Andalusian finca takes shape.
The farmhouse that would become Finca El Cerrillo takes its place in the hills above Canillas de Albaida, surrounded by olive groves and the agricultural landscape of rural Andalucía.
Fábrica de Santa Genoveva.
The old mill carries the name Fábrica de Santa Genoveva, with the date 1895 still associated with this chapter of its working history.
The millstones keep turning.
For generations, olives from the surrounding countryside are pressed here. La Finca remains a working olive mill until the mid-1960s, when one long chapter of its agricultural life ends.
A place for artists.
In the years that follow, the finca begins another life. Its peaceful setting, Andalusian light and mountain landscape make it a natural place for artists and creative visitors.
Sue and Gordon take on La Finca.
Sue and Gordon Kind acquire the former olive mill and begin the considerable task of bringing the run-down property back to life.
Two years of restoration.
La Finca is carefully rebuilt and restored, preserving its beams, old walls, patios and Andalusian character while creating the comfort needed for its next life as a small hotel.
La Finca welcomes its guests.
Walkers, painters, writers and independent travellers begin arriving from around the world. Gardens mature, guests return, and the warm, informal spirit of La Finca takes shape.
The new owners take the reins.
A new chapter begins as Donna and Jaime become the latest custodians of La Finca — taking on a place with a long history, loyal returning guests and plenty of life still ahead of it.
The next chapter is being written.
La Finca continues to welcome guests who come simply to stay, alongside walking holidays, painting, writing, yoga, movement and other hosted experiences.
The old mill may have changed purpose over the years, but it remains what it has always been: a place where people gather.
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finca el cerrillo • andalucia
la finca
A characterful hotel and retreat in the Andalusian countryside, near Cómpeta and Canillas de Albaida.
Walking holidays · Painting holidays · Creative writing · Yoga retreats · Group stays · Holidays in Andalucía
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