Inside the Andalusian retreat bringing new life to luxury eco-travel

Perched atop the arid folds of Andalusia’s Serranía de Ronda, La Donaira is an education in a new order of luxury experience where nature reigns supreme. Amidst a growing awareness of the human impact on the environment, the pillars of conventional luxury have been dismantled to reveal a growing desire to reconnect with nature. La Donaira is not just a retreat, it’s an ecological project that blends tradition with innovation to create a modern utopia. 

In keeping with the strict policy prohibiting guest cars on the estate, we left ours in the whitewashed village of El Gastor on an early Sunday morning. Our driver arrived just as flamenco music started to stir through the sleepy streets, emanating from crackling speakers on every street corner. Climbing up through the rugged terrain, the expansiveness of the property, untamed and wild, made the journey feel almost safari-like. Lusitano horses galloped across undulating hills, chickens pottered against a backdrop of craggy mountains, and sheep grazed on wild grass.

With only nine rooms, La Donaira has a pleasant intimacy and familiarity – guests are encouraged to make use of the record player and curated library, featuring literary classics by George Orwell and Primo Levi, accompanied by The Noma Guide To Fermentation. The space is designed to reinvigorate our bond with nature, with floor-to-ceiling windows framing the surrounding landscape, and the natural swimming pools filled with mountainous water and lined with wild herbs.

Set in 1,700 acres of rolling terrain, biodynamic farm La Dehesa Biodinámica is what makes La Donaira much more than a retreat. La Donaira considers the act of eating a powerful tool for change, given that agriculture is a key player in the environmental crisis. The farm itself consists of olive and almond groves, organic orchards and vineyards, and green valleys dotted with experimental plantations. They have bees, sheep, goats, chickens and rare breeds of cattle, which are moved around the estate regularly to keep the land fertile.

The farm is also a source of education and collaboration, and La Donaira’s volunteer scheme encourages both locals and international travellers who are interested in alternative farming methods to exchange knowledge and ideas. Guests can roam freely through the land and learn about their farming methods, spend time at the natural spa, or do yoga overlooking the mountains. Many are drawn to La Donaira for the Lusitano horses, bred using calming natural horsemanship techniques, providing an opportunity for beginners to experience the landscape on horseback. 

The philosophy of the farm is reinforced in the kitchen by Michelin-star chef Fredrik Andersson, who uses every meal to communicate the culinary ethos of La Donaira. ‘Here, we have at least two days to start a dialogue with guests about what we care about: recultivating a connection to the land’. Lunch and dinner is a five-course affair accompanied by natural wines, produced on site or from low-intervention producers across Europe. Andersson concepts menus based on what has been gathered from the farm that morning, using ingredients in their most authentic form to create delicate flavours layered with skill and meaning.

Throughout our four days spent at La Donaira, we saw no menus or wine lists; in their place were conversations with hosts about wine producers and their chosen techniques, where ingredients were sourced from, and how dishes were constructed. Guests can spend the day hiking through the 1,700 acres of farmland that produces the wine you will later drink and the produce you will eat. And in a similar vein, all food waste from the kitchen is redistributed into the land to feed the livestock. At La Donaira, the farm and the table are interdependent.

As evening falls, the oak-clad landscape still stirring with life becomes blanketed in a burnt- orange sunset, and the sommelier promptly serves us a glass of Pierre Frick’s skin contact Riesling. La Donaira offers an experience that is both luxurious and wild, subtly prompting contemplation about our role in the natural world. We quickly decided to extend our stay.

Each of the nine rooms is unique, and priced between €340 and €490 per person, per night, on a full-board basis. Book your experience at ladonaira.com